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Receive task

A Receive Task pauses the process and waits until a specific message is received, then continues execution. It behaves like a Message intermediate catch event modelled as a task shape, which allows attaching boundary events and multi-instance markers.

Receive task

Rendered as a rounded rectangle with an unfilled envelope icon in the top-left corner.

Use cases​

  • Wait for confirmation — pause the order process until a payment confirmation arrives from the payment provider.
  • Request–response between processes — wait for the reply message of a request previously sent by a Send task.
  • External callbacks — hold the process until an external system reports back, such as a shipment-delivered notification.

Usage in BPMN​

A Receive Task references a message definition via its messageRef attribute; the message is correlated to a waiting instance exactly like a Message intermediate catch event — see that page for message definitions, subscriptions, and correlation keys. Additionally, with instantiate="true" the Receive Task can start a new process instance when the message arrives, like a message start event.

  • Message events — a Receive Task receives messages in nearly the same way as a message intermediate catch event, so everything about defining messages, subscribing to them, and correlating them to a waiting process instance is documented there and applies here as well.

XML example​

A Receive Task that waits for the OrderPaid message, correlated to the process instance by the order id:

<bpmn:receiveTask id="Activity_WaitForPayment" name="Wait for payment" messageRef="Message_OrderPaid">
  <bpmn:incoming>Flow_In</bpmn:incoming>
  <bpmn:outgoing>Flow_Out</bpmn:outgoing>
</bpmn:receiveTask>

<bpmn:message id="Message_OrderPaid" name="OrderPaid">
  <bpmn:extensionElements>
    <zenbpm:subscription correlationKey="=order.id" />
  </bpmn:extensionElements>
</bpmn:message>