Workflow stuck in executing state: context not progressing

A workflow activity is waiting for an external event or approval that never arrives, such as an email response or manual approval action. (high likelihood)

Worker node crashed or became unresponsive while processing the workflow activity, leaving the context orphaned in executing state. (high likelihood)

Timer activity is stuck due to system clock issues, timezone problems, or scheduler service disruption preventing proper timer execution. (medium likelihood)

Workflow activity script contains infinite loop or blocking operation that prevents the activity from completing normally. (medium likelihood)

Database locks or transaction deadlocks preventing the workflow context from updating its state in the wf_context table. (low likelihood)

Step 1: Navigate to Workflow > Administration > Active Contexts and locate the stuck workflow context by filtering on 'State' equals 'Executing'.

Step 2: Review the workflow context record details including Started time, Current Activity, and Last Updated fields to identify how long it has been stuck.

Step 3: Check System Diagnostics > Stats > Worker Status to verify all workflow worker nodes are active and processing activities normally.

Step 4: Examine the current activity in the workflow definition to determine if it is waiting for external input, contains problematic script, or involves timer functionality.

Step 5: Review System Log at System Diagnostics > Log > Application Log filtering by source 'workflow' and the specific workflow context sys_id for error messages.

Step 6: If the activity is waiting for external input, manually complete the required action or use the 'Signal' option on the workflow context to force progression.

Step 7: For crashed worker scenarios, restart the workflow by setting the context state to 'Waiting' and then back to 'Executing' using the workflow context form.

Step 8: As a last resort, terminate the stuck workflow context using the 'Cancel' action and investigate the root cause before restarting the business process.