Workflow Activities

Last updated May 28, 2025

Detached Error Handler

Detached Error Handlers catch exceptions that occur in any activity within the canvas. You can define a Detached Error Handler at the workflow level, unlike Error Boundary Events, which need to be tied to a specific Task or Subprocess. This decoupling allows for global exception management and reusability, as you can define an exception type once and apply it to any task within the workflow that might throw that exception. You can add multiple Detached Error Handlers, as long as they handle different exceptions, allowing for custom error responses based on the type of failure.

The Detached Error Handler allows you to define more steps in the error handling process. For example, in an order fulfillment process, any failure during payment, inventory check, or shipment steps could trigger a Detached Error Handler that notifies the customer, updates the order status, and logs the issue for support.

In the following image, when the workflow triggers an error, execution moves to the Detached Error Handler, which uses an Agentic Task for the recovery process:

You can have both an Error Boundary Event and a Detached Error Handler on the canvas, handling the same exception:

if Task A throws an exception, the execution moves on to the Error Boundary Event path and goes through Recovery Task A and Task B
if Task B throws an exception, the execution moves to the Detached Error Handler and recovers it there

Use case

Use the Detached Error Handler activity when you:

Need to handle errors globally within the process.
Want to reuse the same error handling logic for multiple Tasks.
Have complex error handling that involves multiple steps.

For example, in a customer onboarding process, any error triggers the Detached Error Handler which:

Logs the error,
Sends an alert, and
Rolls back specific changes.

Properties

Display name: The name of the Detached Error Handler activity as you want it to be displayed on the Long Running Workflow canvas.
Private: If selected, the values of variables and arguments are no longer logged at Verbose level.
ValidateUnconnectedNodes: If selected, you are notified whether there are any activities that are not connected to the other ones.

Managing the Detached Error Handler

To add a Detached Error Handler to your process:

Add the Detached Error Handler to your canvas.
Double-click the Detached Error Handler canvas element. This opens a new canvas, where you can design the exception recovery process.
Select the error node and configure the exception.
Add the desired activities and configure their properties as needed.
Return to the canvas by selecting Long Running Workflow in the breadcrumbs.

On this page

Use case
Properties
Managing the Detached Error Handler

Was this page helpful?

PREVIOUSSubprocess

NEXTDecision

Support and Services

Get The Help You Need

UiPath Academy

Learning RPA - Automation Courses

UiPath Forum

UiPath Community Forum

Trust and Security

Cookies Policy