What is the main purpose of OR Gateways in Appian?

The main purpose of OR Gateways in Appian is to allow one incoming path to have multiple outgoing paths. This functionality is essential in process design, especially when you want to present different execution paths based on conditions or events that occur within a process.

When using an OR Gateway, the process can diverge based on triggers or conditions met, enabling a single process instance to follow various logical paths. For example, if a process requires approval from either one of multiple departments, an OR Gateway allows the process to proceed down any path as soon as one of those departments completes its task or makes a decision, fostering flexibility in workflow execution.

In this context, the option that refers to restricting incoming paths does not accurately describe the operational capabilities of OR Gateways, as they inherently allow one incoming path to split into multiple outgoing paths based on defined criteria. Connecting all incoming paths to all outgoing paths also does not reflect how OR Gateways function; they focus on selectively branching out rather than unifying all paths. Similarly, connecting multiple paths to one outgoing path is a characteristic of other types of gateways, rather than the OR Gateway's defining feature.