Workflows enable agents to execute complex, multi-step processes with conditional logic, loops, error handling, and human-in-the-loop approval points.
Overview
The Workflow primitive transforms agents into powerful automation engines capable of orchestrating sophisticated business processes. Instead of handling single requests, workflow-enabled agents can execute multi-step procedures, coordinate between different systems, handle branching logic, and maintain process state across extended operations. Workflows are essential for:- Process Automation: Automate repetitive multi-step business processes
- Complex Operations: Coordinate tasks requiring multiple systems and approvals
- Reliability: Built-in error handling, retries, and rollback capabilities
- Visibility: Track execution progress and audit process completion
- Human Oversight: Integrate approval gates and decision points
- State Management: Maintain process state across hours or days
Visual Definition
Define workflows as structured graphs with nodes, edges, and conditions
State Persistence
Workflow state persists automatically, surviving restarts and failures
Error Handling
Built-in retry logic, error recovery, and rollback mechanisms
Human-in-Loop
Integrate approval gates and manual decision points seamlessly
How Workflows Work
When you execute a workflow:- Definition: Define workflow steps, transitions, and conditions
- Initialization: Workflow engine creates execution context and state
- Execution: Agent executes steps sequentially or in parallel
- State Tracking: Current step, variables, and progress are persisted
- Branching: Conditional logic determines next steps based on results
- Completion: Workflow completes with final output or error state
Durability: Workflows are durable by default. They can survive system restarts and continue from the last completed step.
Workflow Components
Steps
Individual units of work within a workflow:Transitions
Define flow between steps:Decision Points
Branch based on conditions:Code Examples
Basic Workflow
Conditional Workflow
Parallel Execution
Error Handling and Retry
Monitoring Workflow Progress
Use Cases
1. Customer Onboarding
Automate multi-step onboarding process:2. Order Fulfillment
Orchestrate e-commerce order processing:3. Content Publishing Pipeline
Automate content creation and publishing:4. Incident Response
Automate IT incident management:5. Data Pipeline
ETL workflow for data processing:6. Employee Offboarding
Automate employee exit process:Best Practices
Workflow Design
Keep Steps Atomic
Keep Steps Atomic
Use Descriptive Step IDs
Use Descriptive Step IDs
Handle All Edge Cases
Handle All Edge Cases
Use Parallel Steps for Independence
Use Parallel Steps for Independence
Error Handling
State Management
Testing Workflows
Integration with Other Primitives
With Custom Tools
Use custom tools within workflow steps:With Memory
Maintain context across workflow executions:With Multi-Agent
Delegate workflow steps to specialized agents:Performance Considerations
Execution Time
- Sequential Steps: Execute one after another, total time is sum of all steps
- Parallel Steps: Execute simultaneously, total time is longest branch
- Optimization: Use parallel execution for independent operations
State Persistence
- Checkpoint Frequency: State saved after each step completion
- Storage Cost: Minimal - workflow state is compact JSON
- Recovery: Resume from last completed step on failure
Timeout Management
Troubleshooting
Workflow Stuck in Running State
Workflow Stuck in Running State
Problem: Workflow shows as running but not progressingSolutions:
- Check if waiting for human approval
- Verify timeout configurations aren’t too long
- Check agent logs for errors
- Cancel and restart workflow if necessary
Step Failures Not Handled
Step Failures Not Handled
Problem: Workflow fails without executing error handlerSolutions:
- Ensure onError step ID exists in workflow
- Check error handler step configuration
- Add retry logic before error handling
- Review error logs for root cause
Conditional Logic Not Working
Conditional Logic Not Working
Problem: Decision steps not routing correctlySolutions:
- Verify condition syntax is correct
- Check variable names match step outputs
- Add default fallback condition
- Log variable values for debugging
Parallel Steps Timing Out
Parallel Steps Timing Out
Problem: Parallel execution times out before all branches completeSolutions:
- Increase timeout for parallel step
- Optimize slow branches
- Consider sequential execution for long-running tasks
- Add retry logic to individual branches
Advanced Patterns
Sub-Workflows
Call workflows from within workflows:Dynamic Workflow Generation
Generate workflows programmatically:Compensation Patterns
Rollback on failure:Related Primitives
Orchestration
Coordinate multiple agents and workflows
Background
Run workflows asynchronously in background
Custom Tools
Use custom tools within workflow steps
Hooks
Trigger workflows from external events
Additional Resources
API Reference
Complete workflow API documentation
Workflow Patterns
Common workflow design patterns
Examples
Real-world workflow examples