Core Concepts

Introduction

Welcome to Workflows fundamentals. This guide covers everything you need to understand how workflows work - from individual nodes to execution patterns, versioning, and testing strategies.

First time here? This is your roadmap. Read through to understand the core concepts, then check out the Getting Started guide to build your first workflow.

What is a Node?

A node is the fundamental building block of a workflow. Think of it like a step in a recipe - each node does one thing, and you chain them together to create your complete automation. Nodes can do all sorts of things:

Execute AI agents to analyze or generate content
Make HTTP requests to external APIs
Transform data with custom code
Route execution based on conditions
Send notifications to team members

You connect nodes together to create a complete workflow that automates your process from start to finish.

Visual Programming: Workflows use a visual canvas where you drag, drop, and connect nodes. No coding required (unless you want to use a Code node)!

Understanding Node Structure

Every node has a few common elements that make them easy to work with:

The Node Header

Shows you the node type and name. Click the play button here to test the node individually - super helpful for debugging!

Input and Output Tabs

After a node runs, you can click on it to see:

Input tab: What data the node received
Output tab: What data the node produced

This data flows to the next nodes in your workflow.

Configuration Panel

Click any node to open its settings in the side panel. This is where you configure what the node does, select AI models, set up connections to external services, and more.

Working with Variables

Data flows through variables. When a node finishes running, its output becomes available as a variable that you can use in later nodes. This is how information moves through your workflow.

The Basics

Use double curly braces to reference variables:

{{form1.output.email}}
{{analyze_data.output.structured.summary}}
{{api_response.data.items[0].title}}

Configuring Fields with Variables

Every node has fields that need configuration. You can use variables in most text fields, or choose from three field modes:

Auto Mode: Let the workflow automatically determine the best value
Manual Mode: Enter exact values or use variables like {{form1.output.email}}
AI Prompt Mode: Give instructions for AI to generate dynamic content

Learn About Field Modes

Understand Auto, Manual, and AI Prompt modes and when to use each one

💡 Pro tip: When you type {{ in any field, you’ll see a dropdown showing all available variables from previous nodes.

How Workflows Execute

Understanding execution is key. Workflows can run nodes sequentially (one after another) or in parallel (simultaneously). Knowing how execution works helps you build faster, more efficient automations.

Sequential Execution

By default, your workflow runs nodes one after another, following the connections you’ve drawn. Each node waits for the previous one to complete before starting. Simple and predictable!

Parallel Execution

When you connect multiple nodes to a single source node, they can run at the same time. This speeds up your workflow when nodes don’t depend on each other. For example:

              → Send Email →
Trigger →    → Create Ticket →    → Continue
              → Update Database →

All three nodes after the trigger can run in parallel since they’re independent.

Error Handling

You control what happens when something goes wrong. For each node, you can choose:

Fail workflow: Stop everything and mark the run as failed (good for critical steps)
Continue workflow: Log the error but keep going (good for non-critical actions)
Error callback: Route to different nodes on error using the red error handle (good for fallback logic)

We cover this in detail in the Error Handling guide.

Workflow Versions

Version control for workflows. Every workflow has versions, similar to Git for code. This keeps production stable while you make changes safely in draft mode.

Draft Version (v0)

This is your sandbox. Make changes, test things out, and experiment without affecting anything in production. The draft version is always labeled v0.

Published Versions

When you’re happy with your changes, publish them to create a new version (v1.0.0, v1.1.0, etc.). Published versions are:

Immutable: They can’t be changed, which keeps production stable
Activated for triggers: Only active published versions respond to real triggers
Documented: Each includes a description of what changed
Rollback-ready: You can reactivate an older version if needed

When publishing, you choose the bump type:

Patch (1.0.0 → 1.0.1): Bug fixes and small tweaks
Minor (1.0.0 → 1.1.0): New features or nodes
Major (1.0.0 → 2.0.0): Breaking changes

Test everything in the draft version before publishing. You can run full workflow tests without affecting production triggers.

Testing Your Workflow

Test early, test often. Don’t wait until your workflow is complete to start testing. Test each node as you build it to catch issues early.

Testing Individual Nodes

Click the play button on any node to test just that piece. This is great for:

Verifying an agent’s output before building the rest of the workflow
Checking if an API call returns the expected data
Debugging issues in specific nodes

Testing Complete Workflows

Use the “Test run” button on the trigger node to execute the entire workflow with sample data. This runs through all nodes but doesn’t mark events as processed, so you can test safely.

Viewing Results

After any test run, click on nodes to see:

Input: What data the node received
Output: What it produced
Messages: For agent nodes, the full AI conversation
Logs: For code nodes, any console output
Usage: How many AI credits were consumed

Connections Between Nodes

Connections define flow. The lines between nodes aren’t just visual - they determine the order of execution and how data flows through your workflow.

Connection Handles

Nodes have connection points (handles) on their sides:

Left side (input): Where execution flows in
Right side (output): Where execution flows out
Multiple outputs: Condition nodes have one output per condition
Red handle: Special error output (appears when error handling is enabled)

Drawing Connections

Click and drag from an output handle to an input handle. The line shows the execution flow. Workflows execute in the order defined by these connections.

Workflow Status

Your workflow can be in one of three states:

Not deployed
On
Off

Still being built - no automatic triggers fire. Safe for making changes and testing.

Human Oversight

For sensitive actions like financial transactions or data deletions, you can require manual approval before proceeding:

Human in the Loop

Add manual approval steps for important actions requiring human oversight

Best Practices

Give nodes clear names: “Analyze feedback” not “Agent 1”
Keep workflows focused: One workflow, one purpose
Test early and often: Test each node as you build
Add comments: Document complex logic for your future self

Next Steps

Now that you understand the fundamentals, dive deeper into specific topics:

Field Modes

Configure node fields with Auto, Manual, and AI Prompt modes

Human in the Loop

Add manual approval for sensitive actions

Getting Started

Build your first workflow step-by-step

Node Types

Explore all available triggers and nodes

Getting started

Chat

Assistants

Integrations

Workflows

Introduction

What is a Node?