Workflow builder (step-by-step)

Use this guide with the live Workflows page (/workflows). It mirrors the current Definitions / Instances tabs and Steps / Canvas / JSON editors.

For how this differs from ITSM approval definitions on the catalog, read ITSM approval vs automation workflows.

Before you start

1. You have at least one runbook saved (automation team usually prepares these). See Runbooks.
2. Your role can access AUTOMATE → Workflows (per your tenant RBAC).

Checklist: first workflow (runbook only)

1. Open Workflows → Definitions.
2. Click Add workflow.
3. Enter a clear Name (e.g. Incident triage — diagnostics first).
4. Stay in Steps mode.
5. Click Add step if you need more than one row.
6. For each step, choose Runbook and select the runbook from the dropdown (ref must be non-empty before save).
7. Reorder by dragging the row handle or using ↑ / ↓ so execution order matches your SOP.
8. Click Create.
9. Click Run on the row. Wait for the banner to finish; read Last run result for success or errors.

Checklist: add a human approval gate

Approval steps are easiest to add in JSON mode (the Steps grid is optimized for runbook rows).

1. Edit your workflow.
2. Switch to JSON.
3. Insert an object like { "type": "approval", "label": "Manager sign-off" } between the runbook steps where the pause should occur.
4. Optionally add approvers (informational hints) or timeout_minutes.
5. Click Save changes (validation must pass).
6. Run the workflow. When the engine pauses on approval, open Instances → View → Approve or Reject the pending step.

Checklist: notification or delay

In JSON, examples:

• Notification: { "type": "notification", "message": "Workflow reached checkpoint A", "channel": "slack" } (channel behavior depends on tenant integration setup).
• Delay: { "type": "delay", "delay_seconds": 60 }

Save, then test with Run and inspect Last run result / Instances as applicable.

Checklist: branch with a condition

Use JSON (or Canvas if you prefer the graph). Example:

{
  "type": "condition",
  "label": "Severity check",
  "expression": "severity == 'critical'",
  "skip_steps": [1]
}

Expressions support comparisons described in the product schema (e.g. ==, !=, >). Fix validation errors shown on save if the expression is empty or malformed.

Checklist: generate a report from a workflow

1. Create a report definition first under Reports — note its id. See Reports.
2. In the workflow JSON, add a step:

{
  "type": "generate_report",
  "label": "Weekly summary",
  "report_definition_id": "your-report-definition-id",
  "format": "html"
}

3. Save and Run (or trigger from an automated context). Ensure the report id exists and your tenant can execute report jobs.

Canvas tips

1. Switch to Canvas after you have steps, or build from scratch on the canvas.
2. When switching modes, the product syncs graph ↔ ordered steps; if something looks wrong, verify in JSON.
3. Select nodes to inspect or adjust connections per the on-screen controls.

Troubleshooting

See also

• Workflows module — Feature overview and step types table
• Automation — Execution jobs and scheduling context