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Node Types

The Steps palette offers every kind of step a workflow can contain, in eight groups. This page lists each one, what it does and the ports it leaves by, so you can pick the right step before reading its own article.

Where to find it

Architect Panel → Automation:

  • Workflow Builder — open a workflow; the Steps palette is on the left of the canvas

Flow

  • Trigger: where every run starts. Exactly one per workflow. See Triggers.
  • Condition: checks the record, or a value from an earlier step, and goes down Yes or No.
  • Parallel: runs every step connected to its Next port.
  • Join: waits for parallel branches to arrive, then carries on once.
  • For each: repeats its Each row path for every matching row, then leaves by When done.
  • Sub-workflow: runs another active workflow on this or a linked record.
  • End: finishes the whole run as Done or Failed, with a message.

Records

  • Update record: sets fields on this record or another one.
  • Set status: sets one status field and notes the change in the record's activity; on an ERP document it makes the document's own declared move.
  • Create record: adds a record to any datastore and links it to this one.
  • Convert record: copies fields of this record into a new record elsewhere and links the two.
  • Look up: finds the first matching record and goes down Found or Not found.
  • Set variables: works out values once and names them for later steps.

Timing

  • Wait: pauses the run for a length of time, or until a date.
  • SLA timer: works out a due date, optionally in working time, stores it on a record and carries straight on.

Messages

  • E-mail, SMS, WhatsApp and Letter: send through the chosen account.
  • Notify: tells a person or a group in the app (their in-tray), by e-mail or by push notification.

People

  • Approval: waits for a named person, or anyone in a group or team, and goes down Approved or Rejected.
  • Verification: asks a person to prove who they are; Verified or Rejected.
  • Signature: sends a document for e-signature and waits; Signed or Not signed.

Other systems

  • Webhook: calls another system over HTTPS; Next or On error.
  • PHP function: calls one of the workflow library's functions or a function your installation declares.
  • Extension step: runs a published extension's code; Next or On error.

Only an architect may add or change these three steps. See Webhooks, Functions and Extension Steps.

AI decisions

  • AI decision: asks TypeSafe Jev to pick one option, or a level, from fields of the record; Sure or Needs a person.
  • AI check: asks TypeSafe Jev whether a statement is true of the record; Yes, No or Needs a person.

This group is hidden when the AI module is off, and greyed out with a note when TypeSafe Jev is not set up. Both steps are described in AI Decision and AI Check Workflow Steps.

Notes

  • Note: a sticky note on the canvas for whoever reads the workflow next. It is saved with the drawing but never runs and is never connected.

A workflow drawn before the Condition step existed may show a Branch step. It behaves exactly like a Condition and is not offered in the palette.

Settings many steps share

  • Step name: shown on the canvas and in the run history. Name steps for what they mean, such as "Over the threshold?".
  • If this step fails, carry on with the next one: on record steps, SLA timer, Notify, PHP function, Sub-workflow, For each and Extension step. Off, a failure stops the run and marks it Failed.
  • Carry on if it cannot be sent: the same idea on E-mail, SMS, WhatsApp, Letter and Webhook.
  • A person may skip this step while it is waiting: on Wait, Approval, Verification and Signature. Skipping needs a reason, which is recorded.

How ports route a run

  • A step with one way out follows the line drawn from it.
  • A step with two or three ways out follows only the line from the port it came out of. A rejected approval can never continue down the Approved path.
  • A port with nothing connected ends the run there when the step comes out that way. Validate warns about it.
  • Several lines from one port are followed only from a Parallel step; any other step follows the first, and Validate warns.

Worked example

A complaints process uses Trigger, Set status (Acknowledged), E-mail, SLA timer (5 working days), Wait until that deadline, Condition ("Still open?"), Notify on Yes, Approval before closure, and Letter for the outcome. Each step is named for its meaning, so the run history reads as a story of the case.

Recommendations

  • Use Set status for statuses, so the change appears in the record's activity.
  • Connect every port of every two-way step, even if only to an End.
  • Use Notes to explain non-obvious choices on the canvas.
  • Prefer built-in steps over a PHP function where one exists.