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Versions and Publishing

A workflow has a draft you edit and published versions that run. Saving changes only the draft; publishing turns the draft into a new numbered version and makes it live. Runs already under way keep the steps they started with, so you can improve a workflow without disturbing work in flight.

Where to find it

Architect Panel → Automation:

  • Workflow Builder — Save draft, Publish…, Disable or Activate, and More → Versions…, Duplicate workflow, Export as JSON, Import from JSON… and Delete workflow…

Draft, active and disabled

  • Draft: never published. Saving writes what you drew, so you can validate, simulate and test it exactly as drawn, but nothing starts it on its own.
  • Active: published and switched on. The header shows the version (v1, v2…). After any later save it also shows Unpublished changes: what runs is still the last published version.
  • Disabled: published but switched off. Nothing new starts it; runs already under way carry on.

The trigger settings (target datastore, how it starts, the schedule) are part of the draft too, so changing them does not affect the live workflow until you publish.

Publishing a version

  1. Press Publish…. Unsaved changes are saved first.
  2. Read the lead: it says which version this will be and what will start the workflow from then on.
  3. Fill in What changed in this version, for example "adds a manager approval for orders over 5,000".
  4. Press Publish and activate. The toast confirms "Version N is live and the workflow is active."

Publishing validates the draft first. With errors it refuses ("Fix 2 problems before publishing.") and lists them. With nothing changed since the live version it refuses with "Nothing has changed since version N". For a workflow that starts when a record changes, publishing also makes sure the datastore passes its changes to the engine.

Runs already in progress

  • A run carries on with the version it started on; new runs use the new version. After publishing you are told how many runs are still on earlier versions.
  • If runs are waiting at a step the new version removes, or replaces with a different kind of step, publishing stops and warns that they would be unable to continue. Publish anyway goes ahead.
  • A failed run can be moved onto the newest version with Retry on version N in Workflow Run History.

Disabling and activating

Disable asks for confirmation, then stops anything new from starting the workflow. Activate switches it back on. Only a published workflow can be activated; a draft says "This workflow has never been published. Publish it to make it active."

Versions

More → Versions… lists every published version with Published, By, Steps and Notes, and marks the live one. Open in editor replaces the drawing and trigger settings in the editor with that version. Nothing changes for real until you save and publish, which is how you roll back.

Duplicate, delete and restore

  • Duplicate workflow makes a new draft called "Copy of …" from the current drawing.
  • Delete workflow… stops it starting new runs and moves it to Show deleted in the library. If runs are in progress you are asked to confirm, and they are cancelled. The toast offers Undo.
  • Restore (in Show deleted) brings it back: a published workflow returns disabled, a never-published one returns as a draft.

Export and import

  • Export as JSON downloads the drawing and its settings, naming the target datastore by its table name.
  • Import (or Import from JSON…) opens the file as a new, unsaved workflow called "… (imported)". If its datastore does not exist here you are told to choose another. Review it, then Save draft.

Creating, importing, duplicating, deleting and restoring are for architects. Publishing, disabling and activating also need the owner role on that workflow.

Worked example

A purchase approval workflow is on version 2 with twelve orders waiting for approval. The finance director wants a second approver above 25,000. The architect adds a Condition and a second Approval on the draft, simulates an order of 30,000, and publishes with the note "second approval over 25,000". The twelve waiting orders finish on version 2; orders sent for approval from then on follow version 3. When a problem appears a week later, Versions…, Open in editor on v2, then Publish, rolls it back as version 4.

Recommendations

  • Always write the version note: it is the change log.
  • Read the stranded-runs warning before choosing Publish anyway.
  • Roll back by publishing an old version, not by editing the live one in a hurry.
  • Disable rather than delete a workflow you may want back.
  • Export before a large change so you have a copy outside the system.