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Creating Workflows

This guide walks you through creating your first workflow in NetPad's visual workflow editor.

Creating a New Workflow​

Workflow Example

You can create a workflow in two ways:

  1. Navigate to Workflows:

    • Click "New Workflow" from dashboard, or
    • Navigate to /workflows

  2. Open Template Gallery:

    • Click the "Templates" tab
    • Browse templates by category or search

  3. Preview Template:

    • Click a template card to see details
    • Review nodes, edges, and metadata

  4. Use Template:

    • Click "Use Template" to apply
    • Name your workflow
    • Workflow editor opens with template loaded

  5. Customize:

    • Modify nodes and connections
    • Configure node settings
    • Add or remove nodes as needed
tip

Templates provide pre-configured workflows for common use cases. See the Workflow Templates guide for details.

Method 2: Start from Scratch​

  1. Navigate to Workflows:

    • Click "New Workflow" from dashboard, or
    • Navigate to /workflows

  2. Name Your Workflow:

    • Enter a descriptive name
    • Add optional description

  3. Open Workflow Editor:

    • Visual canvas opens
    • Node palette on the left
    • Properties panel on the right

Building a Workflow​

Step 1: Add a Trigger​

Every workflow starts with a trigger:

  1. Drag Trigger Node:

    • Find trigger nodes in the palette
    • Drag onto canvas
    • Common triggers: Form Trigger, Webhook Trigger, Schedule Trigger

  2. Configure Trigger:

    • Click trigger node
    • Configure settings in properties panel
    • Example: Select form for Form Trigger

Step 2: Add Processing Nodes​

Add nodes to process data:

  1. Drag Nodes:

    • Logic nodes (If/Else, Switch, Loop)
    • Data nodes (Transform, Filter, Aggregate)
    • Integration nodes (HTTP Request, MongoDB Query)

  2. Connect Nodes:

    • Click output handle of source node
    • Drag to input handle of target node
    • Connection shows data flow

  3. Configure Nodes:

    • Click each node
    • Set properties in right panel
    • Map data from previous nodes

Step 3: Configure Data Flow​

Map data between nodes:

  1. View Data Structure:

    • Click node to see input/output data
    • Data structure shown in properties panel

  2. Map Fields:

    • Select source field
    • Map to target field
    • Use expressions for transformations

  3. Test Data Flow:

    • Use test execution
    • Verify data passes correctly
    • Check transformations

Example: Form Submission Workflow​

Let's build a workflow that sends an email when a form is submitted:

Loading workflow...

Step 1: Add Form Trigger​

  1. Drag "Form Trigger" node
  2. Select your form
  3. Configure: Trigger on "Form Submitted"

Step 2: Add Email Node​

  1. Drag "Email Send" node
  2. Connect from Form Trigger
  3. Configure email:
    • To: {{trigger.data.email}}
    • Subject: "Thank you for your submission"
    • Body: Include form data

Step 3: Add MongoDB Write​

  1. Drag "MongoDB Write" node
  2. Connect from Email node
  3. Configure:
    • Collection: submissions
    • Operation: Insert
    • Data: Form submission data

Step 4: Activate Workflow​

  1. Click "Activate" button
  2. Workflow is now live
  3. Test by submitting the form

Workflow Best Practices​

Organization​

  1. Name Nodes Clearly: Use descriptive names
  2. Add Comments: Document complex logic
  3. Group Related Nodes: Organize visually
  4. Use Colors: Color-code node types

Error Handling​

  1. Add Error Nodes: Handle errors gracefully
  2. Configure Retries: Set retry policies
  3. Log Errors: Track error occurrences
  4. Notify on Failure: Send alerts

Performance​

  1. Optimize Node Count: Keep workflows focused
  2. Use Parallel Execution: When possible
  3. Limit Data Size: Filter early
  4. Set Timeouts: Prevent hanging workflows

Testing​

  1. Test Each Node: Verify individual nodes
  2. Test Data Flow: Check data transformations
  3. Test Error Cases: Handle failures
  4. Monitor Execution: Watch first few runs

Workflow Settings​

Execution Mode​

  • Sequential: Execute nodes one at a time
  • Parallel: Execute independent nodes simultaneously
  • Auto: NetPad determines best mode

Timeout Configuration​

  • Max Execution Time: Overall workflow timeout
  • Node Timeout: Per-node timeout
  • Retry Policy: Retry failed nodes

Error Handling​

  • Stop on Error: Halt workflow on error
  • Continue on Error: Skip failed nodes
  • Rollback: Undo changes on error

Variables​

Defining Variables​

Store values for use across workflow:

  1. Add Set Variable Node:

    • Drag "Set Variable" node
    • Define variable name
    • Set variable value

  2. Use Variables:

    • Reference with {{variableName}}
    • Available in all subsequent nodes
    • Scoped to workflow execution

Variable Types​

  • String: Text values
  • Number: Numeric values
  • Boolean: True/false
  • Object: Complex data structures
  • Array: Lists of values

Conditional Logic​

If/Else Node​

Route workflow based on conditions:

Loading workflow...

  1. Add If/Else Node:

    • Drag "If/Else" node
    • Configure condition

  2. Set Condition:

    • Field: {{trigger.data.status}}
    • Operator: equals
    • Value: "approved"

  3. Connect Branches:

    • True branch: Approved path
    • False branch: Rejected path

Switch Node​

Multi-branch routing:

Loading workflow...

  1. Add Switch Node:

    • Drag "Switch" node
    • Configure switch field

  2. Add Cases:

    • Case 1: Value "option1"
    • Case 2: Value "option2"
    • Default: Other values

Testing Workflows​

Manual Testing​

  1. Click "Test" Button:

    • Opens test execution dialog
    • Enter test data
    • Execute workflow

  2. View Execution:

    • See node-by-node execution
    • Check data at each step
    • Verify results

Execution History​

  1. View Past Executions:

    • Click "Executions" tab
    • See all workflow runs
    • Filter by status, date

  2. View Execution Details:

    • Click execution
    • See node execution order
    • Check data at each node
    • View error logs

Activating Workflows​

Activate Workflow​

  1. Click "Activate":

    • Workflow status changes to "Active"
    • Begins listening for triggers
    • Executes on trigger events

  2. Monitor Execution:

    • Watch real-time execution
    • Check execution history
    • Review error logs

Pausing Workflows​

  1. Click "Pause":
    • Workflow stops executing
    • Configuration preserved
    • Can reactivate anytime

Next Steps​