Running Workflows¶
Once you've previewed a workflow with Virtual Run, you're ready to run it for real.
Trigger Types¶
Every workflow has a trigger that determines how it starts:
Manual¶
Run the workflow on demand by clicking Run in the builder or from the Workflows dashboard.
Scheduled (Cron)¶
Run the workflow on a recurring schedule. Configure the time, timezone, and frequency.
Webhook¶
Trigger the workflow via an HTTP POST request from an external system.
Learn more about webhook triggers
API¶
Trigger the workflow programmatically via the Developer API.
Execution Flow¶
When a workflow runs:
- Pre-flight checks — Verifies all required connections are active and you have sufficient credits
- Step execution — Each step runs in sequence (or in parallel where configured)
- Approval checks — If your autonomy mode is "Ask me first", sensitive actions pause for your approval
- Results — Each step's output is stored and available for downstream steps
- Completion — The workflow finishes and the run is recorded in your history
The Toolbar¶
The builder toolbar adapts to your workflow state:
| State | Primary Button | Additional Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Before simulation | Simulate | — |
| After successful simulation | Run / Schedule / Activate | Simulate Again, Autonomy toggle |
| During execution | Running... (disabled) | — |
Autonomy Toggle¶
After simulation, an autonomy toggle appears:
- Ask me first — Sensitive actions (sending emails, creating records) pause and appear on your Approvals page for review
- Run without asking — All actions execute automatically
Learn more about approval modes
Monitoring Runs¶
Workflows Dashboard¶
The Workflows page shows all your workflows with their status and recent run history. From here you can:
- View run details
- Re-run a workflow
- Enable or disable scheduled workflows
Action Log¶
Each run has a detailed action log showing:
- Step-by-step execution results
- Timestamps for each step
- Errors and warnings
- Cost breakdown
Step-by-Step Logs¶
Click on any run to see detailed step execution:
- Step name — What the step does
- Status — Completed or failed
- Input parameters — What was sent to the step (with variable substitution shown)
- Output result — What the step returned
- Error message — If the step failed, why
This helps you understand exactly what happened during execution, debug failed workflows, and verify that variables resolved correctly.
Handling Failures¶
If a step fails during execution:
Automatic Retries¶
Some transient failures (network timeouts, rate limits) are retried automatically.
Error Details¶
Failed steps show:
- The error message
- Which step failed
- What data was being processed
Common Failure Reasons¶
| Reason | Solution |
|---|---|
| Connection expired | Refresh the connection |
| Insufficient credits | Top up your balance |
| Rate limit exceeded | Wait and retry, or adjust the schedule frequency |
| Invalid parameters | Edit the step configuration |
| External service error | Check the external service's status |
On-Error Behaviour¶
Each step can be configured with an error handling strategy:
- Retry — Try the step again
- Skip — Continue with the next step
- Abort — Stop the workflow
- Notify — Alert you and continue
Enabling and Disabling Workflows¶
You can disable a workflow to prevent it from running:
- Disabled workflows skip scheduled runs and ignore webhook triggers
- Manual runs are still allowed on disabled workflows
- Re-enable a workflow at any time from the Workflows dashboard
Cost Tracking¶
Each run records its cost in credits. You can view per-run costs in the action log and aggregate costs on the billing page.
Best Practices¶
Testing Before Scheduling¶
- Virtual Run first — Use the Preview feature to see what will happen
- Manual Run second — Execute once manually to verify real behaviour
- Schedule last — Only enable the schedule after confirming it works
Monitoring Active Workflows¶
- Check the History regularly for failed runs
- Set up notifications for critical workflows (if available)
- Review step outputs periodically to ensure expected behaviour
Managing Credits¶
- Automated triggers may check account limits before running
- If a run is skipped or blocked for billing/limits, review Billing and adjust settings as needed