- Workflow: controls order, branches, waits, and durable state.
- Agent: handles language, judgment, research, and tool use.
- Fleet: coordinates declared specialist work and joins the results.
- Channel: can provide a trigger, data, approval surface, or destination.
- Run console: shows the execution evidence for one run.
In -> Configure -> Out
Every step follows the same mental model:In: Data From Earlier Steps
Data in is the set of values a step can receive from the trigger and upstream nodes. Studio groups those values by source step. A channel trigger might provide message text and author. An agent task might provideintent, sentiment, and order_id.
When you insert a value into a field, Studio shows a source-colored pill. The stored reference remains structured, while the editor keeps the human-readable source and field visible.
Only output from a step that is guaranteed to run on every path before the current step is eligible. This prevents a converged branch from depending on a value that another branch may never produce.
Configure: Say What This Step Should Do
The middle of the model is the step’s plain-language form:- choose an agent, channel, connector, workflow, or approver
- write an instruction, question, or message
- define conditions and branch behavior
- set timeouts, join policies, and other controls
- insert upstream values as pills
- declare structured return fields when a node supports them
Out: A Contract For Later Steps
Data out is the successful result made available downstream. Each built-in node descriptor declares its output schema. Agent and collaboration nodes can refine that contract with fields configured by the workflow author. Studio uses the same metadata for:- output pills on canvas nodes
- the upstream-values menu
- the inspector Docs tab
- validation and run inspection
- the generated workflow node reference
The Graph Is The Process; A Run Is One Execution
The draft graph describes what may happen. A run records what did happen. A run pins the workflow version and records:- trigger and input
- step input and output
- queued, running, waiting, completed, skipped, and failed states
- selected branches
- waits and human decisions
- agent and fleet child work
- artifacts, errors, duration, and available usage/cost data
Node Families
See every built-in type in the workflow node reference.