Workflows
Workflows let you automate multi-step work with AI. Instead of repeating the same sequence of steps by hand every time, you design the flow once on a visual canvas and let Arketic run it — on demand, on a schedule, from a webhook, or straight from a chat.
A workflow is made of blocks connected by arrows. Each block does one job: ask an AI agent for an answer, check a condition, write a row to a table, send a Slack message. The arrows decide the order.
:::info Admin feature Workflows is available to Admins. If you don't see it in the sidebar, ask your administrator. :::
What You Can Build
| Building block | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Triggers | The entry point of a run — a manual start, a schedule, an incoming webhook, a chat message, or an external request |
| AI steps | Ask an agent to draft, classify, summarize, score, or decide. Also image, video, speech, vision and web-search steps |
| Logic | Conditions, loops, waits, and parallel branches that direct where the run goes next |
| Data | Read and write your own tables, call an external API, work with workflow variables, return a response |
| Arketic actions | Search your knowledge base and documents, create or update tasks, start a Blueprint, send an in-app notification — no connection setup needed |
| Integrations | Steps for services you already use, such as Slack, Gmail, Notion, Google Sheets, GitHub and Linear |
The full catalogue lives in Creating Workflows.
How a Workflow Runs
- Something starts it. A trigger begins the run — you clicking Run in the editor, a schedule firing, a webhook arriving, or a chat request you approve.
- Blocks run in order. Each block waits for the blocks it depends on. Independent branches can run side by side, and logic blocks decide which path is taken.
- Each block produces an output. A later block reuses an earlier one's result by referring to it.
| Reference | What it points at |
|---|---|
<input.NAME> | A field from the data the run started with |
<blockName.field> | An earlier block's output — for example <agent.content> |
<variable.NAME> | A workflow variable you defined yourself |
Most run problems are data problems, not broken steps — usually a reference pointing at a value that isn't there. The per-step Input and Output in Logs is where you find them.
The Workflows Page
Open Workflows from the sidebar. The page has five tabs, and you can move between them with the left and right arrow keys.
| Tab | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Workflows | Your list of workflows |
| Tables | Reusable data tables your workflows can read and write — see Tables |
| Schedules | Run workflows automatically on a recurring schedule — see Schedules |
| Connections | Accounts and API keys your workflow steps use — see Connections |
| Logs | History of every run, with step-by-step detail — see Logs |
On the Workflows tab you also get:
- The page title Workflows with a small pill showing how many workflows you have.
- The subtitle "Automate tasks with AI-powered workflows".
- A New workflow button at the top right.
- A Search workflows... box under the tabs.
Creating a Workflow
- Click New workflow at the top right.
- In the New workflow dialog, type a name — for example "Weekly report generator".
- Click Create.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Required. Up to 200 characters. Press Enter to create, Escape to close |
| Cancel | Closes the dialog without creating anything |
| Create | Shows "Creating…" while it works |
You're taken straight into the editor, where you build the flow. See Creating Workflows.
If the name can't be used — for example because another workflow already has it — the reason appears under the name field. Change the name and try again.
Workflow Cards
Each workflow appears as a card in the grid.
| On the card | What it means |
|---|---|
| Icon and colour | Picked automatically from the name and description, so cards stay easy to tell apart. Decorative only |
| Status badge | The workflow's current lifecycle state — see the table below |
| Name | The workflow name |
| Description | The short description, when the workflow has one |
| Updated … | How long ago it was last changed — "Just now", "5m ago", "2h ago", "3d ago" |
| Run count | How many times it has run. Shown with a play icon, and only once it has run at least once |
Click anywhere on a card to open that workflow in the editor.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being built. It has not been switched on |
| Active | Switched on — all of its automatic triggers are armed |
| Paused | Switched off — its automatic triggers are disarmed |
| Archived | Kept for reference. It is not switched on and has no on/off control |
While the Copilot is building a workflow for you, a spinning Building badge replaces the status badge on that card. See Copilot.
Turning a Workflow On and Off
Hover a card (or move focus to it) and the controls appear at its top right.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Activate / Deactivate toggle | Switches automatic triggers on or off. The tooltip tells you which state you're in: "Active — click to deactivate (disarm all automatic triggers)" or "Inactive — click to activate (arm triggers)" |
| Delete (trash icon) | Removes the workflow, after a confirmation |
After toggling, a message confirms it: "Workflow activated — triggers armed" or "Workflow deactivated — triggers paused".
:::info Activating only affects automatic triggers Deactivating a workflow stops its schedules and webhooks from starting it. Running it yourself from the editor with the Run button still works, whatever the status is — so you can keep testing a workflow that isn't switched on yet. :::
The on/off toggle is not shown for Archived workflows, or while the Copilot is building.
Deleting a Workflow
Hover the card, click the trash icon, and confirm in the Delete workflow? dialog. The dialog repeats the name so you can be sure you picked the right one, and the action is confirmed with "Workflow deleted".
Deleting a workflow cannot be undone. Its automatic triggers stop, and past runs of that workflow can no longer be opened for detail in Logs — they stay listed but are marked (deleted).
Finding a Workflow
Use the Search workflows... box on the Workflows tab to filter the grid by name. Results update as you type.
As your library grows, clear and descriptive names — "Weekly report generator" rather than "test 3" — are what make search useful. A short description on each workflow also shows on the card.
Empty and Waiting States
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No workflows yet — "Create your first workflow to automate your work." | You haven't created a workflow | Click Create your first workflow |
| No workflows match your search — "Try a different search term." | The search box filtered everything out | Clear or change the search text |
| Just a moment… | You've made a lot of requests in a short time | Nothing — the page retries on its own |