Workflows - AgentOS

Workflows are multi-step execution graphs that coordinate agents, tools, and external functions to complete complex tasks. Each workflow defines steps with different execution modes, error handling, and control flow.

Quick Start

# Create a workflow
agentos workflow create my-workflow.yaml

# List workflows
agentos workflow list

# Execute a workflow
agentos workflow run feature-build --input '{"feature_description": "Add user authentication"}'

# View workflow status
agentos workflow status <run-id>

Workflow Structure

A workflow is defined in YAML with metadata, agent requirements, and steps:

id: feature-build
name: Feature Build
description: Standard feature development workflow with spec, implementation, and review

agents:
  - architect
  - coder
  - code-reviewer

steps:
  - name: Spec
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: "Design the feature: {{feature_description}}"
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: tech_spec

  - name: Implement
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: "Implement based on: {{tech_spec}}"
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 300000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    outputVar: implementation

  - name: Review
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: "Review: {{implementation}}. Respond with LGTM if approved."
    mode: loop
    timeoutMs: 180000
    maxIterations: 3
    until: "LGTM"
    outputVar: review_result

Step Modes

Workflows support 5 step execution modes for different control flow patterns:

Sequential

Linear execution — step runs once, workflow proceeds to next step.

mode: sequential

Use for: Single-execution tasks, API calls, data transforms

Fanout

Parallel execution — step runs concurrently across multiple inputs.

mode: fanout

Use for: Batch processing, parallel API calls, map operations

Collect

Aggregation — gathers results from previous fanout step.

mode: collect

Use for: Reduce operations, result merging, consensus

Conditional

Branching — executes only if condition evaluates to true.

mode: conditional
condition: "{{previous_step.status}} == 'success'"

Use for: Error handling, feature flags, A/B testing

Loop

Iterative execution — repeats until condition is met or max iterations reached.

mode: loop
maxIterations: 5
until: "LGTM"

Use for: Iterative refinement, retry logic, convergence

Error Handling

Three error modes control workflow resilience:

steps:
  - name: Critical Step
    functionId: "security::check"
    errorMode: fail  # Stop workflow on any error
    timeoutMs: 30000

Example Workflows

AgentOS includes 3 production-ready workflow templates:

Feature Build Workflow

Standard feature development with architect, coder, and iterative code review:

id: feature-build
name: Feature Build
description: >
  Standard feature development workflow with spec, implementation,
  iterative code review, and merge. Uses architect, coder, and reviewer.

agents:
  - architect
  - coder
  - code-reviewer

steps:
  - name: Spec
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Design the feature: {{feature_description}}.
      Produce a technical spec with API contracts, data models,
      edge cases, and a dependency list.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: tech_spec

  - name: Implement
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Implement the feature based on this spec: {{tech_spec}}.
      Follow existing codebase patterns. Include unit tests.
      Output the list of changed files.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 300000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    outputVar: implementation

  - name: Review
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Review this implementation: {{implementation}}.
      Previous review feedback (if any): {{review_result}}.
      Check for bugs, security issues, test coverage gaps, and style.
      If issues found, return specific fix instructions for the next iteration.
      If approved, your response MUST include the word "LGTM".
    mode: loop
    timeoutMs: 180000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    maxIterations: 3
    until: "LGTM"
    outputVar: review_result

  - name: Merge
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Final approval for merge. Review result: {{review_result}}.
      Create a changelog entry and confirm merge readiness.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 60000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: merge_status

MVP Sprint Workflow

End-to-end MVP delivery from discovery through deployment:

id: mvp-sprint
name: MVP Sprint
description: >
  End-to-end MVP delivery workflow from market discovery through deployment.
  Uses 5 specialized agents across research, design, engineering, QA, and DevOps.

agents:
  - trend-researcher
  - ux-architect
  - rapid-prototyper
  - evidence-collector
  - devops-lead

steps:
  - name: Discovery
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Research the market for: {{goal}}.
      Identify target users, competitors, and key differentiators.
      Produce a one-page brief with validated assumptions.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: discovery_brief

  - name: Design
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Based on this discovery brief: {{discovery_brief}}.
      Create UX wireframes, user flows, and a component inventory.
      Focus on the critical path — minimum screens for core value.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: design_spec

  - name: Build
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Implement the MVP based on this design spec: {{design_spec}}.
      Prioritize working software over polish.
      Write tests for critical paths.
      When all tests pass, include "all_tests_pass" in your response.
    mode: loop
    timeoutMs: 300000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 3
    maxIterations: 5
    until: "all_tests_pass"
    outputVar: build_output

  - name: Test
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      QA the build output: {{build_output}}.
      Collect evidence (screenshots, test results) for every acceptance criterion.
      Flag any P0/P1 issues that block ship.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 180000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: qa_report

  - name: Ship
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Deploy the MVP based on QA report: {{qa_report}}.
      Set up monitoring, alerting, and rollback procedures.
      Produce a deployment checklist and go-live confirmation.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    outputVar: deployment_status

Incident Response Workflow

Automated incident triage, investigation, and remediation:

id: incident-response
name: Incident Response
description: >
  Automated incident response workflow with triage, investigation,
  mitigation, and post-mortem generation.

agents:
  - ops
  - debugger
  - security-auditor
  - doc-writer

steps:
  - name: Triage
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Incident alert: {{incident_description}}.
      Classify severity (P0/P1/P2/P3) and identify affected services.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 60000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: triage_result

  - name: Investigate
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Investigate the incident: {{triage_result}}.
      Check logs, metrics, and recent deployments.
      Identify root cause and impact scope.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 180000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: investigation

  - name: Mitigate
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Based on investigation: {{investigation}}.
      Apply immediate mitigation (rollback, scale, config change).
      Confirm service restoration.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    outputVar: mitigation_result

  - name: Security Check
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Security review of incident: {{investigation}}.
      Check for breach indicators, data exposure, or attack vectors.
    mode: conditional
    condition: "{{triage_result.severity}} == 'P0'"
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: skip
    outputVar: security_report

  - name: Post-Mortem
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      Generate post-mortem for: {{incident_description}}.
      Include timeline, root cause, impact, mitigation steps, and action items.
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: postmortem

Advanced Patterns

Fanout-Collect Pattern

Process multiple items in parallel, then aggregate results:

steps:
  - name: Parallel Analysis
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: "Analyze: {{item}}"
    mode: fanout
    timeoutMs: 60000
    errorMode: skip
    outputVar: analysis_results

  - name: Aggregate
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: "Synthesize these analyses: {{analysis_results}}"
    mode: collect
    timeoutMs: 120000
    errorMode: fail
    outputVar: synthesis

Conditional Branching

Execute different paths based on previous step results:

steps:
  - name: Check Status
    functionId: "tool::health_check"
    mode: sequential
    outputVar: health

  - name: Immediate Fix
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    mode: conditional
    condition: "{{health.status}} == 'critical'"
    promptTemplate: "Apply emergency fix"

  - name: Schedule Maintenance
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    mode: conditional
    condition: "{{health.status}} == 'degraded'"
    promptTemplate: "Schedule maintenance window"

Refine output until quality threshold is met:

steps:
  - name: Generate and Refine
    functionId: "agent::chat"
    promptTemplate: >
      {{#if iteration > 0}}
      Previous output: {{output}}
      Feedback: {{feedback}}
      Improve the output.
      {{else}}
      Create initial output for: {{task}}
      {{/if}}
    mode: loop
    maxIterations: 5
    until: "quality_score > 0.9"
    timeoutMs: 120000
    outputVar: final_output

Variable Interpolation

Workflows use Handlebars-style templating for dynamic prompts:

promptTemplate: >
  Feature: {{feature_description}}
  Previous iteration: {{implementation}}
  Review feedback: {{review_result}}
  {{#if iteration > 0}}
  This is iteration {{iteration}} of {{maxIterations}}.
  {{/if}}

Available variables:

{{input}} - Workflow input
{{<stepName>}} - Output from previous step
{{iteration}} - Current loop iteration (loop mode only)
{{maxIterations}} - Max iterations (loop mode only)

Workflow Management

Create from file

agentos workflow create my-workflow.yaml
agentos workflow create feature-build.yaml --validate

List workflows

agentos workflow list
agentos workflow list --format json

Execute workflow

# Run with input
agentos workflow run feature-build --input '{"feature_description": "Add auth"}'

# Run with input from file
agentos workflow run feature-build --input @input.json

# Run with specific agent assignments
agentos workflow run feature-build \
  --input '{...}' \
  --agent architect=my-architect-instance

Monitor execution

# Get run status
agentos workflow status <run-id>

# Watch progress in real-time
agentos workflow watch <run-id>

# View step results
agentos workflow results <run-id>

Cancel running workflow

agentos workflow cancel <run-id>

Programmatic API

Workflows can be created and executed programmatically:

import { trigger } from 'iii-sdk';

// Create workflow
const workflowId = await trigger('workflow::create', {
  id: 'custom-workflow',
  name: 'Custom Workflow',
  description: 'Programmatically defined workflow',
  steps: [
    {
      name: 'Step1',
      functionId: 'agent::chat',
      promptTemplate: 'Process: {{input}}',
      mode: 'sequential',
      timeoutMs: 60000,
      errorMode: 'fail',
      outputVar: 'result'
    }
  ]
});

// Execute workflow
const runId = await trigger('workflow::run', {
  workflowId,
  input: { task: 'Build feature X' },
  agentId: 'coder-001'
});

// Get results
const results = await trigger('workflow::status', { runId });

Integration with Hands

Trigger hands as workflow steps:

steps:
  - name: Background Research
    functionId: "hand::run"
    mode: sequential
    timeoutMs: 300000
    errorMode: retry
    maxRetries: 2
    config:
      handId: researcher
      input:
        topic: "{{workflow_input.topic}}"
        tags: ["automated"]
    outputVar: research_output

Security & Approval

Workflows respect security boundaries:

Capability Checks: All agent functions are checked against RBAC before execution
Approval Gates: Destructive steps can require human approval
Audit Trail: Complete workflow execution is logged to Merkle chain
Sandboxing: Code execution steps run in Docker/WASM sandbox

steps:
  - name: Deploy to Production
    functionId: "tool::shell_exec"
    mode: sequential
    approval: sync  # Require human approval before execution
    sandbox: docker
    timeoutMs: 300000

Best Practices

Idempotency

Design steps to be idempotent so workflows can be safely retried.

Timeouts

Set realistic timeouts for each step. Long-running operations should use higher timeouts.

Error Handling

Use fail for critical steps, retry for network operations, skip for optional steps.

Variable Naming

Use descriptive outputVar names that clearly indicate the step’s output.

Loop Limits

Always set maxIterations on loop steps to prevent infinite execution.

Next Steps

Agent Templates

Browse the 45 agent templates available for workflows

Hands

Use autonomous hands in workflow steps

Swarms

Coordinate multiple agents with swarm strategies

Security

Configure approval gates for sensitive workflow steps

Get Started

Core Concepts

CLI Reference

Tools & Capabilities

Control Plane

Security

Advanced Features

Templates & Examples

​Quick Start

​Workflow Structure

​Step Modes

Sequential

Fanout

Collect

Conditional

Loop

​Error Handling

​Example Workflows

​Feature Build Workflow

​MVP Sprint Workflow

​Incident Response Workflow

​Advanced Patterns

​Fanout-Collect Pattern

​Conditional Branching

​Iterative Refinement Loop

​Variable Interpolation

​Workflow Management

​Programmatic API

​Integration with Hands

​Security & Approval

​Best Practices

Idempotency

Timeouts

Error Handling

Variable Naming

Loop Limits

​Next Steps

Agent Templates

Hands

Swarms

Security

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Quick Start

Workflow Structure

Step Modes

Error Handling

Example Workflows

Feature Build Workflow

MVP Sprint Workflow

Incident Response Workflow

Advanced Patterns

Fanout-Collect Pattern

Conditional Branching

Iterative Refinement Loop

Variable Interpolation

Workflow Management

Programmatic API

Integration with Hands

Security & Approval

Best Practices

Next Steps