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A workflow is one automation: a trigger, and the steps that run after it, drawn on a canvas. You’ll find all of them under Workflows in the left sidebar.

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What’s inside a workflow

Each workflow keeps everything it needs in one place:

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When to create a new workflow

Create one workflow per process. Keep steps together when they are part of the same job and share data. Split them when they run independently:
  • Ticket routing — Classify new tickets and assign them to a team
  • Order confirmation — Email the customer when an order is placed
  • Lead capture — Add new form submissions to the CRM
Each one starts from a different trigger and does a different job.
  • Order confirmation email
  • Shipping notification
  • Delivery confirmation
  • Review request
These are steps in the same customer journey and share the same order data.
Need the same steps in several workflows? Build them once as their own workflow and call it with the Execute Workflow node.

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Creating a workflow

1

Open Workflows

Log in to CogniAgent and click Workflows in the left sidebar.
2

Click + Workflow

Click + Workflow in the toolbar. On an empty list, click Start from scratch instead — or Describe what you want to automate to have it built for you.
3

Name your workflow

The workflow is created as Untitled workflow and opens with its name in the header ready to type. Choose a descriptive name that reflects what the automation does and press Enter. You can rename it later in the header.Good names:
  • “Customer Support Triage”
  • “E-commerce Order Confirmation”
  • “Lead Qualification”
Avoid:
  • “Test”
  • “New Workflow”
  • “Untitled workflow”
4

Start building

The empty canvas asks What should this workflow do? Describe it and click Build it with Concierge, add a trigger with Schedule, App event, Webhook or Manual start, pick a template, Start from scratch, or Import a file. See Create a workflow.
A workflow can also come from Cowork. Make repeatable on a completed dynamic workflow run creates one with a Start trigger and a step that asks the coworker that ran it to run the saved dynamic workflow.

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Workflow variables

Variables store data that nodes can read and write. Two types:

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Runtime variables

Exist only during a single run. Use these for temporary data. Example: Store the result of an AI classification to use in a condition node later in the same run.

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Workflow variables

Persist across runs. They are provisioned once and shared by every execution of the workflow. Use these for data that needs to survive between runs. Example: Track how many support tickets were processed today, or store the last sync timestamp for an integration.

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Setting variables

You can set variables in two ways:
  1. Update Variable step — Set a value while the workflow runs
  2. The Run dialog — Set initial values before a run

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Referencing variables

Use the syntax {{variable_name}} to reference variables in step configurations.

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Managing workflows

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Viewing run history

Every run is logged. Open Runs in the editor’s left rail. Use Search runs to find a run by name and the chips All, Running, Failed, Succeeded and Stopped to narrow the list. Each run shows:
  • Status — Completed, Failed, Running, or Waiting (the filter calls failed runs Failed)
  • Start time — When the run began
  • Duration — How long it took
  • Trigger — How and by whom the run started, plus its inputs (secret variables are masked)
  • Waiting — A run that is waiting on a person says Waiting on and their name with how long, plus Reminder sent or Follows up in when a reminder is due
  • Cost — The credits the run used, shown as Cost: N cr in the run details (so far while it is running). It is blank when nothing was charged.
  • Step details — What each step did, including inputs and outputs, and the credits the step used when known. A failed step shows a one-line plain summary first, with Technical details collapsed beneath it. Click Explain this error to open the Concierge with a draft that names the step and the error summary, or Fix in step to leave the run view and open that step.
Use run history to debug issues. Open a run to see exactly what happened at each step. Opening a failed run centers the failed step. Use Stop run to stop a run that is still going, Copy link to share a link that opens the run, and Run again to start a new run with the same inputs.

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Workflow states

The status badge on each workflow shows one of the following. The editor header shows the same state; click it to see how the workflow starts, its last run, and Turn on / Turn off. The Workflows list has the columns Name (with how it starts, such as “On a schedule”), Status, Last run, Runs (with “N failed this week”), Apps, Owner and Updated. The quick filters are All, On, Needs attention, Off and Mine. In the grid view each tile shows the last 14 runs as a strip. A workflow with a Human Step waiting on someone shows Waiting on and the person’s name (or Waiting on N people) under its last run. From a row or tile, use Turn on (a run per event), Run (one shared run; it asks before restarting one that is on), Run now (a run per event; opens the run dialog) or Turn off (asks first). See Execution modes.

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The editor header

The header has the workflow name (click to rename), the status pill, an “About N cr per run” cost chip (hidden when no step charges a flat fee, and Billed by AI use when only AI steps cost credits), the save state (Saving…, Saved, Couldn’t save) and a Version history button. An N to fix chip lists problems: no trigger, missing required fields, a step that reads from a step that no longer exists, or a step connected to nothing. Each has a Fix link. Turning the workflow on with problems shows Before turning on (N) with Turn on anyway. See Version history. If you edit the trigger of a workflow that is on, the panel warns that saving turns the workflow off, and a message confirms it afterwards. On the canvas, each card shows the step’s own name with a second line saying what it does. If / else outlets read True and False and loops read Each item and Done, beside the card; Switch paths and other named outlets are labelled on their lines. A disabled step shows an Off tag. Organize layout, at the top right of the canvas, lines the connected steps up from left to right, with True above False and Each item above Done. Undo puts them back where they were.

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Comments on steps

Right-click a step and choose Add comment to start a thread on it. Type @ to mention a teammate. A step with comments shows its commenters above the card; click them to open the thread. The Comments button in the editor header lists every thread in the workflow, Open or Resolved, and opens the one you pick.

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Duplicating workflows

Need a similar automation? Choose Duplicate from the workflow’s row menu instead of starting from scratch. Its steps, variables, and settings are copied.

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Deleting workflows

Deleting a workflow removes its steps, variables, and run history permanently. This cannot be undone.

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Best practices

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Naming conventions

Use consistent naming across your workflows:
  • Workflows — Describe the specific automation (e.g., “Process New Invoice”)
  • Steps — Describe what the step does (e.g., “Classify Ticket”)
  • Variables — Use clear, descriptive names (e.g., last_sync_timestamp not lst)

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Keep workflows focused

Each workflow should do one thing well. If a workflow is getting too complex:
  • Split it into several smaller workflows
  • Use the “Execute Workflow” action to coordinate between them

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Document your automations

Add descriptions to:
  • Workflows — What business problem does this solve? What triggers it?
  • Complex nodes — Why is this configured this way?
Future you (or your teammates) will appreciate it.

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Next steps

Define Your Workflow

Learn how to add and connect nodes on the canvas

Create Your First Workflow

Step-by-step guide to getting started