Workflow Editor

A visual node-based automation builder — drag nodes, connect edges, run pipelines.

Overview

The Workflow Editor is powered by React Flow and provides a fully interactive canvas for designing automation pipelines. Every operation in a pipeline is represented as a node and every data connection between operations is an edge. You build workflows by dragging nodes from the left palette onto the canvas, then drawing edges from one node's output handle to another node's input handle.

When you click Run, the execution engine processes nodes in topological order — upstream nodes finish before downstream nodes start. Data flows through edges, so the output of a Blog node can become the topic for an Essay node, or the body of a Send Mail node.

Start with a Simple Pipeline

Begin with Text Input → Blog → Output (Modal View). This three-node pipeline lets you type a topic, generate a blog post with AI, and display the result — all without any configuration beyond the topic text.

Node Palette

The left panel organises all available nodes into categories. Click a category to expand it, then drag any node onto the canvas. Nodes with a Soon badge are planned features not yet implemented.

Category	Nodes	Purpose
Utility	Text Input	Source-only node. Provides a static text value to the pipeline. No incoming connections.
DW-Content	Blog, Essay, Story, Article, Presentation	AI content generation nodes. Accept optional upstream topic; fall back to configured topic field.
DW-Creative	Creative writing variants	Creative-focused generation (character dialogue, scene description, etc.).
Output	Send Mail, File Write, Modal View	Terminal nodes — consume upstream output and send email, write a file, or display in a viewer modal.
Script	JS Sandbox, JSON Editor	Run custom JavaScript. The `input` variable holds the upstream node's output value.
Source	API Source	Fetch data from an external HTTP endpoint. Output is the response body (string or JSON).

More Detail on Every Node Group

This table is a quick summary. For the full node palette — Triggers, Manual Input, Data Sources, Ecommerce, Document Management, Logic & Transform, AI Agents, Knowledge / AI, Validation & Security, Integrations, Outputs, and the AI generation groups — see the dedicated Workflow Editor documentation.

Running a Workflow

Click the Run button in the top toolbar.
The execution engine resolves the topological order of all connected nodes.
Each node lights up in sequence. A RunBlock in the right panel shows step-by-step progress.
Node results are shown inline on the canvas. Hover over a node to see its output value.
If any node fails, the error is surfaced in that node's step. Downstream dependents are skipped.

You can abort a running workflow at any time with the Stop button.

Saving Workflows

Click the Save button in the toolbar to persist the current workflow. Saved workflows are stored server-side and appear in My Workflows where you can re-run, edit, or delete them.

You can also export any workflow as a JSON file using the export button. JSON exports can be imported back into any TotalApp instance — useful for sharing workflow templates across teams.

Tips

Start simple — Text Input → Blog → Modal View validates the pipeline before adding complexity.
Use the Script node for transformations — reshape data between two AI nodes with a Script node in between.
Connect multiple outputs — a single DW-Content node's output can feed multiple Output nodes simultaneously.
Double-click a node in the palette to place it at the centre of the canvas without dragging.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a node isn't connected to anything?

A node with no incoming edge falls back to its own configuration. For example, a Blog node with no upstream connection uses the topic typed into its config panel instead of an upstream value. Source-only nodes like Text Input never accept incoming connections — they always act as the starting point of a pipeline.

Why does my workflow stop partway through?

If a node's execution fails (for example, an API Source node hitting an unreachable endpoint, or a Script node throwing a JavaScript error), the execution engine surfaces the error on that node's step and skips every downstream node that depends on it. Nodes on unrelated branches of the pipeline continue to run normally, since the executor only halts the affected dependency chain.

What's the difference between saving a workflow and exporting it?

Saving stores the workflow server-side under your account, where it appears in My Workflows for future editing, re-running, or deletion. Exporting downloads the workflow as a standalone JSON file that can be imported into any TotalApp instance — this is the recommended way to share workflow templates across teams or back up a pipeline outside the app.

Can I use the output of one AI node as the input to another?

Yes. Connect the source node's output handle to the target node's input handle, and the executor resolves nodes in topological order so upstream results are always ready before downstream nodes run. This is how a Blog node's generated content can become the topic for an Essay node, or the body of a Send Mail output node. Use a Script node in between if the data needs to be reshaped first.