Flow

Flow logic decides what runs next. Data mapping changes what an item looks like; flow logic changes the path the run takes through your workflow. Four questions cover almost everything: where does this item go, how do I repeat work, how do I pause, and what happens when a step fails?

Reading order

1. Workflow lifecycle: what happens from the trigger to the last step.
2. Execution order: which step runs when, and why branches wait for each other.
3. Splitting and branching: send items down different paths with IF, Switch or Filter.
4. Merging: bring branches back together.
5. Looping: repeat steps with Loop, Split in Batches or Poll Until.
6. Waiting: pause for a time or for a person.
7. Error handling: retry, carry on, or catch a failure.

Then, when your workflows grow: Lambda workflows to reuse steps, and Browser context for steps that read or change a web page.

Branching: where does this item go?

• IF → Two paths: the conditions hold, or they don't. Example Price dropped? Send an alert, otherwise do nothing. True · False
• Switch → Three or more named paths, plus a fallback. Example Billing, Bug, or Anything else. one port per rule
• Filter → Keep only some items and drop the rest. Example Only links to your own domain. Kept

Repeating: how do I do this more than once?

A step already runs once for each item it receives (see Items). Build a loop only when the repeat depends on a condition, a batch size or a deadline.

• Loop → Repeat steps while a condition holds. Example Click Next until the last page. Loop · Done
• Split in Batches → Work through a long list a few items at a time. Example 500 rows, 20 at a time. Loop · Done
• Poll Until → Call a URL until the response says it's ready. Example Every 5 minutes until an export is done. Done · Timeout

Waiting: how do I pause?

• Wait → Pause for a set time, then carry on with the same data. Example Wait 10 minutes between two requests. Amount × Unit
• Wait For Approval → Pause until a person approves or rejects. Example Check a drafted email before it's sent. Approved · Rejected
• Poll Until → Pause until another service says it's done. Example A report that takes a while to build. Done · Timeout

Failures: what if a step fails?

• Retry → The failure is often temporary: a timeout, a busy server. Example Try an API call up to 3 times, 1 second apart. node Settings tab
• Continue On Fail → The step is optional and the run should go on without it. Example A thumbnail that's nice to have. node Settings tab
• Try / Catch → A group of steps needs a plan B when any of them fails. Example If the page can't be read, post an alert instead. Try · Catch
• Error Trigger → You want to hear about any failed run of a workflow. Example Send yourself a message when the nightly sync fails. a separate workflow

Next

Start with Splitting and branchingIF, Switch and Filter, and what happens to the items.

Practise itRecipes with branches, loops and approvals.