Workflow node types¶
Status: Current | Last reviewed: 2026-10-08
Workflow nodes are the blocks you connect between Start and End. Each node has a behavior, an inspector with configuration options, and a result that downstream nodes can reference.
Common authoring nodes¶
| Node | Use it for |
|---|---|
| AI Agent | Runs an AI model with instructions, optional actions, and optional structured output. |
| Decision | Chooses a branch using visual rules or expressions, optionally with an OpenAI Decisions assessment. |
| Wait | Suspends the workflow until a duration elapses or an event arrives. |
| Action | Runs a deterministic action, such as a tool, API call, or workflow-local inline action. |
| Assignment | Write to workflow variables. Supports set, append (lists), prepend, concat (strings), and increment (numbers). |
| Notification | Sends a message via an integrated channel such as SMS or email. |
| Start Conversation | Connects a person to one of your agents — opens a chat and texts/emails them the link, or places an outbound call. |
| For Each | Runs a nested body of blocks once per item in a list or workflow dataset. Large datasets run durably with bounded concurrency, retries, and backoff. |
| File Analysis | Analyzes files and documents to extract text, tables, forms, and structured data via OCR, vision models, or both. |
| Content Redaction | Detects and redacts sensitive content from text before downstream nodes use it. |
| AI Prediction | Calls a trained score model and maps workflow values into its feature inputs. |
| Background workflow status | Inspect or briefly wait for verified saves belonging to one conversation. |
Configuration patterns¶
- Use merge templates such as
{{input.customer_id}},{{vars.priority}}, and{{lookup_case.result}}anywhere the inspector says templates are supported. - Use the Inputs & variables panel to distinguish caller inputs, workflow variables, system fields, and upstream node outputs.
- Nodes that suspend a run, such as Wait, require asynchronous workflow execution. They are rejected from synchronous workflows at publish time.
- For deterministic external work, prefer Action nodes with shared or inline tools. Use AI Agent nodes only when the step needs model judgment or model-authored text.