MultiStepWorkflows

Overview

This recipe demonstrates how to orchestrate multi-step workflows where actions are chained together in sequence. Learn how to build onboarding processes with multiple steps, pass data between actions, and track progress through boolean state flags.

Agent Flow

%%{init: {'theme':'neutral'}}%%
graph TD
    A[Start Onboarding] --> B[Ask for Email + Name]
    B --> C{Email + Name Provided?}
    C -->|No| B
    C -->|Yes| D[Call create_account Action]
    D --> E[Chain: send_verification]
    E --> F[Set account_created = True]
    F --> G[Ask for Preferences]
    G --> H{Preferences Provided?}
    H -->|No| G
    H -->|Yes| I[Call setup_profile Action]
    I --> J[Set profile_completed = True]
    J --> K[Call configure_settings Action]
    K --> L[Set preferences_set = True]
    L --> M[Call finalize_onboarding Action]
    M --> N[Set onboarding_complete = True]
    N --> O[Onboarding Complete]

Key Concepts

• Action chaining: Using run to execute follow-up actions automatically
• Step-by-step workflows: Guided multi-step processes with clear progression
• Progress tracking: Boolean flags to track completion of each step
• Data flow: Outputs from one action feed into subsequent actions
• Procedural instructions: Step-by-step rules that guide the LLM through the workflow

How It Works

Workflow State Variables

Track progress with boolean flags and store data needed across steps:

variables:
   customer_email: mutable string = ""
   customer_id: mutable string = ""
   account_created: mutable boolean = False
   profile_completed: mutable boolean = False
   preferences_set: mutable boolean = False
   onboarding_complete: mutable boolean = False
   verification_token: mutable string = ""
   step: mutable number = 0

Step-by-Step Instructions

Use procedural instructions to guide the workflow through each step:

reasoning:
   instructions: ->
      | Follow the below Rules step by step
        Rules:
        Step 1:
           First step is to create Account with the name and customer email
           If not provided you will ask for it and you won't proceed.
           After Step 1 please proceed to Step 2
        Step 2:
           Before setting up the customer's profile,
           Ask the customer about their preferences:
              1. Notification preferences (email, SMS, or both)
              2. Preferred language
              3. Timezone
           Collect all this info and call it 'preferences'.
        Only proceed with setup_profile action after you have preferences.
        After Step 2 please proceed to Step 3
        Step 3:
           Before configuring account settings, ask the customer about:
              1. Default notification settings
              2. Privacy preferences
           Collect all this info and call it 'settings'.
        Only proceed with configure_settings action after you have settings.
        After Step 3 please proceed to Step 4
        Step 4:
           This is the final action.
           Execute finalize_onboarding
           Tell customer they have completed onboarding successfully

Action with Chained Follow-up

The run keyword chains a follow-up action immediately after the primary action completes:

actions:
   create_account: @actions.create_account
      with email = ...
      with name = ...
      set @variables.customer_id = @outputs.customer_id
      set @variables.account_created = @outputs.success
      set @variables.customer_email = @outputs.customer_email
      # Chain a follow-up action
      run @actions.send_verification
         with customer_id = @variables.customer_id
         with email = @variables.customer_email
         set @variables.verification_token = @outputs.token

Key Code Snippets

Action Definitions

actions:
   create_account:
      description: "Creates a new customer account"
      inputs:
         email: string
            description: "Customer's email address"
         name: string
            description: "Customer's full name"
      outputs:
         customer_id: string
            description: "Unique identifier for the new account"
         success: boolean
            description: "Whether account was created"
         customer_email: string
            description: "Customer email"
      target: "flow://CreateCustomerAccount"

   send_verification:
      description: "Sends email verification"
      inputs:
         customer_id: string
            description: "Customer to send verification to"
         email: string
            description: "Email address for verification"
      outputs:
         token: string
            description: "Verification token"
         sent: boolean
            description: "Whether email was sent"
      target: "flow://SendVerificationEmail"

   setup_profile:
      description: "Creates customer profile with preferences"
      inputs:
         customer_id: string
            description: "Customer to set up profile for"
         preferences: string
            description: "Customer preferences"
      outputs:
         profile_id: string
            description: "Profile identifier"
         success: boolean
            description: "Whether profile was created"
      target: "flow://SetupCustomerProfile"

   configure_settings:
      description: "Sets default account settings"
      inputs:
         customer_id: string
            description: "Customer to configure"
         settings: string
            description: "Account settings"
      outputs:
         success: boolean
            description: "Whether settings were configured"
      target: "flow://ConfigureAccountSettings"

   finalize_onboarding:
      description: "Marks onboarding as complete and sends welcome email"
      inputs:
         customer_id: string
            description: "Customer to finalize"
      outputs:
         success: boolean
            description: "Whether onboarding was finalized"
         welcome_sent: boolean
            description: "Whether welcome email was sent"
      target: "flow://FinalizeOnboarding"

Reasoning Actions

actions:
   create_account: @actions.create_account
      with email = ...
      with name = ...
      set @variables.customer_id = @outputs.customer_id
      set @variables.account_created = @outputs.success
      set @variables.customer_email = @outputs.customer_email
      run @actions.send_verification
         with customer_id = @variables.customer_id
         with email = @variables.customer_email
         set @variables.verification_token = @outputs.token

   setup_profile: @actions.setup_profile
      with customer_id = ...
      with preferences = ...
      set @variables.profile_completed = @outputs.success

   configure_settings: @actions.configure_settings
      with customer_id = ...
      with settings = ...
      set @variables.preferences_set = @outputs.success

   finalize_onboarding: @actions.finalize_onboarding
      with customer_id = ...
      set @variables.onboarding_complete = @outputs.success

Try It Out

Example Interaction

Agent: Welcome! Let's get you onboarded step by step to our platform. I'll guide you
       through the process. Please provide your email and name to begin the onboarding
       process.

User: john.smith@gmail.com, John Smith

Agent: Step 1 of 4: Account Creation

       Your account is being created with the following details:
       Name: John Smith
       Email: john.smith@gmail.com

       Step 1 is complete!

       Step 2 of 4: Please share any preferences you have (for example, communication
       preferences, interests, or anything you'd like us to know to personalize your
       experience).

User: communication preferences - keep everything private
      No other preference

Agent: Step 2 of 4: Preferences Set

       Your communication preference has been noted: everything will be kept private.

       Step 3 of 4: Your privacy settings are now configured to "all private" for
       maximum confidentiality.

       Step 4 of 4: Onboarding is complete! A welcome message has been sent to your
       email.

       You are all set. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel
       free to ask!

Behind the Scenes

1. Step 1: Agent calls create_account with email and name, then chains send_verification
2. Step 2: Agent calls setup_profile with collected preferences
3. Step 3: Agent calls configure_settings with privacy settings
4. Step 4: Agent calls finalize_onboarding to complete the process

Workflow Patterns

Linear Workflow

Steps execute in a fixed order:

Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3 → Step 4 → Complete

Action Chaining with run

Execute a follow-up action immediately after the primary action:

primary: @actions.primary_action
   with input = ...
   set @variables.result = @outputs.value
   run @actions.follow_up
      with data = @variables.result

Note: Only one level of nesting is allowed for chained actions.

Best Practices

• Track State Clearly: Use descriptive boolean flags like account_created and profile_completed
• Provide Progress Feedback: Show users which step they're on (e.g., "Step 2 of 4")
• Validate Before Each Step: Ensure required data is collected before calling actions
• Handle Partial Completion: Allow users to resume where they left off

What's Next

• ActionCallbacks: Learn more about the run keyword for chaining actions
• MultiTopicOrchestration: Split complex workflows across multiple topics
• ErrorHandling: Handle step failures gracefully

Testing

Test Case 1: Complete Happy Path

• Execute all 4 steps in sequence
• Verify state updates correctly at each step
• Confirm final completion message

Test Case 2: Resume from Step 2

• Set account_created=True and customer_id="..."
• Start conversation
• Agent should continue at step 2

Test Case 3: Data Flow Verification

• Verify customer_id from step 1 is used in steps 2-4
• Confirm all state persists across the conversation