Actions System Overview

Visual workflow automation for business process automation

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Actions System

Quick Links: User Guide | Examples | Developer Guide

The Actions system is a powerful Business Logic Module that enables customers to define and execute automated workflows based on various triggers. It provides a visual, node-based interface for creating complex business logic without requiring custom code.

Overview

Actions enable customers to:

  • Automate responses to data changes (document creation, updates, deletion)
  • Build workflows using a visual, drag-and-drop interface
  • Connect different services through a standardized block system
  • Execute complex business logic across their applications

Key Concepts

🔗 Actions

An Action is a complete workflow that defines:

  • Title: A descriptive name for the automation workflow
  • Description: Optional details about what the automation does
  • Triggers: What events start the workflow
  • Blocks: Individual processing units that perform specific tasks
  • Connections: How data flows between triggers and blocks

⚡ Triggers

Triggers define when an Action should execute:

  • documentCreated: When a new document is created
  • documentUpdated: When an existing document is modified
  • documentDeleted: When a document is removed
  • cron: On a schedule defined by a cron expression (minimum: every 5 minutes)
  • webhook: When a webhook URL is called
  • api: Can be triggered via API call or manually

🧱 Blocks

Blocks are reusable processing units that:

  • Receive input data through input sockets
  • Perform specific operations (send email, transform data, etc.)
  • Output results through output sockets
  • Can be connected to other blocks to create workflows

Available block types include:

  • Send Email: Send notification emails to users
  • Update Database: Modify database records and relationships
  • Call Webhook: Make HTTP requests to external services
  • Conditional Logic: Add decision points and branching logic

🔌 Connections

Connections define the data flow between:

  • Triggers → Blocks (workflow initiation)
  • Blocks → Blocks (sequential processing)
  • Using named sockets for type-safe data transfer

🎨 Visual Flow Editor

The system includes a visual, node-based editor that allows users to:

  • Drag and drop triggers and blocks onto a canvas
  • Visually connect components to define workflow logic
  • Zoom and pan to navigate complex workflows
  • Preview workflow structure before execution

Badges & Achievements

Creating your first Action in a project awards the First Action Created (FIRST_ACTION_CREATED) badge to the user who created it. This badge is granted automatically upon successful creation and can be viewed in your user profile under Badges.

Quick Example

const emailNotificationAction: Action = {
  title: "Email Notification Workflow",
  description: "Sends admin email when new documents are created",
  triggers: [{
    id: "trigger1",
    triggerName: "documentCreated"
  }],
  blocks: [{
    id: "block1", 
    blockName: "send-mail",
    configuration: {
      to: "admin@example.com",
      subject: "New document created"
    }
  }],
  connections: [{
    sourceBlockId: "trigger1",
    sourceSocketName: "trigger",
    targetBlockId: "block1", 
    targetSocketName: "in"
  }]
};

This creates a workflow that sends an email whenever a new document is created.

Documentation Structure

  • User Guide - Complete guide for using the Actions interface in the backoffice
  • Architecture - Technical architecture and component details
  • Developer Guide - How to create custom blocks and extend the system
  • API Reference - Complete interface documentation
  • Examples - Practical usage scenarios and patterns

Getting Started

For End Users

If you want to create and manage automation workflows using the backoffice interface:

  1. Start with the User Guide to learn how to use the Actions interface
  2. Explore the Examples for common automation patterns
  3. Reference the user interface features for creating visual workflows

For Developers

For developers looking to extend the Actions system:

  1. Start with the Architecture to understand the system design
  2. Follow the Developer Guide to create custom blocks
  3. Reference the API documentation for detailed interfaces
  4. Check Examples for common patterns and best practices

Multi-Tenant Support

The Actions system is built with multi-tenancy in mind:

  • All actions are scoped to specific tenants
  • Block execution includes tenant context
  • Data isolation is maintained throughout workflow execution
  • Access control is enforced at the Action level
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