Workflows & Automation

Overview

Workflows allow you to automate complex tasks and create powerful interactions beyond simple Q&A responses. With Docimal's visual workflow builder, you can connect triggers, actions, and conditions to build intelligent automation that responds to user inputs, external events, or scheduled tasks.

Visual Workflow Builder

The workflow builder provides a canvas-based interface where you can create workflows by connecting nodes. Each node represents a step in your workflow—triggers, actions, conditions, or data operations.

Creating a Workflow

Node Types

• Trigger Nodes: Start the workflow based on events (user messages, webhooks, schedules, etc.)
• Action Nodes: Perform operations like sending emails, API calls, database updates, or custom code
• Condition Nodes: Add if/then logic to branch your workflow based on data or user input
• Data Nodes: Transform, filter, or manipulate data flowing through your workflow
• Delay Nodes: Add time delays or wait for specific conditions before continuing

Triggers

Triggers define when and how your workflow starts. Every workflow must have at least one trigger. You can configure multiple triggers for a single workflow if needed.

Actions

Actions are the operations your workflow performs. Docimal provides a library of pre-built actions for common tasks, and you can create custom actions for specialized needs.

Built-in Actions

Custom Actions

For specialized tasks, you can create custom actions using JavaScript or TypeScript. Custom actions have access to the workflow context, user data, and conversation history.

// Example: Custom Action to Calculate Shipping Cost
export async function calculateShipping(context) {
  const { weight, destination } = context.input;

  // Custom business logic
  const baseRate = 5.99;
  const perKgRate = 2.50;
  const cost = baseRate + (weight * perKgRate);

  // Adjust for destination
  const multiplier = destination === 'international' ? 2.5 : 1;
  const total = cost * multiplier;

  return {
    shippingCost: total.toFixed(2),
    estimatedDays: destination === 'international' ? '7-14' : '2-5'
  };
}

Conditions & Logic

Add conditional logic to your workflows to create different paths based on user input, data values, or external conditions. This allows you to build dynamic, intelligent automation.

Condition Examples

Variables & Data

Workflows can store and pass data between nodes using variables. This allows you to capture user input, transform data, and use values from previous actions in subsequent steps.

Variable Types

• System Variables: Automatically available data like user ID, conversation ID, timestamp, user message, agent response
• Custom Variables: Data you define and store during workflow execution
• Action Outputs: Results returned by action nodes that can be used in subsequent steps
• External Data: Data fetched from APIs, databases, or webhooks

Using Variables

Reference variables in your workflow using the double curly brace syntax: {{variable_name}}

// Example: Email template using variables
Subject: Order Confirmation #{{order.id}}

Hi {{user.firstName}},

Thank you for your order! We've received your request for:
- Product: {{order.productName}}
- Quantity: {{order.quantity}}
- Total: ${{order.total}}

Your order will be shipped to:
{{user.shippingAddress}}

Estimated delivery: {{shipping.estimatedDays}} business days

Track your order: {{order.trackingUrl}}

Workflow Templates

Get started quickly with pre-built workflow templates for common use cases. Each template includes all necessary triggers, actions, and conditions—just customize with your specific data and credentials.

Best Practices