What a workflow does
A workflow is a controlled sequence of steps your assistant follows – checking conditions, calling agents, searching your knowledge, sending emails and building the final response.
Use a workflow when an answer needs more than a single lookup: for example, checking an order status only once you have both the order number and email address, or opening a ticket and confirming it by email.
Step 1: Create the workflow
Open the Workflow section for your assistant and click Add.
Give it a clear Name and Description, for example “Order status check”.
Add Activation Questions – real requests a user might type, one per line, such as “I want to check the status of my order”.
Choose the Activation Mode: Semantic (triggered by the activation questions), Default (used when nothing else matches) or Manual (only called by another workflow).
Choose the Execution Phase: Pre-processing runs before your content is searched; Post-processing runs after.
Writing good activation questions
- Write natural sentences with an action, at least 20 characters and four meaningful words.
- Avoid single keywords or technical terms such as “return”, “JSON” or “workflow”.
Step 2: Build it in the visual editor
Drag nodes from the element palette onto the canvas and connect their ports. Every workflow starts with a Start node and finishes with at least one End node.
| Node type | Examples | Use it to… |
|---|---|---|
| Flow control | If, Switch, Loop, Merge, Stop / Error | Branch the process, repeat steps or stop safely. |
| Data | Edit Fields, Filter, Sort, Aggregate | Prepare and tidy data between steps. |
| Core | HTTP Request, Date / Time, AI Request | Call a service, work with dates or ask the AI to classify or summarise. |
| Echo7 | Agent, Knowledge / RAG, Set Response, Send Email, Add Q&A | Use your integrations and knowledge, and send the final answer. |
Steps pass information to each other through variables such as {{variables.orderId}}. Use the same name for the same thing throughout the workflow.
Let AI draft it for you
Click Generate workflow, select the integrations it can use and describe what you need. For example: “Create a workflow to check the status of an order. The user provides the order number and email. If either is missing, ask for it. Use the e-commerce agent, handle the case where the order isn’t found, and reply with the status and a button for shipping details.”
The draft loads into the editor. Review it, then click Save.
Step 3: Test with the debugger
Save the workflow, then click Start Debug and type a realistic request.
Follow the execution log to see each node, the variables produced and any errors.
Add breakpoints to pause on specific nodes, and use F8 to step through.
Test at least three cases: a valid request, a request with missing information and an error from an external service.
Step 4: Enable it on your assistant
Edit your assistant and go to Workflow Configuration. Click Enable Workflow, select it and check its Status. If it shows as “active but not executable”, a required integration or agent is missing or disabled – the status tells you which.
Best practices
- Give every external call an error branch, so users always get a helpful reply.
- Add a fallback to every Switch node.
- Use Export to back up approved workflows or copy them between assistants.
Prefer a guided walkthrough? Book a training session and an Echo7 specialist will help your team set it up.
Book a training sessionWant to go deeper?
This guide covers the essentials. For detailed reference on every setting and feature, explore the full Echo7 Wiki.
Echo7 Wiki