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Key Concepts

This page explains the core concepts you need to understand when working with FlowDrop.

Workflows

A workflow is a series of steps connected together to accomplish a task. Think of it as a flowchart that actually runs. Workflows are stored as Drupal configuration entities, meaning they can be exported, imported, and version-controlled.

Nodes

Each step in a workflow is called a node. Nodes are the building blocks — they take input, process it, and produce output.

FlowDrop includes 25+ built-in nodes organized into categories:

Category Examples
Data Processing DataShaper, DataExtractor, SplitText, RegexExtractor
Control Flow SwitchGateway, BooleanGateway, IfElse, ForEach
Entity Operations EntityQuery, EntityContext, EntitySave
Text & Output TextInput, TextOutput, PromptTemplate, Logger
HTTP & Integration HttpRequest
AI Integration ChatModel
Human-in-the-Loop ConfirmationNode, ChoiceNode, TextInputNode
Workflow Execution WorkflowExecutor, WorkflowResultsRetriever
Utility DateTime, Calculator, Note

Anatomy of a workflow

Node Visual Types

Nodes appear in different shapes depending on their function:

  • Standard — Rectangular nodes for most processors
  • Simple — Compact nodes for lightweight operations
  • Gateway — Diamond-shaped nodes for branching logic (IfElse, SwitchGateway)

Different node visual types

Edges (Connections)

Edges connect nodes together. There are two types:

  • Data Edges — Pass data from one node's output to another node's input. Think of these as pipes that carry values.
  • Trigger Edges — Control whether a node executes. These act like switches — they determine the execution path.

Ports

Ports are the connection points on nodes where edges attach.

  • Input Ports (left side of a node) — Where data comes in
  • Output Ports (right side of a node) — Where data goes out

Ports are color-coded by data type, so you can quickly see what kind of data a connection carries:

Data Type Color Aliases
String Emerald text
Number Blue integer, float
Boolean Purple
Array Amber list
Object Orange json
Mixed Orange
URL Cyan email
Date Lime datetime, time
File Red document
Image Pink picture
Trigger Dark gray

Port data type colors

Tip

Same-type ports connect to same-type ports. If you need to convert between types, use a processing node (like DataShaper) in between.

Execution

When you run a workflow, FlowDrop:

  1. Resolves the execution order — Nodes execute in dependency order (a node won't run until all its inputs are ready).
  2. Executes each node — Starting from nodes with no dependencies, working forward.
  3. Passes data through edges — Output from one node flows into the next via edges.
  4. Records results — Each node's execution is tracked for monitoring and debugging.

Pipelines and Jobs

  • Pipeline — One complete run of a workflow. When you execute a workflow, a pipeline is created.
  • Job — One node's execution within a pipeline. Each node that runs creates a job.

For example, if your workflow has 5 nodes and you execute it once, you get 1 pipeline with 5 jobs.

You can monitor pipelines and jobs through the admin UI to track progress, view outputs, and debug failures.

Orchestrators

Orchestrators control how a workflow runs. FlowDrop provides three:

Orchestrator When to use
Synchronous Simple workflows where you need an immediate result. Runs all nodes in one request.
Asynchronous Background processing for longer workflows. Uses Drupal's queue system for scalability.
StateGraph Advanced workflows that need loops, chat interactions, or human-in-the-loop. Supports checkpointing and resumption.

Triggers

Triggers automatically start workflows when Drupal events happen. Instead of manually executing a workflow, you can configure it to run when:

  • Entity events — A content item is created, updated, or deleted
  • User events — A user logs in or logs out
  • Cron events — Drupal's cron runs on schedule

Triggers are configured by adding a Trigger node in the workflow editor. See the Setting Up Triggers guide for step-by-step instructions.

Node Types

Node Types are configurable wrappers around Node Processors. A single Node Processor (defined in code) can have multiple Node Types, each with different default settings.

For example, the TextInput processor could have Node Types like "Email Subject Input" and "Body Text Input" — same processor, different default configurations. Site administrators manage Node Types at Administration > Structure > FlowDrop Node Type.

Next Steps