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Understanding Workflow Runs

How to read run results, interpret step statuses, and troubleshoot failures.

Overview

When a workflow runs, each step executes in the order defined by the graph edges. The run detail page shows you the overall status, individual step results, and any outputs produced. Understanding how to read this information helps you verify results and quickly diagnose issues.

Run Statuses

A run moves through several statuses during its lifecycle:

  • Scheduled: The run has been created but execution has not started yet.
  • In Progress: Steps are actively executing. You can watch progress in real time on the run detail page.
  • Waiting: The workflow has paused because a step is waiting for user action — either a Form step needs input or a step with review enabled is awaiting approval.
  • Completed: All steps finished successfully. The final outputs are available in the Output section.
  • Failed: One or more steps encountered an error. Check the Activity Log to see which step failed and why.
  • Cancelled: The run was manually stopped before completion.

The Run Detail Page

The run detail page has several sections:

  • Status Panel: Shows the overall run status, start time, and duration.
  • Output: Displays the final output data from the last step in the workflow. This is the end result of the entire run.
  • Waiting: Appears when a Form step is waiting for input or a step is awaiting review approval. Fill in the fields and submit, or approve/reject the review to resume the run.
  • Activity Log: An expandable list of every step that executed. Click a step to see its inputs, outputs, execution log, status, and any error messages.

Reading the Activity Log

The activity log shows each step as an expandable card. Each card displays the step name, its status, and how long it took to execute. Expanding a card reveals the step's input data, output data, execution log, and any error details.

Steps are listed in execution order. If a step failed, its card shows the error message and failure type (e.g. Validation, External API, Timeout, Configuration). Steps that were never reached (because an earlier step failed) appear as skipped. Steps rejected during review appear as rejected.

Troubleshooting Failed Runs

When a run fails, start by finding the failed step in the activity log. Common causes of failure include:

  • Missing field mappings: A step expected input data that wasn't mapped from an upstream step. Check that all required input fields have valid field mappings in the workflow editor.
  • Empty required fields: Some steps require specific fields to be non-empty (e.g., Send Email requires recipient_email, subject, and body). Ensure upstream steps produce the expected output.
  • Integration not connected: Steps like Slack, Google Sheets, and social media steps require an active integration. Go to the Integrations page to connect or reconnect the service.
  • Invalid configuration: Step-specific settings may be missing or incorrect (e.g., a Slack step with no channel selected, or a Google Sheets step with no spreadsheet ID).
  • Upstream data format issues: A step may receive data in an unexpected format. Check the output of the previous step in the activity log to verify the data shape matches what the failing step expects.

Troubleshooting Tips

  1. Open the activity log and find the first step with a failed status. This is usually where the problem originates.
  2. Read the error message on the failed step. It often tells you exactly what went wrong (e.g., "field recipient_email is required but empty").
  3. Check the failed step's input data. If fields are missing or empty, trace back to the upstream step that should have provided them.
  4. Verify field mappings in the workflow editor. Open the failed step, check its input field set, and make sure each field maps to the correct upstream output.
  5. If the error involves an external service (Slack, Google Sheets, etc.), verify the integration is connected and the step configuration is correct.
  6. After fixing the issue, create a new run to test the fix. Previous failed runs cannot be retried.
Tips
  • Always check the activity log from top to bottom. The first failure is usually the root cause
  • Use the step input/output data in the activity log to trace data flow through the workflow
  • If a step produces unexpected output, check its configuration and field set in the editor
  • For intermittent failures, check whether external services (APIs, integrations) are available