What is a workflow and how do I run one?
A workflow is a canvas where you connect prompts, references and models so that one step feeds the next — an image into a video, one reference into several shots — with a cost estimate for the whole graph before you press Run.
What is on the canvas
- Prompt nodes hold text.
- Media nodes hold an image, video or audio file from your Library. Wire a step into one and it collects that step's result, so you can see it on the canvas and pass it on.
- Generator nodes run a model; their input ports are the model's real parameters.
- Batch nodes run a line once per item, and groups bundle steps so you can run them on their own.
Connect a prompt and a media node to a generator, the generator's output to the next one, and so on. A cable that can't go where you drop it is refused on the spot: it flashes red, disappears and a message tells you why. Other problems, such as a required input left empty, are listed in the Preflight check. The canvas still saves your work, but a workflow with errors can't run, so they never turn into a paid failure.
Running
The run bar shows the price of the whole graph as you build it; press Run when you're ready. Each step waits for the steps it depends on.
How many generations run at the same time is up to you. Open the canvas settings (the gear icon) and use the run concurrency slider: anything from 1 to 20, and 3 if you have never set it. The value is saved with the workflow, and the last value you set becomes the starting value for any workflow that doesn't have one of its own. Only the workflow's owner can change it, and a run already in progress picks up the new value from its next step on.
A workflow has only one run going at a time: pressing Run again is refused until the current run finishes or you cancel it. A step that fails is not charged, and it stops only the steps that were waiting on it — independent branches carry on to the end. Refreshing the page does not lose a run in progress.
When to use a workflow instead of the Workspace
- You want the same reference reused across several shots.
- One result must feed another model (image → video, video → lip-sync).
- You want to fan one prompt out to several models and compare.
For a single image or clip, the Workspace is faster.
Frequently asked
Do I pay for a workflow before it runs?
No. The estimate is shown first; credits are charged step by step as each generation completes, at the same settled prices as in the Workspace.
Where do the results go?
Every result lands in your Library like any other generation. To also see it on the canvas, or pass it on to the next step, wire the generator into a Media node. A generator with nothing after it gets a warning in the Preflight check, but its result is still saved to your Library.
Can Claude build a workflow for me?
Yes. The connector has create_workflow, wire_workflow, estimate_workflow and run_workflow tools; the assistant hands you a link to review the graph before running.