[Feature] Server-side Workflows

[mohanarpit]

Summary

Appsmith has been instrumental in building user-friendly UIs for various backend processes. However, there's an emerging need within our community for advanced server-side automation capabilities. This feature request aims to address this gap by introducing a new feature called 'Workflows' in Appsmith.

'Workflows' would revolutionize how we handle automation in Appsmith by enabling long-running, server-side automation for internal tools. This feature would be particularly beneficial in automating tasks that require both automated steps and human intervention, such as approvals or reviews.

Key Characteristics of 'Workflows':

• Human in the Loop Functionality: Integrates human decisions into automated processes, balancing automation with essential human oversight.
• Orchestrate with Code, Organise with Node: Appsmith Workflows blend the best of both worlds: they simplify action configurations like node-based systems while enabling complex logic orchestration with the flexibility of code-based workflows. This efficient hybrid approach streamlines workflow management effectively.
• Efficient Task Automation: Streamlines complex processes, reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.

Potential Use Cases:

• Order Refund Workflow: Automate high-value order refunds requiring multiple approvals, adding an extra layer of scrutiny to sensitive transactions.
• Loan Sanction Workflow: Simplify the loan sanctioning process by integrating automated steps with approvals from various teams, enhancing efficiency and coordination.

This will include #738

[BlakesEyeR1]

I would also value an incoming webhook feature

[Nikhil-Nandagopal]

@BlakesEyeR1 could you tell us a bit about your use case and why you would like a webhook feature?

[BlakesEyeR1]

@BlakesEyeR1 could you tell us a bit about your use case and why you would like a webhook feature?
We would like to responds to 'events' that can be notified to us via a webhook. Rather than polling to see if events have occurred. For example: a door entry event has occurred, use the appsmith app to access the security data and update a local database.

[webdada]

I would like to upvote this issue as well.

The use case for me, working as an enterprise architect on modernization projects, is a very common pattern of breaking monolithic applications into smaller chunks and modernizing them according to best value.

If we can use Appsmith to build the DB queries, and then expose the queries using REST APIs, or Webhooks, then that is solving a hard issue for IT modernization, the UI is very complex and subject to a lot of personal opinions and art style choices - executives making decisions of how the UI should look and work, but business executives do not really care about backend APIs - as long as it works.

So this definitely can be an Enterprise Use Case for Appsmith.

[nidhi-nair]

Here's another use case for Webhooks around workflows. cc @rohan-arthur

[paulxb]

My use case is, I've integrated PDFMonkey to generate PDFs, but the generation is added to a queue, so I need a webhook to callback to AppSmith to say when the file has been generated.
Currently, I have to poll their endpoint to see when the status changes, which is not ideal.

[samlander25]

another reason why webhooks are important. Webhooks operate at the server level, not the client. When a webhook receives an authenticated request, it would trigger its predetermined action automatically and without user interaction. versus a polling action that requires leaving the browser open, it's not ideal as there is any number of things that can go wrong with the polling action leaving room for error in the workflow. A server-side web hook to push the data rather than poll is not only ideal but also more reliable.

[Nikhil-Nandagopal]

We don't have server side execution and webhooks planned yet but we will try to add it to our roadmap later this year

[infinitetrooper]

@paulxb @samlander25 @webdada - We're actively working on the Workflows project, this is the latest walkthrough on the project, please let me know if you have any queries or thoughts. Thank You!

[infinitetrooper]

The Workflows feature is now open for Closed Beta for Business and Enterprise customers, please reach out to [email protected] to get early access.