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Actions are the working parts of a workflow. An action can call a service, transform text, make a decision, wait for a dependency, run another workflow, or return a result. Each action appears as a node on the canvas.

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Add an action

Press /, ⌘ K, or ⌘ P to open action search. Search by action name, package, or related keyword, then select a result to add it to the canvas. The picker groups actions by package. For example, Core contains general workflow tools, while Gmail, HTTP, and Google Sheets contain service-specific operations. You can pin actions you use frequently so they stay available in the editor toolbar.
Search for the outcome you want, such as respond, format date, or get row. You do not need to know the package first.

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Configure an action

Select one node to open its configuration panel. Inputs can appear in the panel, on the node, or in both places depending on how the action is designed. There are three common input modes: Required inputs must receive a valid value before the action can succeed. Optional inputs may have a default or may be omitted. Hover an input handle to see its description, declared data type, requirement, and connection state.
The editor can connect values whose declared types do not match. A connection may therefore look valid on the canvas but fail when the action validates its inputs at runtime. Check the input and output types before testing.

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Connect actions

Drag from an output handle to an input handle. The connection passes the value and makes the target action wait for that source.
  • An input accepts one connection.
  • An output can feed several actions.
  • Independent branches are eligible to run concurrently.
Object outputs can expose the entire object and selected properties. Choose the properties you need instead of passing a large object into an action that expects one field. Some repeatable inputs also let you switch between separate entries and one entire list. During an inspected run, output handles can show the actual value that action produced. This is useful for finding the right object property before wiring the next action. See Workflow runs for the run inspection tools.

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Control the node

Select one or more actions to access common canvas operations:
  • enable or disable the selection,
  • duplicate, copy, cut, or delete it,
  • align or automatically lay out several nodes,
  • select connected upstream or downstream actions, and
  • extract a selection into a sub-workflow.
A disabled action is skipped. Its normal outputs do not produce values, so downstream actions that require those outputs are skipped as well. For per-run control, an action can expose meta controls such as Conditional and Wait For, plus outcome values such as Did Action Succeed? and Error. Learn how to build those branches in Meta controls.

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Choose the right action

The action picker gives a short description. The Actions reference provides the full contract for every built-in action:
  • what the action does,
  • each input and its type,
  • each output and its type,
  • relevant limits and edge cases, and
  • setup or troubleshooting details when needed.
Use the exact name shown in the picker to find the corresponding reference page. For events that begin a workflow, use the Triggers reference instead.