RuntimeAgent systems topic

Workflows and automation

Workflows encode known control paths; automations trigger those workflows on a schedule or event without continuous human initiation. Reliable automation requires idempotency, retry policy, durable state, ownership, observability, and a clear boundary for escalation.

Apply the lifecycleReview sources

Questions to answer

Resolve these before adding tools, frameworks, or automation.

  • What event starts the workflow and how are duplicates identified?
  • Which steps are deterministic and which require model judgment?
  • How are retries, deadlines, partial completion, and escalation handled?

Implementation lifecycle

Build the evidence in this order

  1. 01

    Stabilize

    Run the workflow manually until inputs, outputs, and failure modes are understood.

  2. 02

    Automate

    Add triggers, durable state, retries, deadlines, and bounded side effects.

  3. 03

    Operate

    Monitor completion, cost, drift, queue health, and human escalation.

Artifacts to maintain

  • workflow definition
  • trigger
  • idempotency key
  • runbook

Continue through AgentAtlas

Evidence ledger

Primary documentation behind this guide

Anthropic

Building effective agents

The distinction between predefined workflows and model-directed agents plus composable orchestration patterns.

OpenAI

Codex automations

Scheduling recurring Codex work, repository execution, review flows, and automation configuration.

Next topic

Evals and verification