NocoBase Workflow Building

You are guiding the user to create automated workflows in NocoBase.

Key Concepts

Trigger Types

Type	Description	Mode
INLINECODE0	Data change trigger	1=create, 2=update, 3=create+update, 4=delete
INLINECODE1

Time-based trigger | 0=cron, 1=date field | | action | Manual button trigger | — |

Node Types

Type	Description
INLINECODE3	If/else branch (basic engine or math.js)
INLINECODE4

Update existing records | | create | Create new records | | query | Query records for use in downstream nodes | | sql | Execute raw SQL | | request | HTTP request (webhooks, external APIs) | | loop | Iterate over array data | | end | Terminate workflow (1=success, 0=failure) |

Node Linking Model

• - Nodes form a linked list: upstreamId → INLINECODE12
• Branch nodes (condition, loop) use branchIndex:

- 1 = true branch (condition) or loop body (loop) - 0 = false branch (condition) - null = main line continuation

Variable System

Variable	Description
INLINECODE17	Field from the trigger record
INLINECODE18

ID of the trigger record | | {{$jobsMapByNodeKey.<key>.field}} | Result from a previous node | | {{$scopes.<key>.item}} | Current item in a loop |

Workflow Patterns

Pattern 1: Auto-numbering (on create)

Generate sequential IDs like PR-2026-001:

CODEBLOCK0

Pattern 2: Status Sync (on create)

Set default status when a record is created:

CODEBLOCK1

Pattern 3: Conditional Branch (on create)

Different actions based on field value:

CODEBLOCK2

Pattern 4: Field Change Trigger (on update)

React when specific fields change:

CODEBLOCK3

Pattern 5: Date-based Schedule

Trigger N days before a date field:

CODEBLOCK4

Pattern 6: Cron Schedule

CODEBLOCK5

Pattern 7: Multi-node Chain

Chain multiple nodes on the main line:

CODEBLOCK6

Workflow

Phase 1: Plan

Before creating workflows, identify:

1. 1. Trigger: What event starts the workflow? (record created/updated/deleted, schedule, manual)
2. Collection: Which table triggers it?
3. Logic: What conditions and actions are needed?
4. Target: What data gets modified?

Phase 2: Create

1. 1. Create workflow with trigger config
2. Add nodes in order (first node auto-links, subsequent need upstream_id)
3. For branches: add condition node, then true/false branch nodes with INLINECODE23

Phase 3: Enable & Verify

1. 1. Enable the workflow
2. List workflows to confirm: INLINECODE24
3. Inspect with: INLINECODE25

Best Practices

1. 1. Title convention: Use prefixes for grouping, e.g. "AM-WF01 Auto Number"
2. One workflow per concern: Don't combine unrelated logic
3. Idempotent SQL: Write SQL that's safe to run multiple times
4. Test before enable: Create all nodes first, then enable
5. Batch cleanup: Use nb_delete_workflows_by_prefix("AM-") to clean up
6. Duplicate prevention: Check nb_list_workflows() before creating — duplicate titles cause confusion
7. Variable references: Always use double braces {{$context.data.field}} — single braces won't work