Automations

Learn how to design automated workflows for your AI Workers

The Automations Tab is where you design the workflow for your AI worker. This section allows you to define the sequence of actions your AI worker will follow.

Workflow Blocks Reference

Block Name	Purspose
Start Block	Initializes the Workflow. Every Workflow includes a Start Block that cannot be deleted.
Generate Text Block	Uses AI to generate text based on a prompt. Responses can be displayed to human or assigned to a variable.
Generate Image Block	Uses AI to generate an image based on a text prompt. Image URL is assigned to a variable.
Generate Chart Block	Generates a chart based on JSON Schema.
Display Content Block	Displays content to the user exactly as it is written. Can call variables.
Text to Speech Block	Uses AI to generates a voice-over audio file that matches the provided text. Audio URL is assigned to a variable.
Analyze Image Block	Uses AI to analyze the content of a provided image URL. Responses can be displayed to human or assigned to a variable.
User Input Block	Displays user inputs in a single-page form to gather context for the AI. Values from human inputs are assigned to variables.
Query Data Block	Queries a Data Source and returns relevant chunks of text. Returned text is assigned to a variable.
Run Function Block	Executes JavaScript code. Configurations and outputs will vary.
Scrape URL Block	Uses a web scraper to gather text from a URL. Returned text is assigned to a variable.
Extract Text from File Block	Extracts text from PDF, CSV, HTML, and TXT files
Post to Slack Block	Sends a message to a Slack channel
Menu Block	Creates branching paths in a workflow. Routes the workflow based on human selection.
Logic Block	Creates branching paths in a workflow. Routes the workflow based on AI selection.
Jump Block	Routes the workflow directly into another discrete workflow. Variables cannot be passed into the new workflow.
Run Workflow Block	Runs a sub-workflow. Variables can be passed through the workflow as Launch Variables. Returns the output of the workflow.
Terminator Block	Ends the workflow. Can be configured with different end behaviors such as a front-end chat interface, email notification, and more.

What is a Workflow?

Workflows are sequences of automated actions that your AI workers follow when they are run.

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Designing Workflow Automations

After opening the Automations Tab, you’ll see the Automations Canvas which displays all of the individual actions that your workflow will execute when run. These are represented by Blocks on the canvas.

Best Practices for Designing Workflows

• Plan Before You Build: Outline the steps your workflow will perform.

• Use Helpful Variable Names: Name variables descriptively to make the workflow easy to debug.

• Test as You Go: Regularly test each block to identify and resolve issues early. To test out the specific output of blocks that use AI, you may use the Profiler to compare results.

Automations Canvas Controls

The canvas is infinitely scrollable in all directions. At the bottom of the canvas, you’ll find several controls to help you navigate and annotate the canvas as you design your Workflow.

Panning Around the Canvas

Using a mouse:

• Scroll to pan up and down the canvas.

• Shift + Scroll to pan left and right across the canvas.

Using the Pan Tool:

• Click the Pan Tool icon or use the H hotkey to activate the Pan Tool.

  

  Pan tool control
• Click and drag in any direction to pan around the canvas. NOTE: You will not be able to select blocks while the Pan tool is activated.

• Click the Select Tool icon or use the V hotkey to deactivate the Pan Tool.

  

  Select tool control

Zooming In & Out

Using a mouse:

• On Mac, use CMD + Scroll to zoom in and out.

• On PC, use CTRL + Scroll to zoom in and out.

Using the Zoom Controls:

• Click Zoom In icon or use the + hotkey to zoom in.

  

  Zoom in control
• Click Zoom out icon or use the - hotkey to zoom out

  

  Zoom out control

Centering the Canvas

If you navigate away from your blocks and can no longer find them, you can reset and center all of the blocks on the canvas by clicking the Reset view icon or using the R hotkey

Reset canvas control

Auto Arrange Blocks

If your workflow becomes long and complex, you may want to consider tidying it up using Auto arrange. This tool will align all blocks vertically on the canvas.

Auto arrange control

Adding Notes to the Canvas

You can annotate the canvas using the Note Tool to add text notes or label groups of blocks on.

Using the Note Tool Controls:

• Click on the Note tool icon to create a new note

  

  Note tool control
• Select the color of your note

• Click on the note and add text content to your note

• Add an optional label to the top of your note. If no text is added in the label, then it will not show a label.

• Click and drag the anchors found at each corner of the note to adjust the note size.

Add a New Block to the Workflow

Between Existing Blocks:

• Select the + button between to connected blocks to open up the Block Menu.

• Select the block that you’d like to add.

• The new block will be automatically connected between the two blocks.

Anywhere on the Automations Canvas:

• Right-click anywhere on the canvas to open the Block Menu.

• CTRL + Click anywhere on the canvas to open the Block Menu.

Deleting a Block

• Click on the delete icon at the top-right corner of any block.

• Confirm the delete action.

Key Components of a Workflow

The Start Block

This block initializes the workflow. It can be triggered on demand or on a defined schedule, and allows you to define launch variables, which provide dynamic values that are passed through the workflow.

Workflow Blocks

There are many kinds of blocks that you can add to your workflow. All blocks will have different configuration options depending on the block that you select.

Types of blocks include:

• AI Tools: Generate text, generate images, analyze image, etc.

• Context Blocks: Gather context for the AI. Context is saved to a variable.

• Routing Blocks: Add conditional branches to route the workflow in various ways. </aside>

Terminator Blocks

This block marks the end of the workflow. It has customizable end behavior, such as sending email notifications or returning a structured output.

Defining and Calling Variables

Variables in MindStudio are dynamic placeholders that store data during workflow execution. They allow you to pass information between blocks and workflows seamlessly.

Defining Variables

1. Launch Variables: These are defined in the Start Block of your workflow.

2. Runtime Variables: Some blocks, such as Generate Text Blocks or User Input Blocks, can generate new variables while the workflow is running. For Example, after performing a Google Search, the block can store the results in a variable called google_result.

Calling Variables

To use a variable in any block, reference it using double curly braces: {{variable_name}}.

Generate Text prompt example calling a variable:

Summarize the following info: {{google_result}}