Workflows
Defined execution pipelines that orchestrate how intent becomes artifact—through sequenced steps, role-bound agents, and structured outputs.
What Is a Workflow?
A workflow is a defined sequence of steps that transforms user intent and context into a finished artifact. Each step has a specific purpose, receives specific inputs, produces specific outputs, and is executed by an agent bound to a specific role.
Workflows are not ad-hoc prompt chains. They are authored artifacts—designed, tested, and versioned. A workflow encodes a repeatable process for producing a particular type of output.
In Esy's execution model, workflows sit between user input (intent + context) and the agents that perform work. The workflow determines what happens and in what order. Roles determine how each step executes.
Workflows vs. Prompt Chains
In prompt-chain systems, users link prompts together: the output of one becomes input to another. This is flexible but unpredictable. Each link depends on the user's prompt-writing skill, and there are no structural guarantees about what flows between steps.
Esy workflows differ in key ways:
Each step declares what it receives and produces. Inputs and outputs are typed and validated.
Each step is executed by an agent with a defined role contract—not freeform prompts.
Workflows can include validation steps that check outputs before proceeding.
Workflows are saved, versioned, and can be audited. Execution is reproducible.
Anatomy of a Step
Each step in a workflow includes these components:
Input Schema
What data this step receives. May come from user context, prior step outputs, or system state.
Role Assignment
Which role executes this step. The role's contract determines agent behavior.
Execution Logic
What the step does: synthesis, analysis, generation, validation, or transformation.
Output Schema
What the step produces. Must satisfy structural requirements for downstream consumption.
Gates
Optional conditions that must be met before proceeding. Quality checks, validation rules, or user approvals.
Steps Are Not Prompts
Example Workflows
These are representative workflows available in Esy. Each is a pre-built pipeline that standard users can invoke directly.
Research Essay
Transforms source materials into a structured essay with verified citations.
Infographic Brief
Produces a design brief with visual hierarchy and concise copy blocks.
Literature Review
Analyzes multiple sources to produce a thematic literature review.
Designing Custom Workflows
Pro users can design workflows beyond the pre-built set. This means:
- Adding or removing steps from a workflow
- Selecting which role executes each step
- Defining input and output schemas for steps
- Configuring quality gates between steps
- Setting constraints on execution (token limits, format requirements)
Workflow design is structural work—defining what happens, not writing prompts. Pro users gain power by composing steps and roles in new combinations, not by crafting more sophisticated natural language instructions.
Workflow Design vs. Prompt Writing
Position in the Core Model
In Esy's execution order:
- 1Intent — User declares what they want to produce
- 2Context — User provides or system retrieves relevant materials
- 3Workflow — System selects or user chooses the execution pipeline
- 4Agent Routing — Each step routes to a role-bound agent
- 5Execution — Agents execute steps, producing outputs
- 6Artifact — Final output is synthesized with provenance
Workflows are the bridge between what users want and what agents do. They encode the process by which intent becomes artifact.