Instantiate a Workflow from a Template

In Braidrun, "instantiation from template" is the most mainstream workflow generation method: more than 90% of users do not write their first workflow from the whiteboard, but clone one from the template and then adjust it according to their own business. This article breaks down the process down to every button.

Complete Process Overview

1. Browse the template library and select one by category/tag/search
2. Read the template details card to confirm prerequisites and estimated costs
3. Click "Use this template" to clone it into your workspace
4. Change the business parameters according to the variable description in the editor
5. Complete the key in the credential center
6. First dry-run to verify the structure, and then run it again
7. Bind scheduling/Webhook triggers on demand

Step 1 · Browse the Template Gallery

1.1 Open The Entrance

The main navigation on the left is "Template Library". Page structure:

• Top filter bar - 10 industry categories + tags + keyword search
• Template card grid - showing name, description, tags, estimated duration, complexity
• "My Collection" in the upper right corner - long-term templates can be collected and entered directly next time

1.2 Common Selection Strategies

• The needs are very specific — Search keywords directly. For example, if you want to do "TestFlight certificate expiration reminder", search for certificate expiry and it will be locked immediately.
• Demand is broad — Convergence based on industry first. Pick an industry category you are most familiar with and turn two or three pages to get a rough idea of what types of processes we have.
• Want to "see what others in the industry do" — Sort by "complexity" and pick the most complex ones - they usually represent end-to-end mature practices.

Step 2 · Read Template Details

Click on a template card to enter the details page, focusing on four parts:

2.1 "Description" Section

In two or three paragraphs, tell you: what problems it solves, what scenarios it is most suitable for, what scenarios it is not suitable for, and what preparations are required before use.

2.2 List Of "Required Credentials"

Clearly list the credentials required to run this workflow, for example:

• openai_api_key — OpenAI API Key (required)
• slack_webhook_url — Slack Incoming Webhook URL (for delivery, optional)
• apple_appstoreconnect — App Store Connect JWT (only required for Apple related templates)

If one of the "required" credentials is missing, the workflow will fail when reaching the corresponding step. When "optional" is missing, the relevant step will be skipped by condition.

2.3 "Estimated Time And Cost"

A complete execution:

• Time taken - 2 minutes / 15 minutes / 1 hour, depending on workflow complexity and external dependency response speed
• Token usage - average xxx input / xxx output
• $ Estimated - the approximate value calculated based on the platform's default preset and OpenAI unit price

2.4 "Example Input and Example Output"

A specific input sample (you can just copy it and run it once) + the corresponding output sample (so you have an idea of "probably what you can get").

Step 3 · Clone To Workspace

1. upper right corner point "Use this template".
2. Give your copy a name in the pop-up window (the default is template name + timestamp, you can change it to something more business-meaning).
3. Select your target team (if you are on multiple teams). This determines who can see/edit this workflow.
4. Click OK. The platform generates a copy for you independent copy, your changes aren't sent back to the template, and later template updates won't automatically alter your copy.

Step 4 · Customize Business Parameters

The 4.1 Variables Section Is the Only Place You Need to Look Carefully

When the editor opens, first scroll through the YAML to the variables section at the top. All the "things that need to be adjusted in this workflow according to your business situation" are here, already commented:

variables:
  target_date:
    type: string
    default: yesterday    # ← 改成你要跑哪一天的数据
    description: |
      支持 yesterday / last_7_days / last_30_days /
      或具体日期 2026-04-17

  top_n:
    type: number
    default: 10           # ← 要拉多少条新闻
    description: 抓取的新闻数量上限

  target_channel:
    type: string
    default: "#my_daily_digest"  # ← 改成你的 Slack 频道名或保留默认 webhook 目标
    description: Slack 目标频道或 Incoming Webhook 默认目标

4.2 Change Defaults to Match Your Use Case

The default value is just an "example", please replace it with the real value in your business. Changing variables will not destroy the structure, so feel free to change it.

4.3 Leave `steps` Unchanged When Possible

It is not recommended to change the structure of the steps section when running the template for the first time - run it once with the default process first, see the data flow, and then decide whether to change it.

Step 5 · Complete Credential Center

1. Open Credential Center.
2. Create a corresponding credential for each "required" credential listed on the template details page. The name must be exactly the same as that quoted in the YAML.
3. "Optional" credentials can be left uncreated for now - the relevant steps will be skipped.

Step 6 · Dry-Run First, Then Run

6.1 The Meaning Of Dry-Run

dry-run runs through the DAG at zero cost, skipping all LLM and side effects. It helps you confirm before spending money:

• Are all the variables filled in correctly?
• Variables flow between steps
• The branch of condition / classifier is selected correctly.
• The dependent credential name can be resolved to

6.2 Real Run

After dry-run passes, uncheck dry-run and click "Execute" again. This time I will really adjust LLM and have real side effects. The real-time event stream on the right side of the page lets you see the progress of each step.

6.3 What to Watch After Running

• "View execution details" - Gantt chart + input/output of each step
• "Product column" - the generated Markdown / Excel / image can be downloaded directly
• "Tokens / cost"——How much did you spend this time?

Step 7 · Bind Triggers as Needed

After manual running, the workflow is ready to go online. Three common triggering methods:

• Scheduled Runs — Daily/weekly/monthly, or repeat by interval
• Webhook Trigger — An external system POSTs to trigger it, authenticated with an API Key (HMAC signatures are also supported)
• API trigger—your internal system uses an API Key to call the REST API and start an execution

Template Upgrade: Keeping Up with New Template Versions

A cloned copy isn't automatically changed by template updates. When the source template ships a new version and you want to follow it, use the Upgrade from Template flow: review a preview, then upgrade with one click.

Where To Find It

You can reach it in two places: Upgrade from Template in the editor toolbar menu, or the Check for Upgrade prompt above the variables section in the workflow settings panel. The dialog that opens shows the current and target versions.

Review the Preview Before Upgrading

The preview splits variable differences into three categories and lists them one by one:

• Reserve — Variables you've already changed that still exist in the new template—your values are kept after the upgrade
• New — Variables newly added in the new template—filled with the template defaults, to adjust as needed after upgrading
• Delete — Variables that no longer exist in the new template—dropped after the upgrade. Check this list item by item before confirming

What Happens During the Upgrade

• The current workflow is first auto-saved as a version snapshot, so you can roll back from the Versions menu if you change your mind
• Structural configuration—the step DAG, Agent prompts, code, timeouts, and the like—is overwritten by the new template
• The models you chose are preserved: for Agents of the same name, your model selection and its model credential reference aren't overwritten by the new template
• Settings that belong to you—workflow name, tags, concurrency, and so on—are left untouched

Older workflow with no source template recorded?

Workflows cloned early on may have no recorded source, in which case the same item in the editor menu appears as Link Template. Register which template it came from (and optionally mark which version it currently corresponds to), and the upgrade flow works normally from then on.

Advanced: Let the AI Assistant Change It According to Your Description

After cloning, if the business requirements are not completely consistent with the template, you can ask the AI assistant to help you fix it:

1. FAB in the lower right corner opens the AI assistant drawer
2. Describe your needs - for example "change step.deliver from Telegram to Feishu"
3. The assistant will give you a diff preview and you can accept or reject it.
4. Click "Apply" when satisfied - 10-level undo stack protects you from rolling back at any time

When should you switch to an AI assistant or handwriting?

Next

• Category Details and Representative Templates — Selected representatives from each industry category will tell you what each category can do
• Visual Editor — Which buttons should you click after cloning?
• AI Assistant — Use natural language to modify/generate workflows