Workflow Nodes Explained

Workflow Nodes Explained

Every workflow is built from a small set of node types. Open a workflow in AI Workflows, drag a node onto the canvas, and connect it to other nodes by dragging edges between handles. This article walks through what each node does and when to use it.

Trigger

Every workflow starts at a Trigger node. The trigger decides when the workflow should run, and there are two kinds:

• Conversation trigger. Fires when a customer sends a message that matches the trigger criteria. Use this for support flows that begin with a customer asking something.
• Proactive trigger. Fires from the widget without waiting for a customer message, for example when someone lands on your pricing page or opens the widget for the first time.

A workflow has exactly one trigger, and it is always the entry point.

Ask

The Ask node sends a message to the customer and pauses the workflow until they reply. The reply is captured into a variable with the name you choose, and you can reference that variable in later nodes.

Use Ask when you need a specific piece of information: an order number, an email address, a yes/no choice, or a free-text description of the problem.

Classify

Classify uses the AI model to read the conversation so far and pick one of the labeled branches you have configured. For example, you can classify a message as billing, technical, or sales and send each branch down a different path.

Classify is what makes workflows feel intelligent. Instead of writing rigid keyword rules, you describe the categories in plain language and let the model decide.

Condition

Condition is a deterministic if/else. It reads the value of a variable you captured earlier (from an Ask, Classify, or Action) and routes the workflow down the matching branch.

Reach for Condition when the rule is exact, like "did the API return status = paid" or "did the customer answer yes". Reach for Classify when the rule is fuzzy and needs the model to interpret a message.

Action

Action calls one of your AI Actions, the HTTP integrations you configure under Settings → AI → Actions. The action receives parameters you map from workflow variables, makes the request to your API, and returns a result the workflow can branch on or include in later messages.

This is how workflows talk to the rest of your stack: order systems, CRMs, internal tools, anything with an API.

Wait

Wait pauses the workflow for a fixed duration before continuing. Use it for follow-ups ("check in three days after a purchase") or to space out proactive nudges.

Handoff

Handoff signals that the conversation should leave the bot and go to a human. The customer sees a "Talk to a human" path surface in the widget, and the conversation lands in your inbox so an agent can pick it up.

Helpium never auto-escalates on its own. The Handoff node is the explicit, deliberate way to bring a human in.

End

End terminates the workflow cleanly. You can configure a final message, or just end silently if the previous node already said everything.

How they fit together

A typical workflow looks like:

Trigger → Ask → Classify → Action → Condition → Handoff or End

You do not need every node every time. The simplest useful workflow is Trigger → Ask → Action → End, and the most complex ones nest classifies inside conditions inside more asks. Start small, add nodes as the conversation needs them.

Next: see Building Your First Workflow for a worked example.