Workflow statuses describe different parts of a workflow:
- Workflow statuses describe the workflow definition.
- Workflow run statuses describe an individual execution of a workflow.
- Action statuses describe the state of an individual action within a workflow run.
- Employee-facing statuses are the labels employees see while interacting with a workflow.
Workflow statuses
Workflow statuses describe the workflow definition.
| Status | Description |
| Draft | The workflow can be edited and isn't accepting new workflow runs. |
| Live | The published version is active and accepts new workflow runs. |
| Archived | The workflow has been retired. Existing run history is preserved. |
| Imported | The workflow was installed from the template catalog. |
| Imported — publish to activate | The imported workflow is available but hasn't been published in this tenant. |
| Preview | A read-only view of a previous workflow version. If the previewed version is currently live, the status may display as Live. |
Lifecycle actions
The actions available depend on the current workflow status.
| Current status | Run history | Available actions |
| Draft | No | Delete, Publish |
| Draft | Yes | Archive, Publish |
| Live | Yes | Unpublish, Archive, Publish new version |
| Archived | Yes | Reactivate to draft |
Lifecycle action definitions
| Action | Result |
| Publish | Creates or updates the live version of the workflow. |
| Unpublish | Stops new workflow runs from starting. Existing workflow runs continue. |
| Archive | Retires the workflow while preserving its run history. |
| Delete | Permanently removes a workflow that has never been run. |
| Reactivate to draft | Returns an archived workflow to Draft so it can be edited and published again. |
Workflow run statuses
Workflow run statuses describe the current state of an individual workflow execution.
| Status | Description |
| In Progress | The workflow is actively executing actions. |
| Waiting on user | The workflow is waiting for an employee to respond before it can continue. |
| Waiting | The workflow is paused until a configured date, time, or external event resumes execution. |
| Completed | The workflow finished successfully. |
| Failed | The workflow stopped because an error prevented it from continuing. |
| Canceled | The workflow was canceled before completion. |
| Timed out | The workflow exceeded the allowed wait period and didn't resume. |
Note: Waiting represents all wait types, including duration, date, and event waits.
Action statuses
Action statuses describe the outcome of an individual action within a workflow run.
| Status | Description |
| In Progress | The action is currently executing. |
| Completed | The action finished successfully. |
| Failed | The action encountered an error and couldn't complete. |
| Canceled | The workflow stopped before or during execution of the action. |
| Not executed | The action didn't run, such as when another branch was taken or the workflow ended before reaching it. |
Employee-facing statuses
Employees see simplified status labels during workflow conversations.
| Workflow run status | Employee label |
| In Progress | Running |
| Waiting on user | Waiting on you |
| Waiting | Paused |
| Completed | Completed |
| Failed | Failed |
| Canceled | Canceled |
| Timed out | Timed out |
When employees see Paused, the workflow is waiting for a timer, date, or external event before it can continue.
Employees can cancel a workflow while its status is Waiting on you, if cancellation is enabled for the workflow.