Flows
Older links to /flows now map to Automations, even though the API and backend still use the legacy flow terminology in a few places.
The legacy /flows route now redirects to /automations.
Use Automations for the current workflow builder.
The naming changed, the runtime mostly did not
The original flow builder grew into a broader automation surface, so the UI and docs now use Automations as the product term.
But the implementation still uses flow in several places.
That is why users can still run into both names at once.
Legacy term vs current meaning
| Legacy term | What it means now | Where you may still see it |
|---|---|---|
| flow | automation | /api/flows, internal types, some run metadata, and backend tables |
| flow version | published automation snapshot | publish lifecycle, stored versions, routing against published_version_id |
| flow run | automation run | run details and observability-backed execution records |
If you are reading logs, API routes, or internal references, mentally translate
flow to automation.
What moved with it
Everything that used to belong to the flow-builder path now lives in the Automations surface, including:
- GitHub event entrypoints
- agent steps
- condition nodes
- parallel split and join nodes
- delay nodes
- notes and workflow description on the canvas
- draft editing, publish, and activation flow
- recent automation runs
- assistant-guided workflow suggestions
Why the old term still matters
Even though the route changed, the older term is still operationally relevant.
You may still see it when you:
- call or inspect
/api/flows - debug publish behavior that creates a new flow version
- read implementation details that talk about
flowsandflow_versions - inspect webhook routing or run records that still key off a
flow_id
So the product language is newer than the storage and API language.
That is not a contradiction. It is just the current state of the system.
Current mental model
Use Automations when one GitHub event should fan into a multi-step workflow with branching or staged execution.
Use Triggers when you only need a direct event-to-agent wakeup without the automation canvas.
How to read older references
If you find an older link, API example, or implementation note that still says
flow, read it like this:
flowmeans the automation itselfflow versionmeans the published snapshot webhook routing usesflow runmeans one execution of that automation
That translation is usually enough to make old and new references line up.
Getting the current docs
For live behavior, use:
This page stays in place so older bookmarks and links still land on the current documentation path.