What it is

Workflow SDK is a TypeScript and JavaScript library that makes application functions durable. It lives in the TypeScript/JavaScript ecosystem and targets server-side frameworks such as Next.js. The project is intended for apps and AI agents that need to continue work across failures, waits, and restarts.

It solves the problem of keeping long-running or retry-prone operations reliable when ordinary function calls can fail, pause, or lose state. Workflow SDK persists workflow progress, retries failed steps, and provides built-in observability. Workflows can also suspend without using compute while they wait.

Key capabilities

• The SDK provides durable execution by persisting workflow progress so workflows can resume after failures or restarts.
• The workflow engine can retry failed steps instead of requiring hand-written retry loops.
• Workflows can suspend without using compute while they wait.
• Developers can start the bundled local backend and open the observability UI with npx workflow web.
• The SDK can be configured for a framework such as Next.js with withWorkflow from workflow/next.
• Workflows can be started from an API route, Server Action, or other server-side code using start from workflow/api.
• Local development uses a bundled backend, deployment can use Vercel, and self-hosting can use Postgres or a custom World.

Who uses it and how

• TypeScript and JavaScript developers add durable workflow behavior to existing server-side applications.
• Teams build apps and AI agents that need reliable step execution, retries, and observability.
• Developers use the local bundled backend during development and inspect workflow state through the observability UI.
• Projects deploy to Vercel for managed storage, queuing, scaling, and observability.
• Self-hosters use Postgres or implement a custom World, and they can discover maintainer-curated third-party Worlds through the Worlds page.

Getting started

Install the package with npm install workflow, configure the framework integration, and start workflows from server-side code. Run locally with npm run dev, open the observability UI with npx workflow web, and deploy to Vercel or self-host with Postgres or a custom World.

When to use it — and when not to

Use Workflow SDK when your application is written in TypeScript or JavaScript and you need durable, observable workflows inside a server-side framework or Vercel deployment. Do not choose it if you need a non-TypeScript runtime, if you do not want to operate a Postgres backend or custom World outside Vercel, or if your workflow needs are simple enough for ordinary function calls and manual retries. The README does not list paid products it replaces, so it should be evaluated as a durable-execution layer rather than as a replacement for a named paid workflow product.

npm install workflow

// next.config.ts
import { withWorkflow } from 'workflow/next';

export default withWorkflow({});

import { start } from 'workflow/api';
import { onboardUser } from './workflows/onboard-user';

await start(onboardUser, ['[email protected]']);

npm run dev

npx workflow web