Workflows Basics

Workflows are the heart of Tectra's automation capabilities. They're visual, node-based automations that let you connect different tools, add intelligent decision-making, and create powerful automated processes without any coding required.

Understanding Workflows

Think of workflows as digital recipes that tell Tectra exactly what to do when certain conditions are met. They consist of connected nodes that each perform specific functions:

Types of Nodes

Trigger Nodes

These nodes start your workflow and determine when it runs:

• Mention Triggers: Activated when you use specific commands in Slack, meetings or the tectra UI when speaking to your AI teammate.
• Integration Triggers: Start when something happens in your connected tools (new email, updated ticket, etc.)
• Schedule Triggers: Run at specific times or intervals

Simple Nodes

Basic logic and action nodes that perform straightforward tasks:

• Data Transformation: Format, filter, or modify information

AI Nodes

Intelligent nodes that use artificial intelligence to make decisions and generate content:

• Content Generation: Create emails, summaries, reports
• Decision Making: Analyze data and choose next steps
• Natural Language Processing: Understand and respond to text
• Data Analysis: Extract insights from complex information

Approval Nodes

Approval nodes pause workflow execution until a designated person or group approves the action. They're essential for workflows that require human oversight before proceeding with critical actions.

Common use cases:

• Legal Approval: Require legal team sign-off before sending breach notifications
• Executive Sign-off: Pause for management approval on major decisions
• Compliance Review: Ensure compliance team approves regulated actions
• Budget Authorization: Require approval before resource allocation

Configuration options:

How approval workflows work:

1. Workflow executes normally until it reaches an Approval node
2. Execution pauses with status "Waiting for Approval"
3. Designated approvers receive notifications (in-app, Slack, email)
4. An approver reviews the context and either approves or rejects
5. On approval: Workflow continues to the next node
6. On rejection: Workflow stops with "Rejected" status

Approval notifications:

When an approval is needed, approvers are notified through:

• The Tectra dashboard (Pending Approvals section)
• Slack messages (if Slack integration is enabled)
• The chat thread where the workflow was triggered

Viewing pending approvals:

1. Navigate to Manager → Workflows → Pending Approvals
2. See all approvals waiting for your decision
3. Click on an approval to see full context
4. Review the workflow execution details
5. Click Approve or Reject with optional comments

Getting Started with Workflows

Your Example Workflows

When you completed onboarding, Tectra generated 2-3 example workflows based on your profession. These are excellent starting points that show you:

• How nodes connect together
• Real-world automation examples relevant to your role
• Best practices for workflow design

You can find these examples in your workflows dashboard and use them as templates for your own automations.

Creating Your First Workflow

You have two options when creating a new workflow:

Option 1: Create from Scratch

1. Click "Create Workflow" in your dashboard
2. Choose "From Scratch"
3. Start with a blank canvas
4. Add nodes by dragging them from the toolbar
5. Connect nodes by drawing lines between them
6. Configure each node's settings
7. Test and save your workflow

Option 2: AI-Generated Workflow

1. Click "Create Workflow" in your dashboard
2. Choose "Generate with AI"
3. Write a clear prompt describing what you want the workflow to do
   • Example: "When I receive an urgent email, create a high-priority task in Asana"
4. Tectra's AI will generate the complete workflow for you
5. Review and edit the generated workflow as needed
6. Test and save your workflow

Regenerating Workflows

You can use AI to modify any workflow at any point:

1. Open your existing workflow in the editor
2. Click the "Regenerate with AI" button
3. Describe the changes you want to make
4. AI will update the workflow while preserving your existing work
5. Review the changes and save

This works for both AI-generated workflows and ones you created from scratch.

Setting Up Mention Triggers

For workflows that respond to your commands, you'll need to set up mention triggers:

Command Patterns

1. Add a command pattern that roughly matches how you'll call the workflow
2. Examples of good command patterns:
   • "Add Jira Ticket" matches: "Add a ticket to Jira", "Create a new Jira issue", "Can you add this to Jira as a ticket"
   • "Send Summary" matches: "Send me a summary", "Create a summary report", "Generate summary"
   • "Schedule Meeting" matches: "Schedule a meeting", "Set up a call", "Book time for this"

Pattern Matching

Tectra uses intelligent pattern matching, so your command patterns don't need to be exact. The AI understands:

• Different phrasings of the same request
• Context and intent behind your commands
• Variations in how you naturally speak or type

Activating Your Workflows

Before a workflow can run, you need to activate it:

1. Open your workflow in the editor
2. Look for the "Enable" toggle
3. Turn it on to make the workflow active
4. Once enabled:
   • Mention workflows: Can be triggered from Slack, meetings, or the Tectra UI
   • Integration workflows: Will run automatically based on your triggers
   • Scheduled workflows: Will run at their designated times

Testing Your Workflows

Always test your workflows before relying on them:

Live Testing

1. For mention workflows: Try the command in Slack or the UI
2. For integration workflows: Create a test scenario in your connected tool
3. Monitor the workflow execution in real-time
4. Check that all actions completed successfully

Workflow Best Practices

Start Simple

• Begin with straightforward, single-purpose workflows
• Add complexity gradually as you become more comfortable
• Test each addition before moving to the next step

Use Clear Names

• Give your workflows descriptive names
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Include the trigger and main action (e.g., "New Email → Create Task")

Plan Your Logic

• Map out your workflow before building it
• Consider all possible scenarios and edge cases
• Plan for error handling and exceptions

Monitor and Maintain

• Regularly check that your workflows are running correctly
• Update them when your processes change
• Remove or modify workflows that are no longer needed

Common Workflow Examples

For Sales Teams

• Lead Follow-up: When a new lead comes in, create a task and schedule follow-up
• Deal Updates: When a deal status changes, notify the team and update forecasts
• Meeting Notes: After a sales call, summarize key points and next steps

For Marketing Teams

• Campaign Monitoring: Track campaign performance and alert on significant changes
• Content Approval: Route new content through approval workflows
• Lead Scoring: Automatically score and route new leads based on criteria

For Support Teams

• Ticket Triage: Automatically categorize and route support tickets
• Escalation Management: Escalate urgent issues to the right team members
• Customer Follow-up: Send follow-up surveys after ticket resolution

For Operations Teams

• Task Automation: Convert emails or messages into actionable tasks
• Status Updates: Automatically update project status across tools
• Report Generation: Create and distribute regular status reports

What's Next?

With your workflows created and activated, you're ready to start using Tectra across different platforms:

Getting Help with Workflows

Workflows can be complex, but Tectra is designed to make them accessible:

• Start with the example workflows generated during onboarding
• Use AI generation to create workflows from simple descriptions
• Test frequently to ensure everything works as expected
• Don't hesitate to iterate and improve your workflows over time

Remember: Workflows are meant to save you time and reduce repetitive tasks. If a workflow feels too complex, consider breaking it into smaller, simpler workflows that are easier to manage and debug.