> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.getmesa.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.getmesa.com/workflow-builder.md). # Workflow Builder The workflow builder lets you create workflows from scratch. To begin your step-by-step journey, select New workflow on the right side of the **My workflows** page.

Screenshot of the MESA My workflows page where you start building a workflow from scratch. Spotlight the New workflow button on the right side. — My workflows page

Clicking this blue button will open the **workflow builder**, where you can design and edit your custom workflow. If you install a [Template](/templates.md), the workflow comes pre-built and the steps populate automatically. Selecting the installed template on the **My workflows** page will open the builder, where you can expand each step and make any necessary changes. ## Adding your trigger The trigger is the first step in your workflow, which describes the event that needs to occur for your workflow to run. When building a new workflow, you'll see a list of apps to choose from. As you can see below, MESA integrates with numerous third-party apps.

Screenshot of the MESA workflow builder adding a trigger, showing the list of third-party apps to choose from for the first step. Spotlight the app selection list.

Once the app is selected, a list of events displays. You can browse the pre-populated list or use the filter field to search for a specific trigger. Here is an example of what displays when the Shopify app is chosen.

Screenshot of the MESA workflow builder after selecting the Shopify app, showing the list of trigger events with a filter field. Spotlight the trigger events list and filter field.

Click [here](/workflow-builder/triggers.md) to learn more about the different types of triggers and some of our commonly used triggers. ## Adding your first action After selecting your trigger, three options will display: **Action**, **Filter**, and **Path**

Screenshot of the MESA workflow builder after selecting a trigger, showing the three next-step options. Spotlight the Action, Filter, and Path options. — Available options after your trigger step

[**Actions**](/workflow-builder/actions.md) will continue the process of displaying apps that you can select an event from. Some common examples of these are adding a Shopify tag or sending an email. [**Filter**](/tools/filter.md) allows you to set criteria that needs to pass in order for the workflow to proceed to the next step. [**Paths**](/tools/paths.md) will split the workflow into multiple paths, where you can set criteria for each segment to run. {% hint style="info" %} After selecting your first action, a pop-up will suggest a pre-built template depending on the trigger and action chosen. If the proposed template is not what you're looking to achieve, feel free to click the X at the top right of the pop-up. {% endhint %} ## Difference between tools & steps

Screenshot of the MESA workflow builder showing what displays when selecting Action, with the list of apps and built-in tools to add as a step. Spotlight the Action app and tool list. — Here's what displays when selecting Action

Our MESA team creates built-in tools in-house. These tools provide flexibility and allow you do more with your workflows. For example, you can use **Loop** to cycle through products in an order, then use **Filter** to see if a specific product was ordered. Steps, on the other hand, are simply any trigger, action, or tool in your workflow. Every time a new block is added to the workflow, that counts as a step. ## Configuring steps When adding an action, especially in the case of third-party apps, you'll sometimes see a sub-menu for **Setup**. Expand this to include any additional details specific to that step. For example, the **Setup** section in the **Form** trigger is where you can edit your form, copy the Form embed code, and copy or view the Form URL.

Screenshot of the MESA Form trigger step expanded to show the Setup sub-menu where you edit the form, copy the embed code, and copy or view the Form URL. Spotlight the Setup section.

## Saving changes Once all of your steps are properly configured and everything looks complete, click **Save changes** at the top right of the page. MESA will autosave new steps as they are added for ease of use. When configuring a step or adding any other details to the workflow, you will see a yellow "Unsaved changes" message appear to the left of the **Save changes** button. This is a good indicator to save your workflow changes before conducting a manual run or exiting the page.

Screenshot of the MESA workflow builder showing the yellow Unsaved changes message next to the Save changes button at the top right. Spotlight the Save changes button.

## Manually run steps & Manually run the entire workflow It is important to manually run your automation setup as a final check before activating your workflow. Manual runs can be done on a step-by-step basis, or you can manually run the entire workflow in one go. You can manually run an individual step by selecting the blue **Run step** button at the bottom of the step. Alternatively, select the blue **Run workflow** button at the bottom of the workflow, or at the bottom of the trigger step, to manually run your completed workflow. For more details and step-by-step instructions on Manual Runs, follow this [link](/workflow-builder/testing.md). ## Enabling your workflow Congrats on completing and successfully running your workflow! The last step is to enable it so that it begins to run in real-time on live data. This can be done simply by toggling the Off button to On, which is located to the right of the Save Changes button.