Start and schedule workflows

Once you've created a workflow, you can run it manually on demand or schedule it to run automatically at specific times. Both methods use the NerdGraph API to trigger workflow execution.

Choose your trigger method

Select the right approach for your use case:

Before you begin

Before triggering workflows, ensure you have:

• Workflow created: A workflow definition already deployed in your account (from template or custom-built).
• Account ID: Your New Relic account ID (found in Account settings).
• Workflow name: The exact name from your workflow definition.
• Required inputs: Values for any parameters your workflow expects.
• Secrets configured: AWS credentials, Slack tokens, or other secrets stored in secrets manager.

Run workflows on demand

Trigger workflows manually using the StartWorkflowRun API. This executes the workflow immediately with the inputs you provide.

Example: Invoke an AWS Lambda function

The following workflow definition invokes an AWS Lambda function and logs the output. Replace 12345678 with your New Relic account ID.

name: lambda1

  workflowInputs:
    username:
      type: String
      defaultValue: "User"
    key:
      type: String
      defaultValue: "${{ :secrets:12345678:USERNAME_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}"
    access:
      type: String
      defaultValue: "${{ :secrets:12345678:USERNAME_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}"
    token:
      type: String
      defaultValue: "${{ :secrets:12345678:USERNAME_AWS_SESSION_TOKEN }}"
    region:
      type: String
      defaultValue: us-east-1

  steps:
    - name: invoke1
      type: action
      action: aws.lambda.invoke
      version: 1
      inputs:
        awsAccessKeyId: ${{ .workflowInputs.key }}
        awsSecretAccessKey: ${{ .workflowInputs.access }}
        awsSessionToken: ${{ .workflowInputs.token }}
        region: ${{ .workflowInputs.region }}
        functionName: hello-you
        payload:
          user: ${{ .workflowInputs.username }}

    - name: logOutput
      type: action
      action: newrelic.ingest.sendLogs
      version: 1
      inputs:
        logs:
          - message: 'The lambda function message output is:${{ .steps.invoke1.outputs.payload.body }}'

To start this workflow, use the following NerdGraph mutation. Before running this mutation, ensure you've stored your AWS credentials using the secretsManagementCreateSecret mutation. For more information, see Introduction to secrets management.

mutation {
  workflowAutomationStartWorkflowRun(
    # Specify the account where the workflow is defined
    scope: { type: ACCOUNT, id: "12345678" }

    # Reference the workflow definition by name
    definition: { name: "lambda1" }

    # Provide input values for the workflow
    workflowInputs: [
      { key: "key", value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}" }
      {
        key: "access"
        value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}"
      }
      { key: "token", value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_SESSION_TOKEN }}" }
      { key: "region", value: "us-east-2" }
      { key: "username", value: "Julien" }
    ]
  ) {
    runId
  }
}

Parameters explained:

• scope: The account ID where your workflow definition is stored
• definition: The name of the workflow to run (must match the name field in your workflow definition)
• workflowInputs: Key-value pairs that override the default values in the workflowInputs section of your workflow definition

The mutation returns a runId (for example, 7bd25287-2af8-42e1-b783-80f4e760a40b). Use this ID to query the logs and view the output:

Schedule workflows

Schedule workflows to run automatically at specific times using the CreateSchedule API. Scheduled workflows run recurring tasks without manual intervention.

When to schedule workflows:

• Regular health checks
• Periodic data processing
• Daily/weekly reports
• Scheduled maintenance windows
• Recurring backups or cleanups

Cron expression reference

Schedules use cron expressions to define when workflows run. Format: minute hour day month weekday

Example: Schedule a daily health check

The following example schedules the lambda1 workflow to run every day at 9 AM Eastern Time:

mutation {
  workflowAutomationCreateSchedule(
    # Specify the account where the workflow is defined
    scope: { type: ACCOUNT, id: "12345678" }

    # Reference the workflow definition by name
    definition: { name: "lambda1" }

    # Configure the schedule
    schedule: {
      # Cron expression: minute hour day month weekday
      # "0 9 * * *" = every day at 9:00 AM
      cronExpression: "0 9 * * *"
      # Timezone for the schedule
      timezone: "America/New_York"
      # Optional: Schedule name for identification
      name: "daily-lambda-health-check"
      # Optional: Add a description
      description: "Runs Lambda health check every morning at 9 AM"
    }

    # Provide input values for the workflow
    workflowInputs: [
      { key: "key", value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}" }
      {
        key: "access"
        value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}"
      }
      { key: "token", value: "${{ :secrets:testUser123_AWS_SESSION_TOKEN }}" }
      { key: "region", value: "us-east-2" }
      { key: "username", value: "HealthCheckBot" }
    ]
  ) {
    scheduleId
  }
}

What you get back:

• scheduleId: Unique identifier for the schedule (use this to update or delete the schedule later)

Manage schedules

After creating a schedule:

• View active schedules: See all scheduled runs in the workflow dashboard
• Update schedule: Use the UpdateSchedule API to change frequency or inputs
• Delete schedule: Use the DeleteSchedule API to stop recurring runs

For complete API documentation, see Workflow Automation APIs.

Next steps

Your workflows are running! Here's what to do next:

Monitor and manage:

• Manage workflows: View run history, check logs, and troubleshoot issues
• Troubleshoot workflows: Solve common execution problems

Optimize for production:

• Best practices: Error handling, performance, and reliability patterns
• Workflow limits: Understand timeout and constraint limits

Expand your workflows:

• Actions catalog: Explore all available integrations.
• Workflow Automation APIs: Programmatic workflow management