Create a Custom Workflow (Xircuits)
Build a visual workflow using Xircuits Studio -- a canvas-based IDE that lets you compose LLM calls, data transforms, and integrations by dragging and connecting nodes. No boilerplate code required.
Prerequisites
- An XpressAI Platform account
- A running project (personal or team)
Steps
1. Open Xircuits Studio
Navigate to your project dashboard or the Xircuits section in the sidebar. Click Start Studio to launch the Xircuits visual IDE. It opens in a new browser tab.
Studio runs as a container in your project's namespace. The first launch takes a moment while the container spins up. Subsequent launches are faster.
2. Get oriented in the canvas
The Xircuits IDE is a canvas-based visual programming environment. The main areas are:
- Canvas -- the central workspace where you build your workflow by placing and connecting nodes.
- Component library -- a panel listing all available pre-built components you can drag onto the canvas.
- Properties panel -- shows configuration options for the currently selected node.
3. Add components to the canvas
Drag components from the library onto the canvas. Components are pre-built nodes that perform specific operations, such as:
- LLM calls -- send prompts to language models and receive responses.
- File operations -- read, write, and transform files.
- Data transforms -- parse JSON, filter lists, format text, and more.
- Integration nodes -- call external APIs and services.
Each component has typed inputs and outputs displayed as ports on the node.
4. Connect nodes with wires
Draw wires between nodes by clicking on an output port and dragging to an input port. The connections define the data flow -- the output of one component feeds into the input of the next.
Wires enforce type compatibility. If a connection isn't allowed, the ports won't link. This catches data-flow errors at design time rather than at runtime.
5. Configure node properties
Click on a node to open its properties panel. Here you can set parameters like prompt templates, file paths, API keys, or any other values the component needs.
6. Compile the workflow
Once your graph is complete, click Compile. This converts the visual graph into an executable workflow file (.xircuits). The compiler validates your connections and flags any issues.
7. Run the workflow
Click Run to execute the workflow as a one-off job. You'll see output and logs in the Studio console as each node executes in sequence.
8. Deploy as a scheduled job (optional)
If your workflow should run on a recurring schedule, you can deploy it as a scheduled job:
- Save your compiled workflow.
- Navigate to Schedules in the platform sidebar.
- Create a new schedule, select your workflow file, and set a cron expression for the recurrence.
The platform handles the rest -- your workflow runs automatically at the specified intervals.
9. Understand workflow types
The platform supports three workflow types:
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AGENT | Long-running conversational service that responds to messages | A customer support agent |
| SERVICE | Long-running background service | A monitoring daemon |
| OTHER | On-demand or scheduled one-off jobs | A nightly data sync |
When deploying, choose the type that matches your workflow's intended behavior.
What you've done
- Launched Xircuits Studio and explored the canvas-based IDE
- Added and connected components to build a visual workflow
- Compiled and ran the workflow
- Learned about deploying workflows as scheduled jobs
- Understood the three workflow types: AGENT, SERVICE, and OTHER
Next steps
Head to Desktop Automation to give your agents access to a cloud desktop for computer-use tasks.