Workflow Builder User Guide¶

Overview¶

Workflow Builder lets you create custom, repeatable workflows for common content production tasks — music videos, slide decks, social media campaigns, reports, and more. Build workflows visually with a drag-and-drop canvas, run independent steps in parallel for significant speedups, and track progress in real time.

Quick Start¶

1. Create a Workflow¶

Navigate to: Dashboard → Workflows → Create Workflow

Options: - From Template: Start with a pre-built workflow (music video, slide deck, email campaign, and more) - From Scratch: Build a custom workflow step by step - From Intent: Describe your process in plain language and let the AI assemble a workflow for you

2. Add Steps¶

Use the drag-and-drop canvas to build your workflow.

Step types: - Generate Images – AI image generation - Generate Video – AI video generation - Generate Audio – Music and voiceovers - Generate Text – Copy, scripts, and other written content - Composite Media – Combine images, video, and audio into a single output - API Call – Send HTTP requests to external services - Transform Data – Manipulate JSON or CSV data between steps - Conditional – Branch the workflow based on the result of a previous step - Approval Gate – Pause the workflow for human review before continuing

To add a step: 1. Click + Add Step 2. Select a step type from the library 3. Configure the step (see the Step Configuration section below) 4. Click Add to Workflow

3. Configure Dependencies¶

Dependency types: - Sequential: Step B waits for Step A to finish - Parallel: Steps A and B run at the same time - Conditional: Step C only runs if Step A succeeded

To set a dependency: 1. Click a step card 2. Open the Dependencies tab 3. Use the Depends On dropdown to choose which prior steps must finish first 4. Save your changes

Parallel groups: - Steps assigned the same parallel group number run concurrently - Example: Generate Images (group 1) and Generate Video (group 1) run at the same time - Use different group numbers for steps that should run in order (0, 2, 3, and so on)

4. Execute the Workflow¶

Review your workflow configuration
Click Execute Workflow
Monitor progress in real time

While a workflow runs, you'll see: - An overall progress bar - Per-step status (pending, running, completed, failed) - A visualization of steps running in parallel - A running cost estimate - An estimated time remaining

Workflow Templates¶

Ready-made templates help you get started quickly. Exact run times and costs vary based on your inputs and selected models — check the workflow summary before executing, and see magieva.com/pricing for plan details.

Music Video Generation¶

Analyze the audio file (tempo, beats, mood)
Generate scene descriptions based on the audio analysis
Parallel step: Generate visuals for each scene
Composite the video with transitions and effects
Render the final video synced to audio

Running scene generation in parallel is significantly faster than generating scenes one at a time.

Slide Deck Generation¶

Analyze the presentation topic and key points
Generate an outline (intro, main points, conclusion)
Parallel step: Generate slide content and images for each slide
Apply brand styling (colors, fonts, logos)
Generate PDF and PowerPoint output files

Email Campaign Generation¶

Analyze the target audience and campaign goal
Generate multiple subject line variations
Generate the email body (HTML and plain text)
Generate images for the email (hero image, product shots)
Generate A/B test variations

Analyze the content theme and target platforms
Parallel step: Generate content for each platform (Instagram post and caption, Twitter/X thread, LinkedIn article, Facebook post)
Generate platform-optimized images
Schedule posts through connected social media integrations

Step Configuration¶

Generate Images Step¶

Example configuration:

{
  "prompt": "Professional office workspace, modern design",
  "count": 5,
  "size": "1024x1024",
  "style": "photorealistic",
  "model": "dall-e-3"
}

Output: A list of image URLs

Generate Video Step¶

Example configuration:

{
  "prompt": "Time-lapse of city skyline at sunset",
  "duration_seconds": 30,
  "resolution": "1920x1080",
  "fps": 30,
  "model": "runway-gen3"
}

Output: A video URL

Conditional Step¶

Example configuration:

{
  "condition": "{{step_3.output.success}} == true && {{step_3.output.quality_score}} > 8.0",
  "if_true_step": "deploy_production",
  "if_false_step": "regenerate_content"
}

Supported operators: - Comparison: ==, !=, >, <, >=, <= - Logical: &&, ||, ! - Grouping: (, )

Approval Gate Step¶

Example configuration:

{
  "title": "Review Generated Content",
  "description": "Please review the generated video before deploying to social media",
  "approval_timeout_hours": 24,
  "required_approvers": 1
}

How it works: 1. The workflow pauses at this step 2. Approvers are notified 3. An approver reviews the content and clicks Approve or Reject 4. If approved, the workflow continues 5. If rejected, the workflow stops or branches to a rejection path 6. If the configured review window passes with no response, the workflow is marked as failed

Parallel Execution¶

How It Works¶

Running independent steps in parallel instead of one after another can meaningfully reduce total workflow time without increasing cost — since the same work happens, just concurrently rather than sequentially.

Setting Parallel Groups¶

Method 1: Automatic Optimization 1. Build your workflow with steps in sequence 2. Click Optimize Workflow 3. The system analyzes dependencies and suggests parallel groupings 4. Review the suggestions and apply them

Method 2: Manual Assignment 1. Click a step card 2. Set its Parallel Group number 3. Steps sharing a group number run concurrently 4. Group 0 runs sequentially, one step at a time 5. Group 1 and higher run concurrently with other steps in the same group

Example:

Step 1: Analyze audio (group 0) — runs first
Step 2: Generate scene 1 (group 1) — runs in parallel with steps 3–5
Step 3: Generate scene 2 (group 1)
Step 4: Generate scene 3 (group 1)
Step 5: Generate scene 4 (group 1)
Step 6: Composite video (group 2) — waits for all group 1 steps

Best Practices¶

Good candidates for parallel execution: - Generating multiple images - Generating multiple video scenes - API calls to different, unrelated services - Generating multiple text variations - Independent data transformations

Not suited to parallel execution: - Steps where one depends on another's output - Operations that must happen in a fixed sequence - Multiple steps writing to the same file or resource

Workflow Optimization¶

Cost Optimization¶

Goal: Get the quality you need at the lowest possible cost.

Strategies: 1. Model selection: Use lighter-weight models for simpler tasks where the quality difference is negligible 2. Batch operations: Generate multiple outputs in a single request instead of many separate requests 3. Caching: Identical inputs can reuse a previous result instead of regenerating 4. Early termination: Add a conditional step to stop and regenerate if a quality threshold isn't met

Time Optimization¶

Goal: Get results faster.

Strategies: 1. Maximize parallelization — identify every step that doesn't depend on another and run it concurrently 2. Choose faster models where the quality tradeoff is minimal 3. Reduce retry attempts for non-critical steps 4. Use conditionals to skip steps that aren't needed for a given run

Balanced Optimization¶

Magieva can automatically apply a balanced approach that favors parallelizing costlier operations while keeping low-cost operations sequential, and defaults to mid-tier models that balance quality, cost, and speed.

Monitoring & Debugging¶

Real-Time Monitoring¶

The workflow execution dashboard shows: - Overall progress - Steps currently running - Completed steps, with duration and cost - Failed steps, with error messages - Pending steps waiting on dependencies

Click any step card to view its input parameters, output data, logs, retry history, and cost breakdown.

Debugging Failed Workflows¶

Common failure reasons and what to do:

API rate limit exceeded
Reduce the number of steps running in parallel, or add delay between calls
The system automatically retries with increasing wait times between attempts
Model timeout
Simplify the step (shorter prompt, lower resolution)
The system may automatically switch to a faster model
Invalid output format
Check and correct any conditional expressions or expected output schema
Edit the step configuration and retry
Budget limit reached
Increase your budget limit or wait for it to reset
The workflow stops immediately and does not retry automatically

Retry options: - Automatic: Failed steps retry automatically a limited number of times with increasing delays - Manual: Click Retry Step in the workflow monitor - Skip: Click Skip Step to continue the workflow, marking that step as skipped

Advanced Features¶

Dynamic Workflow Composition¶

Describe your goal in natural language, and the system will assemble a workflow for you — choosing steps, dependencies, and parallel groupings automatically.

Example intent:

"Create a social media campaign for product launch. Generate 10 posts for Instagram, 5 tweets, and 1 LinkedIn article. Use images from our asset library."

The system will typically: - Analyze the product and audience - Generate the Instagram posts in parallel - Generate the tweets in parallel - Generate the LinkedIn article - Generate images for each post in parallel - Package everything together for your review

This removes the need to build the workflow manually and automatically optimizes for parallel execution based on the complexity of your request.

Workflow Versioning¶

Each workflow keeps a version history
Editing a workflow creates a new version
Executions already in progress continue on the version they started with
New executions use the latest version

To roll back: 1. Open the workflow's settings 2. Click Version History 3. Select a previous version 4. Click Restore Version

Workflow Templates (Marketplace)¶

To publish your workflow as a template: 1. Build and test your workflow 2. Click Save as Template 3. Enter a name, description, and category 4. Publish it privately or to the public marketplace, so others can use it as a starting point

Troubleshooting¶

Workflow won't start¶

Check that all required fields are filled in
Check for circular dependencies (Step A depends on Step B, and Step B depends on Step A)
Confirm your remaining budget covers the estimated cost

Parallel steps are running sequentially instead of at the same time¶

Confirm the steps share the same parallel group number
Confirm your parallel execution limit is set higher than 1
Remember: a step with an explicit dependency can't run in parallel with the step it depends on

Workflow is stuck at a checkpoint¶

Check whether the step is an approval gate waiting on a reviewer
Click Resume if the workflow is simply paused
If the review window has expired, restart the workflow

Best Practices¶

Design Phase¶

Start simple — build a small workflow (3–5 steps), test it, then expand
Test with sample/placeholder inputs before running on real data
Sketch out dependencies before building
Review the estimated cost per step before executing

Execution Phase¶

Watch your first few runs closely
Review each step's output for quality
Add an approval gate before any particularly costly step

Optimization Phase¶

Review cost and time per step after several executions
Identify which steps take the longest or cost the most
Apply optimizations — parallelize, switch models, add conditionals
Compare versions by running both and reviewing results

FAQs¶

Q: What's the maximum number of steps that can run in parallel? A: There's a default limit designed to keep executions reliable. Contact support if you need a higher limit for your use case.

Q: Can I schedule workflows to run automatically? A: Yes — workflows support scheduling so they run automatically on a recurring basis.

Q: How do I share workflows with my team? A: Workflows belong to your organization. All team members can view, edit, and execute them.

Q: Can I integrate external APIs? A: Yes — use the API Call step type and configure the endpoint, headers, and authentication.

Q: What happens if I close my browser during execution? A: The workflow keeps running in the background. You can return later to view the results.

Q: Can I export a workflow definition? A: Yes — click Export to download it as a JSON file, which you can import into another organization if needed.

Getting Help¶

Documentation: https://docs.magieva.com
Support: support@magieva.com

Workflow Builder User Guide¶

Overview¶

Quick Start¶

1. Create a Workflow¶

2. Add Steps¶

3. Configure Dependencies¶

4. Execute the Workflow¶

Workflow Templates¶

Music Video Generation¶

Slide Deck Generation¶

Email Campaign Generation¶

Social Media Content Batch¶

Step Configuration¶

Generate Images Step¶

Generate Video Step¶

Conditional Step¶

Approval Gate Step¶

Parallel Execution¶

How It Works¶

Setting Parallel Groups¶

Best Practices¶

Workflow Optimization¶

Cost Optimization¶

Time Optimization¶

Balanced Optimization¶

Monitoring & Debugging¶

Real-Time Monitoring¶

Debugging Failed Workflows¶

Advanced Features¶

Dynamic Workflow Composition¶

Workflow Versioning¶

Workflow Templates (Marketplace)¶

Troubleshooting¶

Workflow won't start¶

Parallel steps are running sequentially instead of at the same time¶

Workflow is stuck at a checkpoint¶

Best Practices¶

Design Phase¶

Execution Phase¶

Optimization Phase¶

FAQs¶

Getting Help¶