What Are Database Workflows?
A database workflow is a sequence of actions triggered by a data condition. For example: when a new row appears in the orders table with total > 10000, send a Slack message to the sales channel and create a task in your project management tool.
Workflows bridge the gap between your database and the rest of your tool stack, turning passive data into proactive operations.
Trigger Types
AI for Database supports three trigger types:
- Polling triggers check a query on a schedule (e.g., every 5 minutes). - Change-data-capture triggers use database replication streams to react in near-real-time. - Threshold triggers fire when an aggregated metric crosses a boundary (e.g., error rate exceeds 5%).
Building Your First Workflow
Navigate to the Workflows tab and click "New Workflow." Define your trigger by typing a natural language condition: "When a support ticket is created with priority = critical." Then add actions: send an email, post to Slack, or call a webhook.
The system shows you a preview of matching rows so you can verify the trigger before activating it.
Multi-Step Workflows
For complex processes, chain multiple actions with conditional logic. For instance: when inventory drops below the reorder point, check if a purchase order already exists. If not, create one via your ERP API and notify the procurement team.
Monitoring and Debugging
Every workflow execution is logged with timestamps, input data, and action results. If an action fails, the system retries with exponential backoff and sends a failure alert. You can replay failed executions after fixing the underlying issue.