Human-in-the-loop

Human-in-the-Loop Actions

Human-in-the-loop actions allow you to pause automated workflows and request human input or approval before continuing. These actions ensure that critical decisions remain under human control while maintaining the efficiency of automation.

Overview

Human-in-the-loop functionality bridges the gap between full automation and human oversight. When a workflow reaches a human-in-the-loop action, it creates a task that appears in the assigned user's Request Inbox, sends notifications, and waits for their response before continuing.

Key Benefits

• Quality Control: Ensure critical decisions are reviewed by humans

• Flexibility: Allow dynamic input that can't be predetermined

• Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for human approval

• Risk Management: Prevent automated processes from making costly mistakes

• Contextual Decisions: Leverage human judgment for complex scenarios

Available Human-in-the-Loop Actions

Request Approval

Perfect for approval workflows, decision gates, and validation processes. Users receive a request with custom buttons and can approve, reject, or choose from multiple options.

Learn more about Request Approval →

Request Input

Ideal for collecting additional information, form submissions, and data gathering. Users fill out customizable forms to provide the data needed for the workflow to continue.

Learn more about Request Input →

How It Works

1. Workflow Execution Your workflow runs automatically until it reaches a human-in-the-loop action.

2. Task Creation The action creates a task in the Request Inbox with all relevant context and information.

3. User Notification Assigned users receive email notifications and see the task in their Request Inbox.

4. Human Action Users review the information and take the required action (approval, input, etc.).

5. Workflow Continuation The workflow automatically continues based on the human response.

Assignment Options

All human-in-the-loop actions support flexible assignment:

• Specific User: Assign to an individual team member

• Variable Assignment: Use workflow variables to dynamically assign tasks

• Role-Based Assignment: Assign to user roles (Owners, Builders, Operators)

💡 Best Practice: Use role-based assignment for better scalability and coverage when team members are unavailable.

Managing Human-in-the-Loop Tasks

All tasks created by human-in-the-loop actions are managed through the Request Inbox, which provides:

• Centralized task management

• Email notifications

• Complete audit trail

• Filtering and sorting capabilities

• Real-time status updates

Design Considerations

When implementing human-in-the-loop actions:

Provide Clear Context

• Include relevant information from previous workflow steps

• Write clear titles and descriptions

• Add any necessary background information

Set Appropriate Urgency

• Consider workflow timing when assigning tasks

• Use descriptive titles to indicate priority

• Establish team response time expectations

Plan for Edge Cases

• Consider what happens if tasks aren't completed promptly

• Design alternative paths for different approval outcomes

• Include escalation procedures for urgent requests

⚠️ Important: Human-in-the-loop actions will pause your workflow until completed. Plan your process flow accordingly to avoid bottlenecks.