Back to Workflows FAQs
HELP CENTER · FAQWorkflows2 min read

How should I manage changes to a workflow that is already running?

Treat a workflow definition change as a versioned release and decide how existing runs will finish. Some systems keep an execution on the definition it started with, while others apply changes differently; verify the platform's documented behavior before editing active workflows.

Workflows

Know which version each run uses

Record a definition version or release identifier with every execution so operators can tell which logic produced a result. Review whether edits affect only new runs, waiting steps, retries, or every future transition in an existing run.

If behavior changes midway through a multi-step process, different runs may combine old and new logic. Identify any data contract or external side effect that would make such a mixture unsafe, and choose a migration or drain strategy.

Roll out and recover deliberately

Test the new definition on representative inputs and a controlled run before directing normal traffic. For stateful workflows, plan whether to let old runs finish, cancel and restart them, or migrate their state using a documented mechanism.

Monitor both versions during rollout and define how to stop or revert the change. Keep enough execution history to diagnose which definition handled a failed run and avoid retrying it under a different version without checking side effects.

Back to Workflows FAQs