The Chain Editor is a streamlined alternative to the node graph. Instead of placing nodes on an infinite canvas, you compose an ordered chain of cards — perfect for linear pipelines like “transcribe → summarize → email” or “fetch → parse → index”.
Prefer the node graph? The full Workflow Editor is always one click away. Both editors read and write the same workflow format.
When to Use the Chain Editor
| Use the Chain Editor when… | Use the Workflow Editor when… |
|---|---|
| Pipeline is mostly linear | Pipeline branches or has loops |
| You’re guiding a non-technical user | You need fine-grained connection control |
| You want one output per step | You need multi-output nodes |
| You’re sketching a workflow quickly | You’re building a production agent |
Opening the Chain Editor
Navigate to /chain/:workflowId in the app, or click the Chain layout toggle from a workflow’s context menu. If no workflow is provided, a fresh chain starts.
Anatomy of a Chain
A chain has three elements:
- Cards — each card represents a node (the step’s computation).
- Input mapping — a selector that chooses which output of the previous card becomes this card’s input.
- Output selector — a selector that decides which output is surfaced to the next card.
Adding Steps
Click the Add Node button at the end of the chain. The Node Picker Dialog opens — it’s filtered to show only nodes compatible with the current output type.
Pick a node and it’s inserted at the end. The editor automatically wires a single input from the previous step.
Editing Card Properties
Click any card to expand its properties. You get the same inspector fields as the graph editor — string inputs, model pickers, sliders, asset selectors, and so on.
Changes are saved the moment you commit a value (blur or press Enter).
Reordering and Removing Cards
- Drag a card’s handle to reorder. Connections are re-mapped automatically.
- Delete with the trash icon on a card, or press
Deletewhen a card is focused.
Incompatible connections are highlighted in red and the editor suggests a compatible replacement.
Input / Output Mapping
Each card has:
- Input Mapping Selector — pick which output of the previous card becomes this card’s input. This is useful when a previous step returns multiple values (e.g.,
text,metadata). - Output Selector — if this card has multiple outputs, pick the one that should flow into the next step.
Both selectors show the data type, so you can spot mismatches quickly.
Running a Chain
Press Run at the top of the chain editor. Cards execute in order:
- A card running turns blue.
- A completed card gets a green checkmark and its output snippet appears.
- A failed card turns red and the chain halts.
Streaming output appears inline on the card in real time.
Switching Between Editors
Chains are just a presentation of the underlying workflow graph — you can freely switch:
- From Chain → Graph: click the graph icon in the toolbar. Any non-linear parts (branches, multiple outputs) are preserved.
- From Graph → Chain: the chain view only renders the longest linear path; branches become inline cards.
No data is lost when switching views.
Mobile Chain Editor
The chain layout is the default on the mobile app. See the screenshot and docs under Mobile App → Mobile Graph Editor.
Next Steps
- Workflow Editor — the full graph editor
- Cookbook — linear patterns that work great in the chain editor
- Mobile App — running chains on iOS and Android