Declarative Workflows - Overview

Declarative workflows allow you to define workflow logic using YAML configuration files instead of writing programmatic code. This approach makes workflows easier to read, modify, and share across teams.

Overview

With declarative workflows, you describe what your workflow should do rather than how to implement it. The framework handles the underlying execution, converting your YAML definitions into executable workflow graphs.

Key benefits:

Readable format: YAML syntax is easy to understand, even for non-developers
Portable: Workflow definitions can be shared, versioned, and modified without code changes
Rapid iteration: Modify workflow behavior by editing configuration files
Consistent structure: Predefined action types ensure workflows follow best practices

When to Use Declarative vs. Programmatic Workflows

Scenario	Recommended Approach
Standard orchestration patterns	Declarative
Workflows that change frequently	Declarative
Non-developers need to modify workflows	Declarative
Complex custom logic	Programmatic
Maximum flexibility and control	Programmatic
Integration with existing Python code	Programmatic

Note

Documentation for declarative workflows in .NET is coming soon. Please check back for updates.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Python 3.10 - 3.13 (Python 3.14 is not yet supported due to PowerFx compatibility)
The Agent Framework declarative package installed:

pip install agent-framework-declarative --pre

This package pulls in the underlying agent-framework-core automatically.

Basic familiarity with YAML syntax
Understanding of workflow concepts

Basic YAML Structure

A declarative workflow consists of a few key elements:

name: my-workflow
description: A brief description of what this workflow does

inputs:
  parameterName:
    type: string
    description: Description of the parameter

actions:
  - kind: ActionType
    id: unique_action_id
    displayName: Human readable name
    # Action-specific properties

Structure Elements

Element	Required	Description
`name`	Yes	Unique identifier for the workflow
`description`	No	Human-readable description
`inputs`	No	Input parameters the workflow accepts
`actions`	Yes	List of actions to execute

Your First Declarative Workflow

Let's create a simple workflow that greets a user by name.

Step 1: Create the YAML File

Create a file named greeting-workflow.yaml:

name: greeting-workflow
description: A simple workflow that greets the user

inputs:
  name:
    type: string
    description: The name of the person to greet

actions:
  # Set a greeting prefix
  - kind: SetVariable
    id: set_greeting
    displayName: Set greeting prefix
    variable: Local.greeting
    value: Hello

  # Build the full message using an expression
  - kind: SetVariable
    id: build_message
    displayName: Build greeting message
    variable: Local.message
    value: =Concat(Local.greeting, ", ", Workflow.Inputs.name, "!")

  # Send the greeting to the user
  - kind: SendActivity
    id: send_greeting
    displayName: Send greeting to user
    activity:
      text: =Local.message

  # Store the result in outputs
  - kind: SetVariable
    id: set_output
    displayName: Store result in outputs
    variable: Workflow.Outputs.greeting
    value: =Local.message

Step 2: Load and Run the Workflow

Create a Python file to execute the workflow:

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path

from agent_framework.declarative import WorkflowFactory


async def main() -> None:
    """Run the greeting workflow."""
    # Create a workflow factory
    factory = WorkflowFactory()

    # Load the workflow from YAML
    workflow_path = Path(__file__).parent / "greeting-workflow.yaml"
    workflow = factory.create_workflow_from_yaml_path(workflow_path)

    print(f"Loaded workflow: {workflow.name}")
    print("-" * 40)

    # Run with a name input
    result = await workflow.run({"name": "Alice"})
    for output in result.get_outputs():
        print(f"Output: {output}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Expected Output

Loaded workflow: greeting-workflow
----------------------------------------
Output: Hello, Alice!

Core Concepts

Variable Namespaces

Declarative workflows use namespaced variables to organize state:

Namespace	Description	Example
`Local.*`	Variables local to the workflow	`Local.message`
`Workflow.Inputs.*`	Input parameters	`Workflow.Inputs.name`
`Workflow.Outputs.*`	Output values	`Workflow.Outputs.result`
`System.*`	System-provided values	`System.ConversationId`

Expression Language

Values prefixed with = are evaluated as expressions:

# Literal value (no evaluation)
value: Hello

# Expression (evaluated at runtime)
value: =Concat("Hello, ", Workflow.Inputs.name)

Common functions include:

Concat(str1, str2, ...) - Concatenate strings
If(condition, trueValue, falseValue) - Conditional expression
IsBlank(value) - Check if value is empty

Action Types

Declarative workflows support various action types:

Category	Actions
Variable Management	`SetVariable`, `SetMultipleVariables`, `AppendValue`, `ResetVariable`
Control Flow	`If`, `ConditionGroup`, `Foreach`, `RepeatUntil`, `BreakLoop`, `ContinueLoop`, `GotoAction`
Output	`SendActivity`, `EmitEvent`
Agent Invocation	`InvokeAzureAgent`
Human-in-the-Loop	`Question`, `Confirmation`, `RequestExternalInput`, `WaitForInput`
Workflow Control	`EndWorkflow`, `EndConversation`, `CreateConversation`

Actions Reference

Actions are the building blocks of declarative workflows. Each action performs a specific operation, and actions are executed sequentially in the order they appear in the YAML file.

Action Structure

All actions share common properties:

- kind: ActionType      # Required: The type of action
  id: unique_id         # Optional: Unique identifier for referencing
  displayName: Name     # Optional: Human-readable name for logging
  # Action-specific properties...

Variable Management Actions

SetVariable

Sets a variable to a specified value.

- kind: SetVariable
  id: set_greeting
  displayName: Set greeting message
  variable: Local.greeting
  value: Hello World

With an expression:

- kind: SetVariable
  variable: Local.fullName
  value: =Concat(Workflow.Inputs.firstName, " ", Workflow.Inputs.lastName)

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`variable`	Yes	Variable path (e.g., `Local.name`, `Workflow.Outputs.result`)
`value`	Yes	Value to set (literal or expression)

SetMultipleVariables

Sets multiple variables in a single action.

- kind: SetMultipleVariables
  id: initialize_vars
  displayName: Initialize variables
  variables:
    Local.counter: 0
    Local.status: pending
    Local.message: =Concat("Processing order ", Workflow.Inputs.orderId)

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`variables`	Yes	Map of variable paths to values

AppendValue

Appends a value to a list or concatenates to a string.

- kind: AppendValue
  id: add_item
  variable: Local.items
  value: =Workflow.Inputs.newItem

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`variable`	Yes	Variable path to append to
`value`	Yes	Value to append

ResetVariable

Clears a variable's value.

- kind: ResetVariable
  id: clear_counter
  variable: Local.counter

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`variable`	Yes	Variable path to reset

Control Flow Actions

If

Executes actions conditionally based on a condition.

- kind: If
  id: check_age
  displayName: Check user age
  condition: =Workflow.Inputs.age >= 18
  then:
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: "Welcome, adult user!"
  else:
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: "Welcome, young user!"

Nested conditions:

- kind: If
  condition: =Workflow.Inputs.role = "admin"
  then:
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: "Admin access granted"
  else:
    - kind: If
      condition: =Workflow.Inputs.role = "user"
      then:
        - kind: SendActivity
          activity:
            text: "User access granted"
      else:
        - kind: SendActivity
          activity:
            text: "Access denied"

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`condition`	Yes	Expression that evaluates to true/false
`then`	Yes	Actions to execute if condition is true
`else`	No	Actions to execute if condition is false

ConditionGroup

Evaluates multiple conditions like a switch/case statement.

- kind: ConditionGroup
  id: route_by_category
  displayName: Route based on category
  conditions:
    - condition: =Workflow.Inputs.category = "electronics"
      id: electronics_branch
      actions:
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Local.department
          value: Electronics Team
    - condition: =Workflow.Inputs.category = "clothing"
      id: clothing_branch
      actions:
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Local.department
          value: Clothing Team
    - condition: =Workflow.Inputs.category = "food"
      id: food_branch
      actions:
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Local.department
          value: Food Team
  elseActions:
    - kind: SetVariable
      variable: Local.department
      value: General Support

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`conditions`	Yes	List of condition/actions pairs (first match wins)
`elseActions`	No	Actions if no condition matches

Foreach

Iterates over a collection.

- kind: Foreach
  id: process_items
  displayName: Process each item
  source: =Workflow.Inputs.items
  itemName: item
  indexName: index
  actions:
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: =Concat("Processing item ", index, ": ", item)

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`source`	Yes	Expression returning a collection
`itemName`	No	Variable name for current item (default: `item`)
`indexName`	No	Variable name for current index (default: `index`)
`actions`	Yes	Actions to execute for each item

RepeatUntil

Repeats actions until a condition becomes true.

- kind: SetVariable
  variable: Local.counter
  value: 0

- kind: RepeatUntil
  id: count_loop
  displayName: Count to 5
  condition: =Local.counter >= 5
  actions:
    - kind: SetVariable
      variable: Local.counter
      value: =Local.counter + 1
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: =Concat("Counter: ", Local.counter)

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`condition`	Yes	Loop continues until this is true
`actions`	Yes	Actions to repeat

BreakLoop

Exits the current loop immediately.

- kind: Foreach
  source: =Workflow.Inputs.items
  actions:
    - kind: If
      condition: =item = "stop"
      then:
        - kind: BreakLoop
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: =item

ContinueLoop

Skips to the next iteration of the loop.

- kind: Foreach
  source: =Workflow.Inputs.numbers
  actions:
    - kind: If
      condition: =item < 0
      then:
        - kind: ContinueLoop
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: =Concat("Positive number: ", item)

GotoAction

Jumps to a specific action by ID.

- kind: SetVariable
  id: start_label
  variable: Local.attempts
  value: =Local.attempts + 1

- kind: SendActivity
  activity:
    text: =Concat("Attempt ", Local.attempts)

- kind: If
  condition: =And(Local.attempts < 3, Not(Local.success))
  then:
    - kind: GotoAction
      actionId: start_label

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`actionId`	Yes	ID of the action to jump to

Output Actions

SendActivity

Sends a message to the user.

- kind: SendActivity
  id: send_welcome
  displayName: Send welcome message
  activity:
    text: "Welcome to our service!"

With an expression:

- kind: SendActivity
  activity:
    text: =Concat("Hello, ", Workflow.Inputs.name, "! How can I help you today?")

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`activity`	Yes	The activity to send
`activity.text`	Yes	Message text (literal or expression)

EmitEvent

Emits a custom event.

- kind: EmitEvent
  id: emit_status
  displayName: Emit status event
  eventType: order_status_changed
  data:
    orderId: =Workflow.Inputs.orderId
    status: =Local.newStatus

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`eventType`	Yes	Type identifier for the event
`data`	No	Event payload data

Agent Invocation Actions

InvokeAzureAgent

Invokes an Azure AI agent.

Basic invocation:

- kind: InvokeAzureAgent
  id: call_assistant
  displayName: Call assistant agent
  agent:
    name: AssistantAgent
  conversationId: =System.ConversationId

With input and output configuration:

- kind: InvokeAzureAgent
  id: call_analyst
  displayName: Call analyst agent
  agent:
    name: AnalystAgent
  conversationId: =System.ConversationId
  input:
    messages: =Local.userMessage
    arguments:
      topic: =Workflow.Inputs.topic
  output:
    responseObject: Local.AnalystResult
    messages: Local.AnalystMessages
    autoSend: true

With external loop (continues until condition is met):

- kind: InvokeAzureAgent
  id: support_agent
  agent:
    name: SupportAgent
  input:
    externalLoop:
      when: =Not(Local.IsResolved)
  output:
    responseObject: Local.SupportResult

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`agent.name`	Yes	Name of the registered agent
`conversationId`	No	Conversation context identifier
`input.messages`	No	Messages to send to the agent
`input.arguments`	No	Additional arguments for the agent
`input.externalLoop.when`	No	Condition to continue agent loop
`output.responseObject`	No	Path to store agent response
`output.messages`	No	Path to store conversation messages
`output.autoSend`	No	Automatically send response to user

Human-in-the-Loop Actions

Question

Asks the user a question and stores the response.

- kind: Question
  id: ask_name
  displayName: Ask for user name
  question:
    text: "What is your name?"
  variable: Local.userName
  default: "Guest"

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`question.text`	Yes	The question to ask
`variable`	Yes	Path to store the response
`default`	No	Default value if no response

Confirmation

Asks the user for a yes/no confirmation.

- kind: Confirmation
  id: confirm_delete
  displayName: Confirm deletion
  question:
    text: "Are you sure you want to delete this item?"
  variable: Local.confirmed

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`question.text`	Yes	The confirmation question
`variable`	Yes	Path to store boolean result

RequestExternalInput

Requests input from an external system or process.

- kind: RequestExternalInput
  id: request_approval
  displayName: Request manager approval
  prompt:
    text: "Please provide approval for this request."
  variable: Local.approvalResult
  default: "pending"

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`prompt.text`	Yes	Description of required input
`variable`	Yes	Path to store the input
`default`	No	Default value

WaitForInput

Pauses the workflow and waits for external input.

- kind: WaitForInput
  id: wait_for_response
  variable: Local.externalResponse

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`variable`	Yes	Path to store the input when received

Workflow Control Actions

EndWorkflow

Terminates the workflow execution.

- kind: EndWorkflow
  id: finish
  displayName: End workflow

EndConversation

Ends the current conversation.

- kind: EndConversation
  id: end_chat
  displayName: End conversation

CreateConversation

Creates a new conversation context.

- kind: CreateConversation
  id: create_new_conv
  displayName: Create new conversation
  conversationId: Local.NewConversationId

Properties:

Property	Required	Description
`conversationId`	Yes	Path to store the new conversation ID

Actions Quick Reference

Action	Category	Description
`SetVariable`	Variable	Set a single variable
`SetMultipleVariables`	Variable	Set multiple variables
`AppendValue`	Variable	Append to list/string
`ResetVariable`	Variable	Clear a variable
`If`	Control Flow	Conditional branching
`ConditionGroup`	Control Flow	Multi-branch switch
`Foreach`	Control Flow	Iterate over collection
`RepeatUntil`	Control Flow	Loop until condition
`BreakLoop`	Control Flow	Exit current loop
`ContinueLoop`	Control Flow	Skip to next iteration
`GotoAction`	Control Flow	Jump to action by ID
`SendActivity`	Output	Send message to user
`EmitEvent`	Output	Emit custom event
`InvokeAzureAgent`	Agent	Call Azure AI agent
`Question`	Human-in-the-Loop	Ask user a question
`Confirmation`	Human-in-the-Loop	Yes/no confirmation
`RequestExternalInput`	Human-in-the-Loop	Request external input
`WaitForInput`	Human-in-the-Loop	Wait for input
`EndWorkflow`	Workflow Control	Terminate workflow
`EndConversation`	Workflow Control	End conversation
`CreateConversation`	Workflow Control	Create new conversation

Expression Syntax

Declarative workflows use a PowerFx-like expression language to manage state and compute dynamic values. Values prefixed with = are evaluated as expressions at runtime.

Variable Namespace Details

Namespace	Description	Access
`Local.*`	Workflow-local variables	Read/Write
`Workflow.Inputs.*`	Input parameters passed to the workflow	Read-only
`Workflow.Outputs.*`	Values returned from the workflow	Read/Write
`System.*`	System-provided values	Read-only
`Agent.*`	Results from agent invocations	Read-only

System Variables

Variable	Description
`System.ConversationId`	Current conversation identifier
`System.LastMessage`	The most recent message
`System.Timestamp`	Current timestamp

Agent Variables

After invoking an agent, access response data through the output variable:

actions:
  - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
    id: call_assistant
    agent:
      name: MyAgent
    output:
      responseObject: Local.AgentResult

  # Access agent response
  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Local.AgentResult.text

Literal vs. Expression Values

# Literal string (stored as-is)
value: Hello World

# Expression (evaluated at runtime)
value: =Concat("Hello ", Workflow.Inputs.name)

# Literal number
value: 42

# Expression returning a number
value: =Workflow.Inputs.quantity * 2

String Operations

Concat

Concatenate multiple strings:

value: =Concat("Hello, ", Workflow.Inputs.name, "!")
# Result: "Hello, Alice!" (if Workflow.Inputs.name is "Alice")

value: =Concat(Local.firstName, " ", Local.lastName)
# Result: "John Doe" (if firstName is "John" and lastName is "Doe")

IsBlank

Check if a value is empty or undefined:

condition: =IsBlank(Workflow.Inputs.optionalParam)
# Returns true if the parameter is not provided

value: =If(IsBlank(Workflow.Inputs.name), "Guest", Workflow.Inputs.name)
# Returns "Guest" if name is blank, otherwise returns the name

Conditional Expressions

If Function

Return different values based on a condition:

value: =If(Workflow.Inputs.age < 18, "minor", "adult")

value: =If(Local.count > 0, "Items found", "No items")

# Nested conditions
value: =If(Workflow.Inputs.role = "admin", "Full access", If(Workflow.Inputs.role = "user", "Limited access", "No access"))

Comparison Operators

Operator	Description	Example
`=`	Equal to	`=Workflow.Inputs.status = "active"`
`<>`	Not equal to	`=Workflow.Inputs.status <> "deleted"`
`<`	Less than	`=Workflow.Inputs.age < 18`
`>`	Greater than	`=Workflow.Inputs.count > 0`
`<=`	Less than or equal	`=Workflow.Inputs.score <= 100`
`>=`	Greater than or equal	`=Workflow.Inputs.quantity >= 1`

Boolean Functions

# Or - returns true if any condition is true
condition: =Or(Workflow.Inputs.role = "admin", Workflow.Inputs.role = "moderator")

# And - returns true if all conditions are true
condition: =And(Workflow.Inputs.age >= 18, Workflow.Inputs.hasConsent)

# Not - negates a condition
condition: =Not(IsBlank(Workflow.Inputs.email))

Mathematical Operations

# Addition
value: =Workflow.Inputs.price + Workflow.Inputs.tax

# Subtraction
value: =Workflow.Inputs.total - Workflow.Inputs.discount

# Multiplication
value: =Workflow.Inputs.quantity * Workflow.Inputs.unitPrice

# Division
value: =Workflow.Inputs.total / Workflow.Inputs.count

Practical Expression Examples

User Categorization

name: categorize-user
inputs:
  age:
    type: integer
    description: User's age

actions:
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.age
    value: =Workflow.Inputs.age

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.category
    value: =If(Local.age < 13, "child", If(Local.age < 20, "teenager", If(Local.age < 65, "adult", "senior")))

  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Concat("You are categorized as: ", Local.category)

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Workflow.Outputs.category
    value: =Local.category

Conditional Greeting

name: smart-greeting
inputs:
  name:
    type: string
    description: User's name (optional)
  timeOfDay:
    type: string
    description: morning, afternoon, or evening

actions:
  # Set the greeting based on time of day
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.timeGreeting
    value: =If(Workflow.Inputs.timeOfDay = "morning", "Good morning", If(Workflow.Inputs.timeOfDay = "afternoon", "Good afternoon", "Good evening"))

  # Handle optional name
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.userName
    value: =If(IsBlank(Workflow.Inputs.name), "friend", Workflow.Inputs.name)

  # Build the full greeting
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.fullGreeting
    value: =Concat(Local.timeGreeting, ", ", Local.userName, "!")

  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Local.fullGreeting

Input Validation

name: validate-order
inputs:
  quantity:
    type: integer
    description: Number of items to order
  email:
    type: string
    description: Customer email

actions:
  # Check if inputs are valid
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.isValidQuantity
    value: =And(Workflow.Inputs.quantity > 0, Workflow.Inputs.quantity <= 100)

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.hasEmail
    value: =Not(IsBlank(Workflow.Inputs.email))

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.isValid
    value: =And(Local.isValidQuantity, Local.hasEmail)

  - kind: If
    condition: =Local.isValid
    then:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "Order validated successfully!"
    else:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: =If(Not(Local.isValidQuantity), "Invalid quantity (must be 1-100)", "Email is required")

Advanced Patterns

As your workflows grow in complexity, you'll need patterns that handle multi-step processes, agent coordination, and interactive scenarios.

Multi-Agent Orchestration

Sequential Agent Pipeline

Pass work through multiple agents in sequence, where each agent builds on the previous agent's output.

Use case: Content creation pipelines where different specialists handle research, writing, and editing.

name: content-pipeline
description: Sequential agent pipeline for content creation

kind: Workflow
trigger:
  kind: OnConversationStart
  id: content_workflow
  actions:
    # First agent: Research and analyze
    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: invoke_researcher
      displayName: Research phase
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      agent:
        name: ResearcherAgent

    # Second agent: Write draft based on research
    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: invoke_writer
      displayName: Writing phase
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      agent:
        name: WriterAgent

    # Third agent: Edit and polish
    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: invoke_editor
      displayName: Editing phase
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      agent:
        name: EditorAgent

Python setup:

from agent_framework.declarative import WorkflowFactory

# Create factory and register agents
factory = WorkflowFactory()
factory.register_agent("ResearcherAgent", researcher_agent)
factory.register_agent("WriterAgent", writer_agent)
factory.register_agent("EditorAgent", editor_agent)

# Load and run
workflow = factory.create_workflow_from_yaml_path("content-pipeline.yaml")
result = await workflow.run({"topic": "AI in healthcare"})

Conditional Agent Routing

Route requests to different agents based on the input or intermediate results.

Use case: Support systems that route to specialized agents based on issue type.

name: support-router
description: Route to specialized support agents

inputs:
  category:
    type: string
    description: Support category (billing, technical, general)

actions:
  - kind: ConditionGroup
    id: route_request
    displayName: Route to appropriate agent
    conditions:
      - condition: =Workflow.Inputs.category = "billing"
        id: billing_route
        actions:
          - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
            id: billing_agent
            agent:
              name: BillingAgent
            conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      - condition: =Workflow.Inputs.category = "technical"
        id: technical_route
        actions:
          - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
            id: technical_agent
            agent:
              name: TechnicalAgent
            conversationId: =System.ConversationId
    elseActions:
      - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
        id: general_agent
        agent:
          name: GeneralAgent
        conversationId: =System.ConversationId

Agent with External Loop

Continue agent interaction until a condition is met, such as the issue being resolved.

Use case: Support conversations that continue until the user's problem is solved.

name: support-conversation
description: Continue support until resolved

actions:
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.IsResolved
    value: false

  - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
    id: support_agent
    displayName: Support agent with external loop
    agent:
      name: SupportAgent
    conversationId: =System.ConversationId
    input:
      externalLoop:
        when: =Not(Local.IsResolved)
    output:
      responseObject: Local.SupportResult

  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: "Thank you for contacting support. Your issue has been resolved."

Loop Control Patterns

Iterative Agent Conversation

Create back-and-forth conversations between agents with controlled iteration.

Use case: Student-teacher scenarios, debate simulations, or iterative refinement.

name: student-teacher
description: Iterative learning conversation between student and teacher

kind: Workflow
trigger:
  kind: OnConversationStart
  id: learning_session
  actions:
    # Initialize turn counter
    - kind: SetVariable
      id: init_counter
      path: Local.TurnCount
      value: 0

    - kind: SendActivity
      id: start_message
      activity:
        text: =Concat("Starting session for: ", Workflow.Inputs.problem)

    # Student attempts solution (loop entry point)
    - kind: SendActivity
      id: student_label
      activity:
        text: "\n[Student]:"

    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: student_attempt
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      agent:
        name: StudentAgent

    # Teacher reviews
    - kind: SendActivity
      id: teacher_label
      activity:
        text: "\n[Teacher]:"

    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: teacher_review
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      agent:
        name: TeacherAgent
      output:
        messages: Local.TeacherResponse

    # Increment counter
    - kind: SetVariable
      id: increment
      path: Local.TurnCount
      value: =Local.TurnCount + 1

    # Check completion conditions
    - kind: ConditionGroup
      id: check_completion
      conditions:
        # Success: Teacher congratulated student
        - condition: =Not(IsBlank(Find("congratulations", Local.TeacherResponse)))
          id: success_check
          actions:
            - kind: SendActivity
              activity:
                text: "Session complete - student succeeded!"
            - kind: SetVariable
              variable: Workflow.Outputs.result
              value: success
        # Continue: Under turn limit
        - condition: =Local.TurnCount < 4
          id: continue_check
          actions:
            - kind: GotoAction
              actionId: student_label
      elseActions:
        # Timeout: Reached turn limit
        - kind: SendActivity
          activity:
            text: "Session ended - turn limit reached."
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Workflow.Outputs.result
          value: timeout

Counter-Based Loops

Implement traditional counting loops using variables and GotoAction.

name: counter-loop
description: Process items with a counter

actions:
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.counter
    value: 0

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.maxIterations
    value: 5

  # Loop start
  - kind: SetVariable
    id: loop_start
    variable: Local.counter
    value: =Local.counter + 1

  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Concat("Processing iteration ", Local.counter)

  # Your processing logic here
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.result
    value: =Concat("Result from iteration ", Local.counter)

  # Check if should continue
  - kind: If
    condition: =Local.counter < Local.maxIterations
    then:
      - kind: GotoAction
        actionId: loop_start
    else:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "Loop complete!"

Early Exit with BreakLoop

Use BreakLoop to exit iterations early when a condition is met.

name: search-workflow
description: Search through items and stop when found

actions:
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.found
    value: false

  - kind: Foreach
    source: =Workflow.Inputs.items
    itemName: currentItem
    actions:
      # Check if this is the item we're looking for
      - kind: If
        condition: =currentItem.id = Workflow.Inputs.targetId
        then:
          - kind: SetVariable
            variable: Local.found
            value: true
          - kind: SetVariable
            variable: Local.result
            value: =currentItem
          - kind: BreakLoop

      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: =Concat("Checked item: ", currentItem.name)

  - kind: If
    condition: =Local.found
    then:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: =Concat("Found: ", Local.result.name)
    else:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "Item not found"

Human-in-the-Loop Patterns

Interactive Survey

Collect multiple pieces of information from the user.

name: customer-survey
description: Interactive customer feedback survey

actions:
  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: "Welcome to our customer feedback survey!"

  # Collect name
  - kind: Question
    id: ask_name
    question:
      text: "What is your name?"
    variable: Local.userName
    default: "Anonymous"

  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Concat("Nice to meet you, ", Local.userName, "!")

  # Collect rating
  - kind: Question
    id: ask_rating
    question:
      text: "How would you rate our service? (1-5)"
    variable: Local.rating
    default: "3"

  # Respond based on rating
  - kind: If
    condition: =Local.rating >= 4
    then:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "Thank you for the positive feedback!"
    else:
      - kind: Question
        id: ask_improvement
        question:
          text: "What could we improve?"
        variable: Local.feedback

  # Collect additional feedback
  - kind: RequestExternalInput
    id: additional_comments
    prompt:
      text: "Any additional comments? (optional)"
    variable: Local.comments
    default: ""

  # Summary
  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Concat("Thank you, ", Local.userName, "! Your feedback has been recorded.")

  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Workflow.Outputs.survey
    value:
      name: =Local.userName
      rating: =Local.rating
      feedback: =Local.feedback
      comments: =Local.comments

Approval Workflow

Request approval before proceeding with an action.

name: approval-workflow
description: Request approval before processing

inputs:
  requestType:
    type: string
    description: Type of request
  amount:
    type: number
    description: Request amount

actions:
  - kind: SendActivity
    activity:
      text: =Concat("Processing ", inputs.requestType, " request for $", inputs.amount)

  # Check if approval is needed
  - kind: If
    condition: =Workflow.Inputs.amount > 1000
    then:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "This request requires manager approval."

      - kind: Confirmation
        id: get_approval
        question:
          text: =Concat("Do you approve this ", inputs.requestType, " request for $", inputs.amount, "?")
        variable: Local.approved

      - kind: If
        condition: =Local.approved
        then:
          - kind: SendActivity
            activity:
              text: "Request approved. Processing..."
          - kind: SetVariable
            variable: Workflow.Outputs.status
            value: approved
        else:
          - kind: SendActivity
            activity:
              text: "Request denied."
          - kind: SetVariable
            variable: Workflow.Outputs.status
            value: denied
    else:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "Request auto-approved (under threshold)."
      - kind: SetVariable
        variable: Workflow.Outputs.status
        value: auto_approved

Complex Orchestration

Support Ticket Workflow

A comprehensive example combining multiple patterns: agent routing, conditional logic, and conversation management.

name: support-ticket-workflow
description: Complete support ticket handling with escalation

kind: Workflow
trigger:
  kind: OnConversationStart
  id: support_workflow
  actions:
    # Initial self-service agent
    - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
      id: self_service
      displayName: Self-service agent
      agent:
        name: SelfServiceAgent
      conversationId: =System.ConversationId
      input:
        externalLoop:
          when: =Not(Local.ServiceResult.IsResolved)
      output:
        responseObject: Local.ServiceResult

    # Check if resolved by self-service
    - kind: If
      condition: =Local.ServiceResult.IsResolved
      then:
        - kind: SendActivity
          activity:
            text: "Issue resolved through self-service."
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Workflow.Outputs.resolution
          value: self_service
        - kind: EndWorkflow
          id: end_resolved

    # Create support ticket
    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: "Creating support ticket..."

    - kind: SetVariable
      variable: Local.TicketId
      value: =Concat("TKT-", System.ConversationId)

    # Route to appropriate team
    - kind: ConditionGroup
      id: route_ticket
      conditions:
        - condition: =Local.ServiceResult.Category = "technical"
          id: technical_route
          actions:
            - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
              id: technical_support
              agent:
                name: TechnicalSupportAgent
              conversationId: =System.ConversationId
              output:
                responseObject: Local.TechResult
        - condition: =Local.ServiceResult.Category = "billing"
          id: billing_route
          actions:
            - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
              id: billing_support
              agent:
                name: BillingSupportAgent
              conversationId: =System.ConversationId
              output:
                responseObject: Local.BillingResult
      elseActions:
        # Escalate to human
        - kind: SendActivity
          activity:
            text: "Escalating to human support..."
        - kind: SetVariable
          variable: Workflow.Outputs.resolution
          value: escalated

    - kind: SendActivity
      activity:
        text: =Concat("Ticket ", Local.TicketId, " has been processed.")

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names for actions and variables:

# Good
- kind: SetVariable
  id: calculate_total_price
  variable: Local.orderTotal

# Avoid
- kind: SetVariable
  id: sv1
  variable: Local.x

Organizing Large Workflows

Break complex workflows into logical sections with comments:

actions:
  # === INITIALIZATION ===
  - kind: SetVariable
    id: init_status
    variable: Local.status
    value: started

  # === DATA COLLECTION ===
  - kind: Question
    id: collect_name
    # ...

  # === PROCESSING ===
  - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
    id: process_request
    # ...

  # === OUTPUT ===
  - kind: SendActivity
    id: send_result
    # ...

Error Handling

Use conditional checks to handle potential issues:

actions:
  - kind: SetVariable
    variable: Local.hasError
    value: false

  - kind: InvokeAzureAgent
    id: call_agent
    agent:
      name: ProcessingAgent
    output:
      responseObject: Local.AgentResult

  - kind: If
    condition: =IsBlank(Local.AgentResult)
    then:
      - kind: SetVariable
        variable: Local.hasError
        value: true
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: "An error occurred during processing."
    else:
      - kind: SendActivity
        activity:
          text: =Local.AgentResult.message

Testing Strategies

Start simple: Test basic flows before adding complexity
Use default values: Provide sensible defaults for inputs
Add logging: Use SendActivity for debugging during development
Test edge cases: Verify behavior with missing or invalid inputs

# Debug logging example
- kind: SendActivity
  id: debug_log
  activity:
    text: =Concat("[DEBUG] Current state: counter=", Local.counter, ", status=", Local.status)

Next Steps

Python Declarative Workflow Samples - Explore complete working examples

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Last updated on 2026-02-13

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Declarative Workflows - Overview

Overview

When to Use Declarative vs. Programmatic Workflows

Prerequisites

Basic YAML Structure

Structure Elements

Your First Declarative Workflow

Step 1: Create the YAML File

Step 2: Load and Run the Workflow

Expected Output

Core Concepts

Variable Namespaces

Expression Language

Action Types

Actions Reference

Action Structure

Variable Management Actions

SetVariable

SetMultipleVariables

AppendValue

ResetVariable

Control Flow Actions

If

ConditionGroup

Foreach

RepeatUntil

BreakLoop

ContinueLoop

GotoAction

Output Actions

SendActivity

EmitEvent

Agent Invocation Actions

InvokeAzureAgent

Human-in-the-Loop Actions

Question

Confirmation

RequestExternalInput

WaitForInput

Workflow Control Actions

EndWorkflow

EndConversation

CreateConversation

Actions Quick Reference

Expression Syntax

Variable Namespace Details

System Variables

Agent Variables

Literal vs. Expression Values

String Operations

Concat

IsBlank

Conditional Expressions

If Function

Comparison Operators

Boolean Functions

Mathematical Operations

Practical Expression Examples

User Categorization

Conditional Greeting

Input Validation

Advanced Patterns

Multi-Agent Orchestration

Sequential Agent Pipeline

Conditional Agent Routing

Agent with External Loop

Loop Control Patterns

Iterative Agent Conversation

Counter-Based Loops

Early Exit with BreakLoop

Human-in-the-Loop Patterns

Interactive Survey

Approval Workflow

Complex Orchestration

Support Ticket Workflow

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Organizing Large Workflows

Error Handling