Each workflow is built from a sequence of steps. Steps are added inline and configured directly in the editor.
Ask
Ask collects information from the Customer through a back-and-forth conversation. You write a prompt describing what you want to collect, and Gladly will keep asking follow-up questions until all required fields are captured.
Each Ask step has two configuration areas:
Choices lets you present the customer with pre-defined options alongside the prompt. On supported channels like chat, these appear as buttons. On SMS and other text-based channels, they appear as numbered options in the message.
Output Variables defines the fields you want to collect. For each variable, you provide a name, a description (which acts as instructions to the AI), and a data type. Variables marked as Required must be collected before the workflow can continue.
Output variables from an Ask step can be referenced in later steps, for example in an If condition or a Say step, using the $.variableName syntax.
Say
Say sends a message to the customer. When you add a Say step, you choose between two modes:
Static sends the exact text you write, word for word, every time.
With AI uses the instructions you write to generate a response. The message will vary in phrasing but stay true to your instructions. Use this when you want a more natural-sounding message without locking in specific wording.
Say only sends a message. It does not wait for a response. If you want to collect information from the customer, use an Ask step instead.
If
If branches the workflow based on a condition. Steps nested inside an If block only run if the condition is met. You can add multiple If branches to handle different scenarios.
If steps have two condition modes:
Expression evaluates structured data. You select a variable or conversation attribute, choose an operator (such as equals, contains, or is defined), and enter a value. Use this for Channel-based routing, checking the output of a previous step, or matching against Customer Profile data.
With AI judge lets AI evaluate the condition based on the conversation. You write a plain-language instruction, such as "Is the customer upset?" and AI will judge whether the condition is true. Use this for situations that are hard to express as a structured rule.
When you add multiple conditions to a single If step, you can toggle between all of these (all conditions must be true) and any of these (at least one condition must be true).
Use
Use runs an external action. This is how you connect a workflow to the rest of your Gladly configuration: applying topics, querying knowledge sources, checking business hours, or calling an action adapter you've configured in App Platform.
When you add a Use step, you select the action you want to run and map any required input parameters. Outputs from the action are stored as variables and can be referenced in later steps.
Stop
Stop ends the workflow. When the workflow reaches a Stop step, you choose what happens next by selecting one of four actions:
Handoff to Human transfers the conversation to a team member.
Go to Agent/Guide routes the conversation to a specific Gladly Agent or one of its Guides. The Agent's classifier will pick the appropriate Guide if you route to the Agent level rather than a specific Guide.
Close Session closes both the automation session and the customer-facing session. No inbox item is created and no action is required from your team. If you want to say something to the customer before closing, add a Say step before the Stop.
Close with Followup closes the current session and creates a new item in a specified queue so a team member can follow up later. Supported on email and SMS. The follow-up appears in your team's inbox as a new message on that channel.
A workflow that reaches the end of its steps without hitting a Stop will complete and return control to wherever it was triggered from: the Gladly Agent, or the handoff process.
