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for-builders

Locking Workflow Variables

Decide which workflow variables you pin at publish time and which ones buyers fill in themselves.

Written By Philippe

Last updated 3 days ago

Locking Workflow Variables

If your workflow uses variables, the publish form shows each one and gives you a choice per variable: fill it now or leave it empty.

Importing a workflow to run it yourself does not support buyer-fillable variables. You fill every variable the workflow uses, and Activate turns on once none are left empty — importing a workflow that uses variables is fine, you just fill them all yourself. Use the publish flow instead when a variable has to be filled by each buyer for their own copy.

You…What happens
Fill the valueIt is locked into the workflow. Buyers never see it and can't change it.
Leave it emptyEach buyer fills it when they set up the workflow.

When to Lock a Value

  • Things you control: an endpoint, a model name, a template, a default limit.
  • Values that must be identical for every buyer for the workflow to behave as advertised.

Locked values are hidden from buyers — but don't put secrets in workflow variables. API keys and tokens belong in credentials, which are stored encrypted and have their own flow.

When to Leave It to the Buyer

  • Buyer-specific targets: their channel name, their spreadsheet, their email address.
  • Preferences: tone, language, thresholds they should tune.

Example. A "Daily report to Slack" workflow:

VariableChoiceWhy
report_templateLocked by youSame polished output for everyone
slack_channelBuyer fillsEach buyer posts to their own channel
send_hourBuyer fillsEach buyer picks their timezone-friendly hour

What Buyers See

Buyers only see the empty variables, as a small setup form when they activate your workflow. Give those variables clear names in your workflow — the name is the label they'll see.

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