What conditional branches do

A conditional branch evaluates one or more rules during a workflow run and selects the first matching path. Each path can contain its own actions, approvals, notifications, or nested logic.

When to use this feature

Conditional branches are best for decisions with clear, stable rules and distinct outcomes.

How branch evaluation works

NovaFlow resolves the input, evaluates the branches in order, runs the first true branch, and records the decision in the workflow history.

Configure a conditional branch

This example routes purchase requests by amount and applies a different approval path to each spending tier.

1. Add a branch step

In the workflow builder, select Logic → Conditional branch. Choose the purchase amount from the trigger payload as the input field.

2. Add the high-value branch

Create a third branch for amounts above 25,000 and route it to Finance plus the executive approver.

3. Add a fallback

Use the fallback branch for missing, invalid, or unexpected values. Do not silently continue when a required decision input is unavailable.

YAML configuration example

NovaFlow stores feature configuration as structured workflow definitions. The following example mirrors the purchase approval branch created in the visual builder.

name: Purchase approval routing

trigger:
  type: purchase.requested

steps:
  - id: approval_path
    type: conditional
    input: "{{ trigger.amount }}"

    branches:
      - name: standard_approval
        when:
          operator: less_than
          value: 5000
        run:
          - type: approval.request
            approver: team_manager

      - name: finance_review
        when:
          operator: between
          min: 5000
          max: 25000
        run:
          - type: approval.request
            approver: finance_team

      - name: executive_review
        when:
          operator: greater_than
          value: 25000
        run:
          - type: approval.request
            approver: finance_team
          - type: approval.request
            approver: executive_sponsor

    fallback:
      - type: workflow.fail
        message: "Purchase amount is missing or invalid."

JSON payload example

The branch input may come from a trigger, API request, form submission, or previous workflow action.

{
  "event": "purchase.requested",
  "request_id": "pr_8F42A1",
  "amount": 18450,
  "currency": "USD",
  "requester": {
    "user_id": "usr_2841",
    "department": "Marketing"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "cost_center": "MKT-410",
    "vendor_status": "approved"
  }
}

Markdown-style authoring pattern

Feature documentation should explain concepts, behavior, configuration, and consequences—not just list controls. The following pattern is suitable for a production Markdown source file.

Supported operators

Edge cases and limits

• Each conditional step supports up to 20 branches.
• Nested branches are supported up to five levels.
• Regular expressions must complete within the platform execution limit.
• Branch names must be unique within the same conditional step.
• Changing branch order affects future runs but does not modify historical results.

Test and validate branch logic

Test each branch independently, then test ambiguous, missing, and boundary values.

Best practices

1. Name branches by outcome. Use Finance review, not Branch 2.
2. Keep conditions mutually exclusive. Avoid relying on order to resolve ambiguity.
3. Use a fallback. Unknown values should create a visible exception path.
4. Separate business rules from credentials. Branch logic should not contain secrets.
5. Document ownership. Identify who approves rule changes and who handles failures.
6. Test before publishing. Validate every branch and every boundary value.