Workflow SDK skill

Q: How do I install the Workflow SDK skills?

Copy the folders you need from the repository skills/ directory into the agent skills directory. The package itself installs with npm install workflow, listed in the README quick start.

Q: How does workflow-init differ from workflow?

workflow-init is for when the workflow package is not yet in the project: it detects the framework and follows the setup guide. Once the SDK is installed, use workflow, which reads the documentation for the installed version.

Q: How do I port a process from Temporal to Workflow SDK?

The migrating-to-workflow-sdk skill identifies the source system, the target environment and elements such as waits and retries. It then puts orchestration into "use workflow" functions and side effects into "use step" functions.

Q: How do I open the process observability UI?

Start the app with npm run dev and in another terminal run npx workflow web. Locally the backend works with no configuration.

Five Vercel skills for the Workflow SDK: setup, writing durable workflows and moving between versions.

2,506 ★ on the repository
Last commit Nov 12, 2026
Apache-2.0

Skill

vercel/workflowAuthor:Vercel

Install

Works in: Claude Code
Cursor
Codex
Koda
Coddy

Manual install

npm install workflow

Installs the SDK itself with the documentation that the `workflow` skill reads.

Access and checks

How we review

Extended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.

The `workflow-init` skill installs packages and edits framework configuration, and the migration skills rewrite process code.

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

Workflow SDK makes TypeScript functions durable: it saves progress, retries failing steps and lets a process wait without using compute. The `skills/` folder of the repository teaches an agent to work with this package. `workflow-init` installs and configures the SDK for the project framework, from Next.js to Nuxt, Astro and SvelteKit. The `workflow` skill tells the agent to look answers up in the documentation that ships in `node_modules/workflow/docs` and carries a reference for the `"use workflow"` and `"use step"` directives. `migrating-to-workflow-sdk` ports processes from Temporal, Inngest, Trigger.dev and AWS Step Functions. Two v4 to v5 skills upgrade applications and custom World implementations to the new specification.

Who it is for. TypeScript teams with background jobs that must not be lost on failure, and those moving to Workflow SDK from Temporal or Inngest.

Good fit when

A Next.js or Hono project does not yet have Workflow SDK and it must be installed with the right setup.
A process has to survive a server restart, wait for a webhook or an approval and then carry on.
A Temporal or Inngest pipeline is being rewritten onto Workflow SDK and the agent needs porting rules.
The `workflow` dependency is moving from version 4 to 5 and old calls have disappeared.

Not a fit when

One short background function with no retries or waiting is needed: a queue or an ordinary call is enough.
Orchestration already runs on Temporal and no migration is planned.
The project is not written in TypeScript or JavaScript, while the SDK and skills target those languages.

Example request

Add Workflow SDK to this Next.js project and write an onboarding process that waits for email confirmation.

Limitations

The skills work together with the `workflow` package: the `workflow` skill points to documentation under `node_modules`, so `workflow-init` takes its place before the SDK is installed. The README has no install command for the skills themselves, so they are taken from the `skills/` folder by hand. The folder also holds the internal `internal-dev-workbench` skill for developers of the SDK itself, which an ordinary project does not need. Managed hosting, queues and observability need Vercel; self-hosting needs the Postgres backend or a custom World implementation.

How to disable. Delete the copied skill folders from the agent skills directory. The `workflow` package and framework settings stay in the project and are removed separately.

FAQ

How do I install the Workflow SDK skills?

Copy the folders you need from the repository `skills/` directory into the agent skills directory. The package itself installs with `npm install workflow`, listed in the README quick start.

How does workflow-init differ from workflow?

`workflow-init` is for when the `workflow` package is not yet in the project: it detects the framework and follows the setup guide. Once the SDK is installed, use `workflow`, which reads the documentation for the installed version.

How do I port a process from Temporal to Workflow SDK?

The `migrating-to-workflow-sdk` skill identifies the source system, the target environment and elements such as waits and retries. It then puts orchestration into `"use workflow"` functions and side effects into `"use step"` functions.

How do I open the process observability UI?

Start the app with `npm run dev` and in another terminal run `npx workflow web`. Locally the backend works with no configuration.

Where does Workflow SDK run?

Locally on the bundled backend, on Vercel with managed storage and queues, and on your own server with Postgres. A list of third-party World implementations is on the Worlds page of the project site.

Discussion

No questions or reviews yet.

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Comparison with similar tools

Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.

Tool	Official	Repository stars	Main difference
Workflow SDK (this card)	no	2,506
Vercel Plugin	no	334	the general Vercel plugin with Next.js, AI SDK and deployment skills; here skills only for durable workflows
Vercel AI SDK	yes	27,894	a skill about chat, streaming and agents on the AI SDK; Workflow SDK handles surviving failures and waiting

README in short

The README opens with a quick start: `npm install workflow`, framework integration and starting a process through `start()`. It then covers deployment options, community notes and how to report vulnerabilities.

README badge

Original SKILL.md

---
name: workflow
description: Creates durable, resumable workflows using Vercel's Workflow SDK. Use when building workflows that need to survive restarts, pause for external events, retry on failure, or coordinate multi-step operations over time. Triggers on mentions of "workflow", "durable functions", "resumable", "workflow sdk", "queue", "event", "push", "subscribe", or step-based orchestration.
metadata:
  author: Vercel Inc.
  version: '1.18'
---

## *Critical*: Always use correct `workflow` documentation

Your knowledge of `workflow` is outdated.

The `workflow` documentation outlined below matches the installed version of the Workflow SDK.
Follow these instructions before starting on any `workflow`-related tasks:

Search the bundled documentation in `node_modules/workflow/docs/`:

1. **Find docs**: `glob "node_modules/workflow/docs/**/*.mdx"`
2. **Search content**: `grep "your query" node_modules/workflow/docs/`

Documentation structure in `node_modules/workflow/docs/`:

- `getting-started/` - Framework setup (next.mdx, express.mdx, hono.mdx, etc.)
- `foundations/` - Core concepts (workflows-and-steps.mdx, hooks.mdx, streaming.mdx, etc.)
- `api-reference/workflow/` - API docs (sleep.mdx, create-hook.mdx, fatal-error.mdx, etc.)
- `api-reference/workflow-api/` - Client API (start.mdx, get-run.mdx, resume-hook.mdx, etc.)
- `api-reference/workflow-runtime/` - Runtime API (get-world.mdx) and `world/` World SDK (storage.mdx, streams.mdx, queue.mdx)
- `api-reference/workflow-observability/` - Hydration and name parsing utilities (hydrate-resource-io.mdx, parse-workflow-name.mdx, etc.)
- `ai/`: AI SDK integration docs
- `errors/` - Error code documentation
- `worlds/` - Per-World behavior and limits (vercel.mdx, local.mdx, postgres.mdx). Other pages link these as `/worlds/<name>`.

Related packages also include bundled docs:

- `@ai-sdk/workflow`: `node_modules/ai/docs/` - WorkflowAgent and AI SDK integration
- `@workflow/ai`: `node_modules/@workflow/ai/docs/` - deprecated DurableAgent APIs for existing applications
- `@workflow/core`: `node_modules/@workflow/core/docs/` - Core runtime (foundations, how-it-works)
- `@workflow/next`: `node_modules/@workflow/next/docs/` - Next.js integration

**When in doubt, update to the latest version of the Workflow SDK.**

### Official resources

- **Website**: https://workflow-sdk.dev
- **GitHub**: https://github.com/vercel/workflow

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