# Setting up a workflow

Use [workflows](/guides/workflows.md) to act on monitor alerts without manually deciding what to do each time. A workflow appears as a button on every alert that matches its filters. Configure it once, and anyone with access can run it from the alert page.

## How workflows work

A workflow has three parts:

* **Scope:** which alerts the workflow applies to. Today, workflows run on monitor alerts. Filters let you narrow scope by connector or by specific monitors; leave a filter empty to match all alerts.
* **Trigger:** when the workflow runs. Manual workflows appear as a button on every alert that matches the workflow's filters. Clicking the button opens a dialog where the user fills in any required inputs before running.
* **Steps:** what the workflow does. Each step runs a plugin. This release supports a single step using the Send Email plugin.

## Required Role

* You need at least the Workflow Editor role.

## How to create a workflow

Follow the steps below to create and configure a workflow in Datalogz.

1. Go to  **Settings → Workflows → Definitions**.
2. Click **Create Workflow** and configure the following:

<figure><img src="/files/gric6GJmWSVik8BAS7aR" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

| Field                            | Description                                                                          |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Name & description**           | What users see on the alert page when the workflow button appears.                   |
| **Trigger**                      | Set to **Manual**. Automatic and Scheduled triggers are visible but not yet enabled. |
| **Connector** (filter)           | Limit the workflow to alerts from a specific connector, or leave blank to match any. |
| **Linked** **Monitors** (filter) | Limit the workflow to specific monitors, or leave blank to match all.                |

3. Create jobs for the workflow:
   1. Click the pencil to edit the job name.
   2. Select a [plugin](#plugins).
   3. Click **+Add Job** to add another job.
   4. Create dependencies between jobs.

<figure><img src="/files/33ww29xpHlCtHjNk2AXx" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

4. Save the workflow to make it live. It will immediately appear on any [alert](/guides/workflows/running-a-workflow-from-an-alert.md) that matches the configured filters.

### Plugins

Plugins are the actions a workflow executes. This release includes one:

#### Send Email

Sends a notification email about the alert. Recipients and message content are not fixed at configuration time. The person running the workflow chooses them when they click the button.

**Inputs at trigger time:**

* **Recipient type:** who receives the email:
  * **User:** a specific user in your account; the email goes to their registered address.
  * **Team:** all members of a team.
  * **Static address:** any email address, useful for external contacts such as on-call aliases or vendor contacts.
* **Comment:** a free-form message included in the email body alongside the alert details.

**What the email contains:**

The email includes the monitor name, asset, and connector associated with the alert, plus the comment. Emails sent to internal recipients (User or Team) also include a direct link back to the alert in Datalogz. Static external addresses receive the email without an app link.


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