Workflow Use: Pioneering a New Era of Automation

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, automation tools are becoming indispensable for boosting work efficiency. This article delves into an innovative automation workflow tool—Workflow Use, which is reshaping our understanding of automation with its unique capabilities and forward-looking vision.

The Significance of Automation Workflows

In numerous workplace scenarios, we are often required to repeatedly perform a series of steps, such as filling out forms and data entry. These repetitive tasks, though tedious, are integral to business processes. However, manual execution of these tasks is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also prone to human errors, which can compromise work efficiency and quality.

Automation workflow tools provide an ideal solution to this issue. They can execute tasks automatically in accordance with predefined rules and processes, significantly reducing the need for manual operation. This enhances work efficiency and reduces error rates, enabling us to allocate more time and energy to more creative endeavors.

Getting to Know Workflow Use

Workflow Use is an automation workflow tool based on browser automation. It boasts the following distinctive features:

Deterministic Workflows

The workflows created by Workflow Use are deterministic. This means that as long as the input data is the same, the workflow will always execute the steps in a predetermined manner and yield the same results. This determinism is crucial for business processes that demand a high level of reliability and consistency, such as financial transactions and medical data processing. It ensures the precision of work, allowing us to have clear expectations of the workflow outcomes.

Self-Healing Capabilities

In practical applications, various unexpected situations may arise, such as network fluctuations and changes in web page elements, which can cause workflow execution failures. The self-healing feature of Workflow Use comes into play in such scenarios. When a step fails, it can automatically switch to Browser Use and leverage its robust automation capabilities to attempt to resolve the issue. This self-healing mechanism greatly enhances the stability and reliability of workflows, minimizing the need for manual intervention.

Variable Substitution

Workflow Use supports the use of variables in workflows. We can define variables within a workflow and replace their values as needed during execution. This makes workflows more flexible and adaptable to different input data and scenarios.

User-Friendly Recording Function

Creating automation workflows does not require complex programming knowledge. Workflow Use offers an intuitive recording feature. Users simply need to demonstrate the desired operations in a browser, and the tool will automatically record and generate the corresponding workflow. This feature lowers the usage barrier, enabling non-technical users to easily create and customize their own automation workflows.

Quick Start Guide

Cloning the Project Repository

First, we need to clone the Workflow Use project repository from GitHub. Open the terminal and enter the following command:

git clone https://github.com/browser-use/workflow-use

Building the Extension

Navigate to the extension directory, install the dependencies, and build the extension:

cd extension && npm install && npm run build

Setting Up the Workflow Environment

After building the extension, return to the project root directory, enter the workflows directory, and perform the following configuration:

cd ..
cd workflows
uv sync
source .venv/bin/activate # For Mac or Linux systems
playwright install chromium
cp .env.example .env # Add your OPENAI_API_KEY to the .env file

Running the Workflow in Tool Mode

Use the following command to run the workflow in tool mode:

python cli.py run-as-tool examples/example.workflow.json --prompt "fill the form with example data"

Running the Workflow with Predefined Variables

To run the workflow with predefined variables, use the following command:

python cli.py run-workflow examples/example.workflow.json

Recording Your Own Workflow

Creating a custom workflow is straightforward. Simply run the following command:

python cli.py create-workflow

Viewing All Commands

To see all commands provided by Workflow Use and their usage, run:

python cli.py --help

Using Workflow Use from Python

Using workflow files in Python projects is simple. Here is an example code snippet:

from workflow_use import Workflow

workflow = Workflow.load_from_file("example.workflow.json")
result = asyncio.run(workflow.run_as_tool("I want to search for 'workflow use'"))

Demos and Practical Applications

Workflow Use Instant Form Filling

Workflow Use can automatically fill out forms in an instant. This feature is highly practical in scenarios requiring extensive data input, such as online surveys and registration processes. By automating form filling, we can save time and avoid errors caused by manual input.

Gregor’s Explanation Video

Gregor’s explanation video offers a more intuitive demonstration of Workflow Use. By watching the video, we can gain a deeper understanding of the tool’s workings and operation methods, enabling us to better apply it to real-world situations.

In-Depth Look at Features

Record Once, Reuse Forever

One of the key advantages of Workflow Use is its “record once, reuse forever” capability. Users need only record browser interactions once to replay the workflow indefinitely. This feature is particularly beneficial for scenarios requiring frequent execution of the same operations, such as data collection and test case execution, significantly improving work efficiency.

Show, Don’t Prompt

Unlike traditional automation tools, Workflow Use does not require users to spend hours crafting complex prompts or scripts to guide the tool’s actions. Users simply need to demonstrate the process, and the tool will automatically understand and generate the corresponding workflow. This “show, don’t prompt” approach makes workflow creation more intuitive and efficient.

Structured and Executable Workflows

Workflow Use transforms recorded operations into structured, fast, and reliable workflows. These workflows can automatically extract variables from forms, enabling dynamic data processing. Such structured workflows are not only easy to understand and maintain but also ensure work accuracy and consistency.

Human-Like Interaction Understanding

Workflow Use is capable of intelligently filtering out noise from recordings to create meaningful workflows. It can comprehend human interaction methods, identify key operational steps, and convert them into executable workflow instructions. This human-like interaction understanding allows workflows to better align with actual business needs.

Enterprise-Ready Foundation

Workflow Use provides a robust foundation for enterprise-level applications. Its self-healing capabilities and workflow difference detection ensure that workflows can automatically adapt to and update in the face of changes. These enterprise-grade features enable the tool to meet the demands of large-scale, complex business scenarios, offering a reliable solution for automated business processes.

Vision and Roadmap

The vision of Workflow Use is to enable computers to perform tasks repeatedly without human intervention once they have been demonstrated once. This vision has the potential to significantly advance automation technology and bring substantial efficiency improvements to businesses and individuals across various industries.

Workflow Enhancements

Future workflow-related work includes:

  • Finding more convenient ways to use .json files within Python code.
  • Improving the fallback capability of large language models (LLMs) when a step fails.
  • Implementing self-healing capabilities, where an agent automatically kicks in to update the workflow file upon failure.
  • Providing better support for LLM steps.
  • Enabling the use of outputs from previous steps as inputs for subsequent steps.
  • Exposing workflows as MCP tools.
  • Using Browser Use to automatically generate workflows from websites.

Developer Experience Optimization

To enhance the developer experience, the following improvements are planned:

  • Enhancing the command-line interface (CLI).
  • Upgrading the extension’s functionality and user experience.
  • Developing a step editor to allow users to conveniently edit individual workflow steps.

Agent Functionality Expansion

Future work on agent functionality includes:

  • Enabling Browser Use to utilize workflows as MCP tools.
  • Implementing workflows as a website caching layer to improve website访问speed and user experience.

Conclusion and Outlook

Workflow Use stands out among numerous automation tools with its deterministic workflows, self-healing capabilities, variable substitution features, and user-friendly recording functionality. As an innovative automation workflow tool, it not only provides users with efficient and reliable workflow solutions but also continuously refines its features and enhances user experience to move closer to its vision of “demonstrate once, execute forever.”

With the ongoing evolution of technology, Workflow Use is expected to play an increasingly important role in the automation field. It holds the promise of delivering greater convenience and efficiency improvements to businesses and individuals across various sectors. For those seeking to simplify repetitive tasks and boost work efficiency, Workflow Use is undoubtedly an excellent tool worthy of exploration and experimentation.