> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://flapjax.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://flapjax.gitbook.io/docs/automations/sequences-vs-workflows.md).

# Sequences vs. workflows: which to use

*Article · Collection: Automations*

Flapjax gives you two kinds of automation. They share one visual builder and one library of actions. They think about the world differently. This article helps you pick.

## The one-sentence difference

A **sequence** moves one person through a journey.

A **workflow** starts a run that does work, often over many records or people at once.

## Sequences: person journeys

You **enrol** a person into a sequence and they travel through its steps. Everything happens in the context of that person. Update their attributes, add a label, wait a few days, send them an email, branch on something about them.

Pick a sequence when the unit of work is a person and the journey unfolds over time:

* Welcome and onboarding journeys.
* Lifecycle nudges: win-back, re-engagement, birthday.
* Anything with **delays** and **waits**, such as "wait 3 days, then send Y to anyone who has not done X".

Sequence triggers come in four kinds: manual, a rule on a person, record, label or communication event, a specific date, or a recurring schedule. You also control **re-entry**, meaning whether one person can travel through more than once.

## Workflows: bulk and scheduled work

A workflow firing creates a **run** with no single person attached. Workflows shine at finding and processing sets of things:

* Find records matching a condition, **loop** over them, act on each one.
* Enrol a whole group of people into a sequence.
* Run a scheduled batch job.

Pick a workflow when the unit of work is a set of records, or when you orchestrate in bulk. One common pattern: the workflow finds the records, loops over them, and enrols each related person into a sequence. The sequence then runs the per-person journey.

Workflow triggers come in two kinds: a rule, or a recurring schedule.

## Key differences at a glance

|                  | Sequence                                    | Workflow                                   |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Unit of work     | One person                                  | A run, often many items                    |
| Person context   | Yes                                         | No                                         |
| Triggers         | Manual, Rule, Specific date/time, Recurring | Rule, Recurring                            |
| Re-entry control | Yes                                         | No                                         |
| Typical use      | Journeys, nudges, delays                    | Bulk processing, scheduled jobs, enrolment |

## How they work together

The two complement each other by design. Workflows select and orchestrate. Sequences run per-person journeys over time.

Do you want delays and per-person branching inside a bulk job? That is your signal to have the workflow enrol people into a sequence and hand over.

## Building either one

Both use the same canvas. Drag actions onto the flow, configure each step, connect the branches. Three things to know:

* Automations have no separate draft-then-publish step. Your edits save as you make them, and an automation runs only after you activate it.
* An **active (live)** automation locks its steps from editing, which keeps runs consistent. Switch it off to make changes.
* A step that is not fully configured puts the automation in a "setup incomplete" state. It will not activate until you fix that step.

## Quick recap

Reach for a **sequence** to guide one person through a journey with delays and branches. Reach for a **workflow** to find and process many records, run on a schedule, or enrol groups. The best designs often use both: a workflow to select and orchestrate, sequences to run the journeys.