A workflow can be in three different states: Draft, Active, and Inactive. Each one defines which stage of the lifecycle the workflow is in, what actions can be performed on it, and whether it is available to run.

• The Draft state means the workflow hasn't been published yet. At this stage, the workflow is in design mode and any changes made won't affect production.

  • Every new workflow starts in Draft state.
  • You can save your progress and come back to it later without losing any changes.
  • The workflow won't run in production even if it's linked to a service.
  • It can't be activated or deactivated until it's published.
  • Once published, the workflow can never go back to Draft state.

  To publish the workflow, it must meet the necessary requirements. See How do I publish, activate, and deactivate a workflow?

• The Active state means the workflow has been published and is ready to run. Every time the defined trigger is met, the workflow will automatically start.

  • New runs always use the most recent version of the workflow.
  • Runs that are already in progress when an update is made will continue with the previous version and won't be affected.
  • You can edit the workflow, but changes only apply when you click "Update". You can't save partially and come back later.
  • If you leave the Workflow Builder without updating, any changes you made will be lost.

• The Inactive state means the workflow has been published but is temporarily disabled. Even if the workflow is set up correctly, it won't run while it's in this state.

  • This is useful for pausing an automation for maintenance, review, or organizational changes without losing the workflow's configuration.
  • Requests started while the workflow was inactive won't be processed retroactively when you reactivate it.
  • Just like in the Active state, changes only apply when you click "Update" and you can't save partially.

• 	Draft	Active	Inactive
  Published?	No	Yes	Yes
  Runs?	No	Yes	No
  Editing	Free, with partial saves	Only when you click "Update"	Only when you click "Update"
  Available action	Publish	Deactivate	Activate

To learn how to publish, activate, or deactivate a workflow, see:

• How do I publish, activate, and deactivate a workflow?