Deploying

The same workflow code can run locally during development, on Vercel with zero configuration, or on any infrastructure using Worlds, which are pluggable adapters that handle storage, queuing, and communication.

Local development

During local development, workflows use the Local World without configuration. The Local World stores workflow data in a .workflow-data/ directory and processes steps synchronously for development and testing.

# Run your dev server to use workflows locally
npm run dev

You can inspect local workflow data using the CLI:

npx workflow inspect runs

Learn more about the Local World configuration and internals.

Deploying to Vercel

Deploy workflows to production on Vercel without configuration. Workflows deployed to Vercel use the Vercel World.

The Vercel World provides:

  • Durable storage: Workflow state persists across function invocations
  • Managed queuing: The queue processes steps reliably with automatic retries
  • Automatic scaling: Workflows scale with your application
  • Built-in observability: View workflow runs in the Vercel dashboard
  • Multi-region: The region that creates each run also hosts its workflow data, queue, and streams, keeping them close to your users

Deploy your application:

vercel deploy
Enable Fluid compute before deploying. Workflow is designed to take advantage of Fluid compute for efficient suspension and resumption. Without Fluid compute enabled, each workflow resume incurs a separate function cold start, which can result in significantly higher costs.

Enable access to System Environment Variables before deploying. Workflow recognizes a Vercel deployment by VERCEL_DEPLOYMENT_ID, which Vercel exposes to your build and your functions only when the Enable access to System Environment Variables checkbox is selected under Settings, then Environment Variables, in your project. With it cleared, the deployment falls back to the Local World and every run fails on the read-only filesystem. See System environment variables.

Learn more about the Vercel World and its capabilities, including multi-region.

Self-hosting & other providers

For self-hosting or deploying to other cloud providers, you can use community-maintained Worlds or build your own.

Explore Worlds

Browse official and community World implementations with compatibility status and performance benchmarks.

Build Your Own

Learn how to implement a custom World for your infrastructure.

Using a third-party World

To use a different World implementation, set the WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD environment variable:

export WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD=@workflow/world-postgres
# Plus any world-specific configuration
export DATABASE_URL=postgres://...

Each World may have its own configuration requirements. Refer to that World's documentation for details.

Observability

The Observability tools work with any World backend. By default, they connect to your local environment, but you can configure them to inspect remote deployments:

# Inspect local workflows
npx workflow inspect runs

# Inspect remote workflows
npx workflow inspect runs --backend @workflow/world-postgres

Learn more about Observability tools.

PreviousServer-Based TestingNextErrors