> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stage3.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generating Workflows from Guides

> Use AI to automatically generate workflow templates from your process guides

<Warning>
  **Admin Feature**: This feature is only available to users with admin permissions. If you don't see this option, contact your system administrator.
</Warning>

## What is AI Workflow Generation?

AI workflow generation analyzes your existing process guides (SOPs, playbooks, procedures) and automatically creates structured workflow templates with tasks, dependencies, and assignments.

Instead of manually creating 20+ tasks for a complex process, you can upload your guide and let AI do the heavy lifting.

## Benefits

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Save Time" icon="clock">
    Turn a 2-hour template creation process into a 10-minute review session
  </Card>

  <Card title="Maintain Consistency" icon="check-double">
    AI follows your existing documentation exactly, ensuring workflows match your SOPs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reduce Errors" icon="shield-check">
    Eliminate mistakes from manual task entry and dependency setup
  </Card>

  <Card title="Easy Updates" icon="rotate">
    When guides change, regenerate workflows to stay current
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How to Generate a Workflow from a Guide

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Workflow Templates">
    Go to **Settings** > **Workflow Templates** in the main navigation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Generate from Guide'">
    Click the **Generate from Guide** button in the top right corner.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Your Process Guide">
    Choose the guide you want to convert into a workflow. You can:

    * Select from existing guides in your library
    * Upload a new document (PDF, Word, or text file)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Generation Settings">
    Set preferences for how AI should interpret your guide:

    * **Task Granularity**: How detailed should tasks be? (High detail vs. summary steps)
    * **Auto-assign Roles**: Should AI assign tasks to roles based on context?
    * **Detect Dependencies**: Should AI automatically create task dependencies?

    <Info>
      For your first time, use the default settings. You can always regenerate with different settings.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review AI-Generated Preview">
    AI shows you a preview of the generated workflow:

    * Number of tasks created
    * Task titles and descriptions
    * Suggested dependencies
    * Recommended role assignments
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit Generated Tasks">
    Review and modify the AI-generated tasks:

    * Click any task to edit its details
    * Add or remove tasks
    * Adjust dependencies
    * Change assignments
    * Reorder tasks

    <Tip>
      AI is very good but not perfect. Always review the generated workflow carefully, especially dependencies.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name and Save Template">
    Give your workflow template a clear, descriptive name:

    * **Good**: "Employee Onboarding - Full Process"
    * **Bad**: "Workflow 1" or "Onboarding"

    Click **Save as Template** to add it to your template library.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test the Workflow">
    Create a test instance from your new template to verify:

    * All tasks are present
    * Dependencies work correctly
    * Assignments make sense
    * Task descriptions are clear
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Reviewing AI-Generated Tasks

When reviewing the AI output, pay special attention to:

### Task Completeness

<Accordion title="Are all steps from your guide included?">
  * Compare the generated task list to your original guide
  * Look for any skipped or combined steps
  * Ensure critical tasks weren't omitted
</Accordion>

### Task Clarity

<Accordion title="Are task descriptions clear and actionable?">
  * Each task should have a clear action verb (e.g., "Send", "Review", "Create")
  * Descriptions should include enough context to complete the task
  * Remove any vague or ambiguous language
</Accordion>

### Dependencies

<Accordion title="Do task dependencies make logical sense?">
  * Can a task truly start when its dependencies say it can?
  * Are there circular dependencies (Task A depends on Task B, which depends on Task A)?
  * Are independent tasks marked as dependent?
</Accordion>

### Assignments

<Accordion title="Are tasks assigned to the right roles?">
  * Does the assigned role have the skills to complete the task?
  * Are tasks evenly distributed, or is one role overloaded?
  * Should some tasks be assigned to specific people instead of roles?
</Accordion>

## Editing Generated Workflows

After generation, you can edit any aspect of the workflow:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add Tasks" icon="plus">
    Click **Add Task** to insert steps AI might have missed
  </Card>

  <Card title="Modify Tasks" icon="pen">
    Click any task to edit title, description, assignment, or dependencies
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reorder Tasks" icon="arrows-up-down">
    Drag and drop tasks to change their order in the workflow
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delete Tasks" icon="trash">
    Remove unnecessary or duplicate tasks AI created
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Saving as a Template

Once you're satisfied with the workflow:

1. Click **Save as Template**
2. Enter a descriptive template name
3. Add tags or categories to help organize it
4. Set template visibility (who can use this template)
5. Click **Save**

Your new template is now available to create workflow instances.

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Start with Well-Written Guides">
    AI quality depends on your input quality. Use guides that are:

    * Clear and well-organized
    * Written in step-by-step format
    * Include role information where relevant
    * Specify dependencies or order explicitly
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Review Before Deploying">
    Never deploy an AI-generated workflow without human review. Always:

    * Test with a sample instance
    * Have a subject matter expert review it
    * Get feedback from people who will use it
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Iterate and Improve">
    Your first AI-generated workflow might not be perfect:

    * Use it in a real scenario
    * Collect feedback from users
    * Regenerate or manually update based on learnings
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Keep Guides Updated">
    When you update your process guides:

    * Regenerate the workflow template
    * Compare new vs. old versions
    * Update the template or create a new version
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Common Issues and Solutions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="AI Created Too Many Tasks">
    **Solution**: Regenerate with "Task Granularity" set to lower detail, or manually combine related tasks after generation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI Missed Important Steps">
    **Solution**: Your guide might not have those steps written clearly. Manually add the missing tasks or improve your guide and regenerate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Dependencies Are Wrong">
    **Solution**: This is common. Manually review and adjust all dependencies. AI struggles with complex multi-path dependencies.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Assignments Don't Match Our Org">
    **Solution**: AI assigns based on generic roles. Update assignments to match your specific organizational structure.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What AI Can and Cannot Do

### AI Can:

* Extract sequential steps from written procedures
* Identify common role assignments (e.g., "HR Manager", "Operations")
* Detect obvious dependencies (e.g., "After step 3, complete step 4")
* Create task descriptions from guide content
* Suggest reasonable task order

### AI Cannot:

* Know your specific organizational structure
* Understand unstated dependencies or tribal knowledge
* Guarantee perfect task granularity for your needs
* Account for exceptions or edge cases not in the guide
* Validate that the guide itself is correct

<Warning>
  AI is a powerful tool to accelerate workflow creation, but human expertise and review are essential for quality and accuracy.
</Warning>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Generate from Blueprints" icon="sitemap" href="/workflows/generating-from-blueprints">
    Learn how to generate workflows from business process blueprints
  </Card>

  <Card title="Edit Workflow Templates" icon="pen-to-square" href="/workflows/editing-templates">
    Master the workflow template editor
  </Card>
</CardGroup>