Building ECA Workflows With the Workflow Modeler

The Workflow Modeler is the default visual editor for ECA models in Varbase 11.0.x. It shows each model as a diagram of connected nodes, lets you configure each node in a side panel, and can replay a real run of the model step by step so you can check that it behaves as intended.

This guide walks through opening the editor, building a small model, and reviewing how it runs. For background on ECA and the list of models Varbase ships, see Varbase ECA (Workflow Automation).

Opening the Workflow Modeler

Go to Administration \ Configuration \ Workflow \ ECA (/admin/config/workflow/eca). The models list shows every ECA model with its components, version, enabled state, and operations.

• To start a new model, select Add New Model.

• To open an existing model, select Edit on its row.

When the Workflow Modeler is the only visual editor installed, both actions open it directly. If more than one editor is installed (for example, the BPMN.iO Modeler as well), the operations menu offers a separate "Edit with" entry for each editor, and you choose the Workflow Modeler there.

The Model Information Dialog

A new model opens with the Model Information dialog, where you set the basics:

• Label: the human-readable name shown in the models list.

• Machine Name: generated from the label, or set your own.

• Version: a free-text version string for the model.

• Enabled: whether the model runs.

• Template: whether the model is offered as a starting point for new models.

• Documentation and Tags: optional notes and labels.

The Model Information dialog for a new ECA model

Select Save in the dialog to move on to the canvas.

The Canvas

The canvas is where you build the model. Nodes are colour-coded by role:

• Event nodes start the workflow.

• Condition nodes gate what happens next.

• Action nodes carry out the work.

Each node has a quick-add + control on its connector; selecting it adds the next step. Selecting a node opens its properties panel on the right.

Adding an Event

Select New Event to add the starting event, then choose the event from the list (for example, Insert content entity for "after new content is saved").

An Insert content entity event on the canvas

The properties panel shows the event's settings. For a content event you can set the Type (and bundle) so the workflow only reacts to a chosen content type, such as a blog post.

Adding a Successor

Select the + control below a node to open the Add Successor panel. It lists the actions and conditions you can connect next, with a search box and a filter. Recommended entries appear first.

The Add Successor panel listing available actions and conditions

Pick an entry (for example, Log Message) to add it and connect it to the previous node.

Configuring a Node

Select any node to configure it in the properties panel. Each field is described inline, and text fields are token-aware: you can insert placeholders such as [entity:title] or [entity:nid] that are replaced with real values when the workflow runs.

An Action node with its properties panel, including a token-aware message field

Select Save in the top bar to store the model. Saving writes the model's ECA configuration; the diagram layout is derived from that configuration.

Reviewing a Flow

The Workflow Modeler can capture and replay a real execution of a saved model, which helps you confirm the workflow does what you expect.

On a saved model, select an event node, then select Review Flow in the properties panel.

The Review Flow button on a saved model

Once the model runs on the site (for example, you create a matching piece of content), the captured run appears with playback controls. You can step through the run, play it at 0.5×, 1×, 2×, or 4×, and inspect the Step Data and tokens available at each step.

A captured execution replayed in Review Flow, with playback controls and step data

Review Flow is specific to the Workflow Modeler. It replays a recorded run of the model, so you can see which nodes fired and what data they had, without reading logs.

Opening Existing Models

An ECA model is stored as its eca.eca.* configuration entity, not as a saved drawing. The Workflow Modeler re-derives the diagram from that configuration and lays it out automatically each time you open the model.

Because of this, models authored earlier in the BPMN.iO Modeler open in the Workflow Modeler with no migration and no change to the stored configuration until you save. The pre-configured Varbase model Redirect 403 to Login, for example, opens as a clean event-condition-action diagram.

The Redirect 403 to Login model rendered in the Workflow Modeler

Pre-Configured Models

Varbase ships several ready-made ECA models that you can open and study in the Workflow Modeler. See the pre-configured models list for the full set, including Redirect 403 to Login, which the Varbase Content Base recipe ships.

For QA

Use this checklist when reviewing the Workflow Modeler on a Varbase site:

• The ECA models list opens at /admin/config/workflow/eca and lists the pre-configured models.

• Add New Model opens the Workflow Modeler and the Model Information dialog.

• A new model can be built from an event, a successor action, and a saved configuration.

• Edit on an existing model opens it as a diagram with no errors.

• Pre-configured models (for example, Redirect 403 to Login) render as connected event, condition, and action nodes.

• Review Flow captures a run and plays it back with the step data.