Workflow Model Design (Cloud Service)

Design workflow models for AEM as a Cloud Service: step structure, transitions, OR/AND splits, variables, and model XML deployment.

Audience

Developers (and the IDE LLM acting on their behalf) authoring AEM workflow models for AEM as a Cloud Service — designing the step graph, splits, joins, transitions, and the model XML that ships through the Cloud Manager pipeline.

Variant Scope

• AEM as a Cloud Service only.
• Models are stored at /conf/global/settings/workflow/models/. Do not write to /libs or /etc — /libs is immutable and /etc/workflow/models/ is the legacy 6.5 path, deprecated on AEMaaCS.
• Deploy via Cloud Manager pipeline; design-time → runtime sync is required after deploy (Tools → Workflow → Models → Sync).
• Not for AEM 6.5 LTS. If the target is 6.5 LTS, stop and use the 6.5-lts variant of this skill — /etc/workflow/models/ legacy auto-deploy and mvn install -PautoInstallPackage deploys documented there do not apply on AEMaaCS.

Dependencies

• workflow-foundation references (architecture, API, JCR paths, Cloud Service guardrails) — load alongside.
• workflow-development — every PROCESS step in the model needs a WorkflowProcess (or process.label) registered as an OSGi service. Model XML and Java code are co-authored.
• workflow-launchers — when a launcher routes content into the model, see launcher-side guardrails.

Workflow

Model Design Progress
- [ ] 1) Clarify the workflow purpose: what triggers it, what steps are needed, who approves
- [ ] 2) Map out steps: PROCESS (auto), PARTICIPANT (human), OR_SPLIT (decision), AND_SPLIT (parallel)
- [ ] 3) Decide payload type: single JCR_PATH page/asset, or multi-page via workflow package
- [ ] 4) Identify workflow variables needed for inter-step data passing
- [ ] 5) Design model XML: flow/parsys layer with correct nt:unstructured step components and sling:resourceType per step
- [ ] 6) Add filter.xml entry with mode="merge" for the model path
- [ ] 7) Deploy via Cloud Manager pipeline
- [ ] 8) Open the model in Tools → Workflow → Models → Edit → Sync; verify the model appears in /var/workflow/models/ and all steps render on the editor canvas
- [ ] 9) Start a test workflow instance; confirm it runs to completion

Output Contract

Generate only these files for a /conf-based model:

Never generate — hard stops:

• ❌ Any file under jcr_root/var/ — AEM Sync writes /var/workflow/models/ automatically after you click Sync in the editor. Never ship /var content in a content package.
• ❌ A model/ directory inside jcr:content/ at the /conf path — a cq:WorkflowModel node with <nodes> and <transitions> is the runtime format. It must never appear under /conf. The Workflow Model Editor cannot open a model that contains it.
• ❌ <filter root="/var/workflow/models/..."/> in filter.xml — /var is never a package filter target. The only filter entry needed is the /conf path.
• ❌ Any path under /etc/workflow/models/ — deprecated and unsupported on AEM as a Cloud Service.

filter.xml — correct entry:

<filter root="/conf/global/settings/workflow/models/my-workflow" mode="merge"/>

Node Types Quick Reference

Default Path Rule

Unless the user explicitly names a specific AEM site, always generate models at /conf/global/settings/workflow/models/<id>. Do not infer a site-scoped path (e.g., /conf/wknd/…) from conversational context such as "for the WKND site" or "install on the WKND instance." Workflow models are not site-scoped by default — they are global resources. Only use /conf/<site>/settings/workflow/models/<id> when the user explicitly states that the model should be scoped to a specific site.

Cloud Service Deployment

1. Place model XML at: conf/global/settings/workflow/models/<name>/.content.xml (the flow/parsys design-time format — not jcr:content/model/)
2. Add to ui.content package with filter.xml entry mode="merge"
3. Deploy via Cloud Manager pipeline
4. Open Tools → Workflow → Models → select model → Edit → Sync
5. Verify the model appears in /var/workflow/models/<name> via CRX/DE and all steps render on the canvas

Design-time vs runtime paths: /conf/global/settings/workflow/models/ stores the editor's flow/parsys format — this is what you author and deploy. Steps are nt:unstructured nodes with sling:resourceType; no cq:WorkflowNode or cq:WorkflowTransition nodes appear here. /var/workflow/models/ holds the runtime copy generated by Sync — it uses cq:WorkflowModel, cq:WorkflowNode, and cq:WorkflowTransition. Never write cq:WorkflowModel nodes to the /conf path, and never hand-author /var content — AEM manages the runtime layer entirely via Sync.

References

• step-types-catalog.md — complete step type reference with XML snippets
• model-xml-reference.md — full model XML structure and property reference
• model-design-patterns.md — common design patterns: linear, decision, parallel, loop-back
• architecture-overview.md
• jcr-paths-reference.md
• cloud-service-guardrails.md