Block: Start Block — Zelaxy Docs

The Start block is the entry point of every workflow. It initiates execution manually or through a chat interface, and optionally accepts structured JSON input that can be defined for API-driven calls.

Overview

Property	Value
Type	`starter`
Category	`blocks`
Color	`#F97316`

When to Use

Place one Start block at the beginning of every workflow — it is the required entry point
Use Run manually mode when you want to trigger the workflow from the Zelaxy UI or via a direct API call with optional structured input
Use Chat mode when the workflow is designed to respond to conversational messages
Define an Input Format to declare named fields that callers must supply when invoking the workflow through the API
Reference the workflow's initial payload in downstream blocks via {{starter.input}}

Configuration

Start Workflow

A dropdown that controls how the workflow is triggered.

Option	ID	Description
Run manually	`manual`	Trigger the workflow from the UI or API. Reveals the Input Format editor.
Chat	`chat`	Trigger the workflow through a chat/conversational interface.

Default: manual

Input Format (for API calls)

Visible only when Start Workflow is set to manual.

An input-format editor that lets you declare the structured fields your workflow accepts when called via the API. Each field you define becomes a named key in the input JSON payload supplied at runtime. Leave this empty if the workflow requires no structured input.

Inputs & Outputs

Inputs: input (json) — Workflow input data
Outputs: (none) — The Start block has no output fields. Downstream blocks receive the workflow's input through the execution context, not a named output.

Tools

The Start block uses no external tools (tools.access is empty). It is a structural block that initiates execution and passes input data into the workflow.

YAML Example

starter_1:
  type: starter
  name: "Start"
  inputs:
    startWorkflow: "manual"
    inputFormat:
      - name: "query"
        type: "string"
        description: "The search query to process"
  connections:
    outgoing:
      - target: agent_1

Start Block