Quick start

This quick start creates and runs a minimal workflow:

Manual trigger -> Run Script

No target machine and no credential are required.

Prerequisites

  • A running NodePilot instance
  • An admin or operator account

Installation routes are under Installation.

1. Create the workflow

  1. Open Workspace → Workflows.
  2. Choose New workflow.
  3. Enter Check host as the name.
  4. Choose Create, then Edit.

2. Add the nodes

  1. Drag a manual trigger onto the canvas.
  2. Add a Run Script activity.
  3. Connect both nodes with an edge.
  4. Enter the following script in Run Script:
$env:COMPUTERNAME
  1. Enter hostInfo as the output variable.
  2. Leave Machine empty. With no machine, the script runs without WinRM locally on the NodePilot host (with engine: auto as a Windows PowerShell 5.1 process), and therefore under the API's service identity — for remote systems see Remote execution.

3. Publish and run

  1. Choose Publish.
  2. Choose Run.
  3. Under Executions, open the output of the Run Script activity.

The output contains the name of the NodePilot host.

Importing the example as JSON

The following file contains the same workflow in NodePilot's importable format.

In short:

  1. Save the complete JSON block as check-host.json in UTF-8.
  2. In the web UI, open Workspace → Workflows.
  3. Optionally choose a target folder.
  4. Choose Import and open check-host.json.
  5. Open the imported workflow, publish it and run it.
{
  "schema": "nodepilot-workflow-export/v1",
  "exportVersion": 1,
  "exportedAt": "2026-07-27T00:00:00Z",
  "workflows": [
    {
      "name": "Check host",
      "description": "Minimal example workflow for the quick start",
      "definition": {
        "nodes": [
          {
            "id": "manual-trigger",
            "type": "activity",
            "position": { "x": 80, "y": 120 },
            "data": {
              "label": "Manual start",
              "activityType": "manualTrigger",
              "config": {
                "title": "Check host",
                "parameters": []
              }
            }
          },
          {
            "id": "read-hostname",
            "type": "activity",
            "position": { "x": 360, "y": 120 },
            "data": {
              "label": "Read host name",
              "activityType": "runScript",
              "outputVariable": "hostInfo",
              "config": {
                "engine": "auto",
                "timeoutSeconds": 30,
                "script": "$env:COMPUTERNAME"
              }
            }
          }
        ],
        "edges": [
          {
            "id": "manual-to-script",
            "source": "manual-trigger",
            "target": "read-hostname",
            "type": "labeled",
            "data": {
              "label": "Always",
              "disabled": false
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}
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