Generalize workflows into repeatable AI automations without required documents

[paullizer]

Summary

Generalize workflows from document-centric jobs into repeatable AI automations. A workflow must be able to run with only instructions and a selected model or agent; workspace documents, document actions, and file synchronization must be optional capabilities rather than required prerequisites.

User Value

Users can automate recurring prompt- or agent-driven work without manufacturing a document event or document selection. Existing document analysis, tabular analysis, file synchronization, and artifact workflows remain available when they are useful.

Proposed Behavior

• Require workflow instructions and exactly one execution target: a model or an agent.
• Support manual and scheduled execution for workflows with no document selection, document action, or File Sync configuration.
• Treat workspace documents, document actions, and File Sync as optional input/action steps that can be combined with the base AI execution when configured.
• Reuse the chat-compatible execution path so generic workflows retain relevant model/agent capabilities, including tabular analysis and generated artifacts where supported.
• Preserve existing personal and group document-centric workflow definitions and behavior.
• Adjust the workflow UI and validation so the required core configuration is clear and optional document/sync controls are not presented as mandatory.

Acceptance Criteria

• A user can create and manually run a personal workflow with instructions plus a model or agent, without selecting workspace documents or configuring File Sync.
• A scheduled personal workflow with no document inputs executes and records a run successfully.
• Equivalent group workflows support the same minimum configuration and authorization model.
• Existing workflows that use document actions, selected documents, or File Sync remain compatible.
• Workflow execution can use the relevant chat-compatible model/agent capabilities, including tabular analysis where supported by the selected runner.
• The workflow UI communicates required versus optional configuration and provides actionable validation.
• Focused functional coverage protects the no-document path and existing document workflow behavior.

Notes

Current implementation already models manual, interval, and file-sync triggers plus model and agent runners. The likely work is to decouple document-action validation and execution from the core runner while preserving existing run history, authorization, and scheduling contracts.

[paullizer]

Implemented in PR #1083.

Summary:

• Workflows now default to instructions plus a Direct Model or Agent, with workspace documents optional.
• Personal and group workflow modals expose No document action and defer document picker initialization until document context is selected.
• New Direct Model workflows use endpoint-bound Semantic Kernel core capabilities; legacy saved model workflows retain raw-completion behavior.

Validation:

• Passed functional_tests/test_generic_workflow_automation.py.
• Passed functional_tests/test_workflow_model_core_capabilities.py.
• Passed JavaScript/Python syntax checks, editor diagnostics, and git diff --check.
• ui_tests/test_workflow_document_action_modal.py is present but skipped in this environment because authenticated SIMPLECHAT_UI_BASE_URL and storage state were unavailable.

Documentation: docs/explanation/features/GENERIC_WORKFLOW_AUTOMATION.md (v0.250.063).

[paullizer]

Expanded implementation is now in PR #1083 (commit 79148c8).

Added:

• Five-step personal/group workflow builder: General, Trigger, Tasks, Reliability, Review.
• Ordered instruction tasks with add, edit, remove, and reorder controls.
• Bounded prior-task output context, per-task retries, and halt/continue error strategy.
• Task run-item persistence and workflow activity lifecycle events.
• Existing File Sync and document actions remain optional inputs and existing no-task workflows retain legacy execution.

Validation:

• 12/12 focused functional checks passed.
• Syntax, diagnostics, whitespace, revision-scoped XSS, and broken access-control checks passed.
• Updated Playwright tests are discoverable but skipped locally because no authenticated UI storage state is available; the fresh local server redirects to Microsoft sign-in.

[paullizer]

Release notes are now included in PR #1083 under v0.250.064: docs/explanation/release_notes.md. The entry covers repeatable AI workflow task sequences, retries/error strategy, optional document and File Sync inputs, legacy compatibility, and the five-step workflow builder.