# Flow
**Flow** is the visual environment in Gaio Studio designed to **create data pipelines**. It allows you to connect tasks and transform data in a modular, agile, and collaborative way. It's ideal for ETL processes, automated analytics, machine learning, reports, and data delivery. *** #### Purpose of the Flow To build complete workflows by organizing data processing, analysis, and delivery steps in a connected, visual format. *** ## How to Use Flow ### **1. Access the Flow Section** * Click the **Flow** icon on the left sidebar. * You'll see the canvas with the name of the current process (e.g., *My first process*). * The left panel displays folders for organization. Example: **ETL**, **Analytics**, and **Delivery**. *** ### **2. Create or Select a Process** * Click the `+` button in the top corner of the panel to create a new process. * Name the process and begin adding blocks as needed. *** ### 3. Step-by-Step: Flow Setup
1. **Process Name** * Enter a clear and descriptive name for your process (e.g., `Sales_ETL_Flow` or `CustomerDashboard`). * This name will appear in the Flow workspace and sidebar. 2. **Description** * (Optional) Provide a brief summary of the flow’s purpose. * Useful for documentation and collaboration across teams. 3. **Flow Type:** * **Data Preparation**: * Choose this option for backend flows focused on data transformation, loading, and modeling. * **Dashboard**: * Use this if your flow will generate a visual dashboard for monitoring or user interaction. * Dashboard Options (If “Dashboard” is selected) * **Dashboard Type**: * **Page**: Displays the dashboard as a full page. * **Dialog Flow**: Opens the dashboard inside a modal or dialog window. * **Show Dashboard Header**: * Enable or disable the header section of the dashboard. * Useful to provide titles or filters for the user. * **Refresh Screen Interval**: * Set the screen auto-refresh interval (in milliseconds). * Example: `1000` = 1 second; `60000` = 1 minute. * Use this for real-time monitoring dashboards. 4. **Execution Rules** * **Lock Flow During Execution**: * **Max Execution Time**: * Define the maximum runtime allowed for this flow (in milliseconds). * Example: `300000` = 5 minutes. * Helps avoid indefinite executions or overloading the server. *** ### **4. Drag and Connect Blocks** * Drag tasks from the left menu (such as Table, Builder, Cluster, AutoML, etc.). * Connect blocks by clicking the gray dot next to a block and dragging it to another. *** ### **5. Edit Each Block Individually** * Click on the pencil icon any block to open its configuration window. * Adjust table settings, SQL scripts, visualization parameters, or machine learning configurations. *** ### **6. Run the Process** * Use the top bar buttons to: * Run: Start selected task * Run from here: Start running the flow from the selected task * Run all: Run the entire flow * Click **Monitor** to track logs and execution performance in real-time. *** #### Best Practices * Use clear and consistent naming for processes and tables (e.g., `tmp_sales_daily`). * Keep your blocks organized visually on the canvas. * Break large workflows into smaller thematic subflows. * Add comments inside each block to document logic. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.gaiodataos.com/tools/flow.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.