Skip to main content
A workflow.md is assembled from independent frontmatter blocks, one per concern. Pick the blocks you need, stack them under one --- fence with an id, version, and agent, then validate. Agents: this page plus the Workflow Schema is enough to assemble any workflow — you do not need the rest of the docs in context.

​
Identity (always required)

id: my-workflow
version: 1.0.0

​
Agent (always required)

agent:
  runtime_key: anthropic-agent-sdk   # see /harness/runtimes
  provider: anthropic
  model: claude-opus-4-7             # optional; runtime default otherwise
  role: worker                       # worker | orchestrator | reviewer ...
  task_template: "Run {{workflow_id}} for {{issue_ref}}."
  max_turns: 8

​
Selection & fallback (optional)

agent:
  routing_strategy: single_agent_routine
  single_agent:
    select: ordered            # fixed | ordered | vendor_auto
    candidates:
      - runtime_key: anthropic-agent-sdk
        method: sdk
        dispatch_path: cloud_managed
      - runtime_key: openai-codex-sdk
        method: cli
        dispatch_path: local
    fallback_on_credit_exhausted: true

​
Budget

budget:
  tokens: 100000
  wall_clock_minutes: 45

​
Sandbox

sandbox:
  workspace_write: true        # false = read-only run
  network:                     # allowlist; omit for no network
    - api.anthropic.com

​
Tools

tools:
  required: [fs.read, fs.write, git]
  optional: [probes.run, redaction.scan, merge.request_slot]

​
Retry & failure fallback

retry:
  max_attempts: 2
  backoff_ms: 250
  retryable_runtime_failures: [provider_unavailable, rate_limited, context_window_exceeded]
  runtime_failure_fallbacks:
    - failure_class: rate_limited
      from_provider: anthropic
      provider: openai
      runtime_key: openai-codex-sdk

​
Review consensus

review_consensus:
  workflow_id: review-consensus
  reviewers: 3
  rule: unanimous-on-block
  diversity: [anthropic, gemini, openai]
  runtime_keys:
    anthropic: anthropic-agent-sdk
    gemini: gemini-genai-sdk
    openai: openai-codex-sdk
  timeout_ms: 5400000

​
Cache

cache_policy:
  enabled: true
  strategy: auto
  key_scope: workflow          # workflow | ticket | global
  ttl: 1h

​
Provider knobs (Headroom, thinking, permissions)

harness_config:
  sdk_settings:
    anthropic:
      thinking_type: enabled
      thinking_budget_tokens: 16000
      permission_mode: acceptEdits
      headroom:
        enabled: true
        token_budget: 120000
Per-runtime knob lists live on Runtimes; per-provider parameter tables (types, defaults, allowed values, risk) live on the provider pages.

​
State machine

state_machine:
  start: plan
  stage_order: [plan, implement, review]
  terminal_states: [done]
  on_event:
    plan_completed: implement
    implementation_completed: review
    review_clean: done
    review_blocked: implement
  loop_caps:
    total_turns: 10
    on_exceeded: review

​
Workpad & evidence

workpad:
  required: true
  evidence_required: true

​
Validate, then dispatch

Assemble blocks → validate (think_workflow_md_validate from an agent session) → dispatch through Cadence. Complete worked combinations are in the Cookbook.