What is the difference between a sub-workflow and a component?

A sub-workflow is one of your own workflows placed inside another as a node, and you can open and edit it in place. A component is a published, versioned workflow from the components browser, used as a closed node with the inputs, settings and outputs its author chose.

How deep can sub-workflows be nested?

Up to 5 levels. Nodaro also refuses a loop, such as a workflow that calls itself directly or through another workflow.

Does a Sub-Workflow or Component node cost credits?

The node itself costs nothing. The nodes inside it charge their normal price when they run. A component shows an estimated price in its settings panel, which can include a markup set by its author.

Does a component update when its author publishes a new version?

No. A Component node keeps the version it was added with. Click the refresh icon in its settings panel when you want the latest version.

Components and sub-workflows — reuse part of a Nodaro workflow as one node

Pack a group of nodes into one reusable node, either a sub-workflow you edit in place or a published component with its own inputs, settings and price.

A sub-workflow is a workflow placed inside another workflow as a single node. A component is a published, versioned workflow that anyone can drop into their own workflows the same way. Both turn a group of nodes into one node with named inputs and outputs. Use them to reuse a proven chain, such as "remove background, then upscale", and to keep a large workflow readable.

Sub-workflow or component

	Sub-workflow	Component
Node	Sub-Workflow	Component
What it contains	One of your own workflows	A workflow someone published as a component, or one you published
Can you see and edit the inside?	Yes. Open it in place from the node.	No. You set only the inputs and settings its author exposed.
Inputs and outputs	The ports you declare with Sub-Workflow Input and Sub-Workflow Output nodes	The inputs and outputs its author chose when publishing
Changes	Follows the workflow it points to. Click Refresh after you change its ports.	Keeps the version it was added with until you refresh it
Price	The nodes inside charge their normal price	An estimated price, which can include the author's markup
Best for	Structuring your own large workflows	Sharing a ready-made step with other people

Build a sub-workflow

Add the Sub-Workflow node

Save your workflow first. Then open the node picker and choose Automate › Workflows › Sub-Workflow.

Create or choose the inner workflow

In the settings panel, click Create empty sub-workflow. Nodaro creates a new inner workflow with one input node and one output node, and opens it for editing. To reuse a workflow you already have, choose it in the Workflow list instead. Turn on All Projects to see workflows from your other projects.

Declare the inputs and outputs

Inside the inner workflow, the Sub-Workflow Input node lists the ports the parent can feed. Each port has a name and a media type: text, image, video, audio or any. The Sub-Workflow Output node lists the ports that return results. On the output node, choose which port's result the parent shows as the node's preview, under Visible Output Port.

Wire it in the parent

Go back to the parent with the breadcrumb at the top of the editor. The Sub-Workflow node now has one input and one output for each port. Connect it like any other node, and run the parent workflow.

A two-step clean-up chain lives inside one Sub-Workflow node, so the parent canvas stays short.

Open, view and navigate

Expand on the node opens the inner workflow for editing. A breadcrumb at the top of the editor shows the path, such as your workflow › the sub-workflow › a nested one. Click any part of the path to jump there.
View Workflow opens the inner workflow in a read-only window, without leaving the parent.
If you have unsaved changes when you expand a node, the editor asks you to save or discard them first.

A sub-workflow made with Create empty sub-workflow belongs to its parent. It does not appear in your project's list of workflows, and you reach it only from its node. A workflow you choose from the Workflow list stays a normal workflow that other parents can use too.

Routes: several entry points in one workflow

A route is a matching pair of one Sub-Workflow Input node and one Sub-Workflow Output node. A workflow can have several routes, and each route is a separate path through it. On the Sub-Workflow node, choose the route under Route. The Interface Preview shows that route's inputs and outputs.

Only the nodes that the chosen route reaches run. The rest of the inner workflow is left alone.

Rules and limits

Up to 5 levels. Sub-workflows can contain sub-workflows, up to 5 levels deep. Keep nesting shallow, because deep chains are harder to debug.
No loops. A workflow cannot call itself, directly or through another workflow. The same workflow can still be used twice through two different routes.
Every route must be complete. When you save, Nodaro checks three things. Each input node has a matching output node. Each output node has at least one port. No two input nodes, and no two output nodes, share a route.
Refresh after changes. When you change the ports of a workflow that other workflows use, click Refresh on each Sub-Workflow node that uses it.

Use a component

Add a Component node

Open the node picker and choose Automate › Workflows › Component. Instead of an empty node, the components browser opens, with three tabs: Browse, My Components and Favorites. Search by name, and sort by Most Popular, Newest or Most Favorited.

Choose a component

Click a component card. The node lands on the canvas already set up, with the component's inputs and outputs.

Set its inputs and settings

The settings panel has three parts:

Inputs: a connected input shows that it comes from an upstream node. You can type an unconnected text input in place. Image, video and audio inputs need a connection.
Settings: the options the author made adjustable, such as a quality or an aspect ratio.
Outputs: the name and type of each output, to help you wire the next nodes.

Check the price and run

The settings panel shows an estimated credit price, which updates as you change the settings. Run the node, or the whole workflow, as usual.

A Component node keeps the version it was added with, so a new version from its author never changes your workflow by surprise. Click the refresh icon in the settings panel to move to the latest version and its new price estimate.

Publish your own component

A component starts as a normal workflow. Publish it from the Present tab of the editor:

On the Present tab, add the nodes that should become the component's inputs and outputs.
Click Publish and choose Component. Enter a Component Name and a description.
Under Component Handles, name each input and output. Mark the inputs that are required, and choose one output as the preview that the node shows on the canvas.
Choose whether to list it in the components browser, then publish.

On Nodaro Cloud you can charge a markup when other people use your component: a flat fee in credits, a percentage, or both. The settings show the base cost and what users will pay. Your components appear under My Components, where you can edit, list, unlist or archive them.

A workflow can be published both as a component and as a MiniApp. The MiniApp gives people a form to fill in, and the component gives them a node to wire.

Components and sub-workflows