# Component

> Add a published component, a versioned workflow from the community or your own, as one node. Set its inputs and settings, and it runs as a black box.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/component

The **Component** node adds a published component to your workflow: a versioned workflow, made by the community or by you, packed into one node. The component's inputs, settings and outputs appear in the settings panel. You configure and connect it like any other node, while its inner nodes stay hidden. The node shows an estimated credit cost before you run it.

- Found in: Automate › Workflows
- Output: data
- API type: `component`

## When to use it
- You want a polished generation pipeline, such as a portrait reel, in several projects without rebuilding it.
- You want a community image or video pipeline in your workflow as a single step.
- You publish your own workflows as components and reuse them across projects.
- You build a larger pipeline from several components, which can themselves contain components.

## Quick start
### Open the Components window

Press Tab on the canvas and choose **Automate › Workflows › Component**. Instead of an empty node, the **Components** window opens.

### Find a component

Browse the **Browse**, **My Components** and **Favorites** tabs, or search. Sort by **Most Popular**, **Newest** or **Most Favorited**, and filter by output type: **All**, **Image**, **Video**, **Audio** or **Text**. Each card shows how many times the component has run and its credits per run.

### Place it

Click a component. It lands on the canvas already configured, with its inputs and outputs.

### Connect the inputs and run

Connect the inputs, or type text inputs in the settings panel, and adjust the **Settings**. Click **Run**. The node shows a preview of its main result.

Workflow: A published component cleans up a product photo in one step, and its result becomes the first frame of a video.

- Upload Image → Component (Source Image)
- Component → Generate Video (Result Image)

## Inputs and outputs
A component's inputs and outputs are the ones its creator exposed, with the creator's names.

| Input or output | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Inputs | Each input has a type, such as text, image, video or audio, and shows whether it is required. A connected input shows "Connected from upstream". An unconnected text input can be typed in the settings panel. Image, video and audio inputs need a connection. |
| Outputs | Each output has a name and a type: text, image, video, audio or JSON. The node previews one of them as its result. |

Upload nodes such as [Upload Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/upload-image) connect to a component's image inputs, and its outputs connect onward, for example to [Generate Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/generate-video).

## Settings
The settings panel shows the component's name and version, for example **v3**, followed by three sections:

| Section | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Inputs** | Every input with its connection status. Type into text inputs that are not connected. |
| **Settings** | The settings the creator made adjustable: text, number, choice, on/off or aspect ratio fields. The credit estimate updates as you change them. |
| **Outputs** | A read-only list of the outputs with their types. Check it before you connect the next nodes. |

## Versions

Components are versioned. The node keeps the version it was added at, which the settings panel shows. It does not upgrade on its own when the creator publishes a new version. A workflow that works today keeps working the same way.

## Credits
The cost of a component depends on the nodes inside it and on the settings you choose. The node and the settings panel show an estimated credit cost, and each card in the **Components** window shows the credits per run. See [Credits](https://nodaro.ai/docs/concepts/credits).

## Publish your own

Any workflow can become a component. Mark the nodes that should be its inputs and outputs, then publish the workflow and choose **Component** as the type. Your components appear under **My Components**. Read [Components and sub-workflows](https://nodaro.ai/docs/concepts/components-and-sub-workflows) and [Apps](https://nodaro.ai/docs/concepts/apps) for the publishing steps.

## Tips
- **Check the outputs first.** Output names and types differ from one component to the next, so read the **Outputs** section before you connect the next node.
- **Wire the media.** Only text inputs can be typed in the panel. Connect a node to every image, video or audio input.
- **Build your own library.** Publish the pipelines you reuse most as components, and add them to any project from **My Components**.
- **Keep it private to one workflow.** When a pipeline is only for one workflow, a [Sub-Workflow](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/sub-workflow) is enough.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a component in Nodaro?

A component is a workflow that someone published as a reusable, versioned node, with its own inputs, settings and outputs. You add it to your workflow as one node, and its inner nodes stay hidden.

### How many credits does a component cost?

It depends on the nodes inside the component and on the settings you choose. The node shows an estimated credit cost, and the estimate updates when you change the settings.

### Does a component change when its creator publishes a new version?

No. The node keeps the version it was added at, so a new release never changes a workflow that already works.

### Where do I find components?

Open the node picker and choose Automate › Workflows › Component. The Components window opens, with the Browse, My Components and Favorites tabs, a search box, sorting and a filter by output type.

### Can I publish my own workflow as a component?

Yes. Mark the workflow's inputs and outputs, then publish it and choose Component as the type. It then appears under My Components, ready to use in other workflows.