---
sidebar_position: 3
keywords:
- EventCatalog flows
sidebar_label: Flow nodes
title: Flow nodes types
description: Flow nodes types within EventCatalog.
---

import AddedIn from '@site/src/components/MDX/AddedIn';

<!-- <AddedIn version="2.5.0" /> -->

Flow nodes are the building blocks of flows. They are used to represent the different steps in a flow.

With flow nodes you can reference your services, events, commands and queries, external systems, users (actors), data stores (containers), data products, or create your own custom nodes.

## Common step properties

Every flow step (regardless of node type) supports these properties:

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string \| number` | **Yes** | Unique identifier for the step |
| `title` | `string` | **Yes** | The label displayed on the node in the flow diagram |
| `summary` | `string` | No | A short description shown in the node sidebar |
| `type` | `"node" \| "message" \| "user" \| "actor"` | No | Hint for how the node should be rendered |
| `next_step` | [Step reference](#connecting-steps) | No | The next step in the flow (cannot be used with `next_steps`) |
| `next_steps` | [Step reference](#connecting-steps)[] | No | Multiple next steps for branching (cannot be used with `next_step`) |

:::tip Type exclusivity rule
Each step can only use **one** node type property. You cannot combine `message`, `service`, `flow`, `container`, `dataProduct`, `actor`, `custom`, or `externalSystem` on the same step.
:::

## Connecting steps {#connecting-steps}

Use `next_step` or `next_steps` (not both) to connect steps together.

A step reference can be:
- A **string or number** matching another step's `id` (e.g. `next_step: "step-2"`)
- An **object** with `id` and an optional `label` for the edge

```yml
# Simple reference
next_step: "step-2"

# Reference with edge label
next_step:
  id: "step-2"
  label: "on success"

# Multiple next steps (branching)
next_steps:
  - id: "step-success"
    label: "on success"
  - id: "step-failure"
    label: "on failure"
```

## Flow node types

- [default](#default) — A blank node type with just a title in your flow
- [actor](#actor) — Represents a person in your flow diagram
- [externalSystem](#externalsystem) — Represents an external system in your flow diagram
- [message](#message) — Represents an event, command or query resource in EventCatalog
- [service](#service) — Represents a service resource in EventCatalog
- [flow](#flow) — Represents a flow in EventCatalog (added in EventCatalog 2.34.2)
- [container](#container) — Represents a data store (container) resource in EventCatalog
- [dataProduct](#dataproduct) — Represents a data product resource in EventCatalog
- [custom](#custom) — A custom node type with configurable title, summary, icon, properties and more


### default node type {#default}

A blank node type with just a title in your flow. No additional properties are needed beyond the [common step properties](#common-step-properties).

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "This value will be shown in the node on the flow diagram"
```

---

### actor

Actor represents a person in your flow diagram.

#### Actor properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `name` | `string` | **Yes** | The name of the actor |
| `summary` | `string` | No | A short description of the actor (added in EventCatalog 2.55.6) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "Example Step of a Actor"
    actor:
      name: "Dave"
      summary: "This is a summary of the actor"
```

---

### externalSystem

Represents an external system in your flow diagram.

#### External system properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `name` | `string` | **Yes** | The name of the external system |
| `summary` | `string` | No | A short description of the external system |
| `url` | `string` (valid URL) | No | A link to the external system |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "Example Step of a externalSystem"
    externalSystem:
      name: "Google"
      summary: "Search engine"
      url: "https://google.com"
```

---

### message

Represents and refers to an event, command or query resource in EventCatalog.

#### Message properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | **Yes** | The id of the event, command or query in your catalog |
| `version` | `string` | No | The version to reference (defaults to `latest`) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "Example Step of a Event"
    message:
      id: "order-placed"
      version: "0.0.1"
```

---

### service

Represents and refers to a service resource in EventCatalog.

#### Service properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | **Yes** | The id of the service in your catalog |
| `version` | `string` | No | The version to reference (defaults to `latest`) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "Example Step of a Service"
    service:
      id: "order-service"
      version: "0.0.1"
```

---

### flow

<AddedIn version="2.34.2" />

Represents and refers to a flow resource in EventCatalog. Useful for reusing flows in your flow diagrams.

#### Flow properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | **Yes** | The id of the flow in your catalog |
| `version` | `string` | No | The version to reference (defaults to `latest`) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "step-1"
    title: "Example Step of a Flow"
    flow:
      id: "order-flow"
      version: "0.0.1"
```

#### Expand inline

<AddedIn version="3.29.0" />

Click a flow node in the visualiser to expand the referenced flow's steps inline. Use the Collapse button in the expanded node's header to restore the single-node view. The graph recentres automatically on both expand and collapse, and expanded steps join the parent flow's step walkthrough navigation.

---

### container

<AddedIn version="3.36.3" />

Represents and refers to a data store (container) resource in EventCatalog. When a flow references a container, the container's sidebar automatically shows a "Flows" section linking back to the referencing flow.

#### Container properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | **Yes** | The id of the container in your catalog |
| `version` | `string` | No | The version to reference (defaults to `latest`) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "orders_db"
    title: "Orders DB"
    container:
      id: "orders-db"
      version: "1.0.0"
    next_step:
      id: "next_step"
      label: "Persist order records"
```

---

### dataProduct

<AddedIn version="3.36.3" />

Represents and refers to a data product resource in EventCatalog. When a flow references a data product, the data product's sidebar automatically shows a "Flows" section linking back to the referencing flow.

#### Data product properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `id` | `string` | **Yes** | The id of the data product in your catalog |
| `version` | `string` | No | The version to reference (defaults to `latest`) |

```yml
steps:
  - id: "order_analytics"
    title: "Order Analytics"
    dataProduct:
      id: "order-analytics"
      version: "1.0.0"
    next_step:
      id: "next_step"
      label: "Prepare fulfillment KPIs"
```

---

### custom

<AddedIn version="2.30.6" />

The custom node allows you to define any custom node you want in your flow diagram.

Use cases could include:

- A custom node that represents a scheduled job
- A custom node that represents a batch job
- A custom node that represents a decision
- A custom node that represents a process
- A custom node that represents an aggregate

**Custom nodes can be anything you want.**

You can view a UI example of a custom nodes [here](https://demo.eventcatalog.dev/visualiser/flows/SubscriptionRenewed/1.0.0).

#### Custom node properties

| Property | Type | Required | Description |
|----------|------|----------|-------------|
| `title` | `string` | **Yes** | The title shown on the node |
| `icon` | `string` | No | Icon shown on the node (see [Heroicons](https://heroicons.com/) for the list of icons) |
| `type` | `string` | No | A type label shown on the sidebar of the node (e.g. "Scheduler", "Database") |
| `summary` | `string` | No | A short description of the node |
| `url` | `string` (valid URL) | No | A link associated with the custom node |
| `color` | `string` | No | The color of the node (see [Tailwind colors](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/colors)) |
| `properties` | `Record<string, string \| number>` | No | Key-value pairs shown in the node. URL values are rendered as links |
| `height` | `number` | No | The height of the node (be careful going too high, the diagram does not calculate the graph based on the height of nodes) |
| `menu` | `{ label: string, url?: string }[]` | No | Right-click context menu items |

**UI Example**

<img src="/img/custom-flow.png" alt="Custom Node" style={{width: "50%"}} />

---

**MDX Example**

This example shows a custom node that represents a scheduler.

```yml
steps:
  - id: "renewal_timer_triggered"
    title: "Renewal Period Reached"
    custom:
      title: "Renewal Timer"
      color: "orange"
      icon: "ClockIcon"
      type: "Scheduler"
      summary: "Automated timer triggers the subscription renewal process"
      height: 8
      properties:
        subscription_id: "sub_12345678"
        renewal_type: "Automatic"
        billing_cycle: "Monthly"
        next_billing_date: "2024-08-01"
      menu:
        - label: "View scheduler configuration"
          url: "https://docs.example.com/scheduler"
        - label: "Subscription timing documentation"
          url: "https://docs.example.com/subscription-timing"
    next_step:
      id: "check_subscription_status"
      label: "Verify subscription status"
```

You can find a full example on GitHub [here](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/event-catalog/eventcatalog/refs/heads/main/examples/default/domains/Subscriptions/flows/SubscriptionRenewed/index.mdx).
