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Using the CLI

This guide covers the typical developer workflow for building and running Zigflow workflows. For the complete flag reference, see the autogenerated CLI reference.

Typical workflow​

1. Write a workflow file​

Create a YAML file that describes your workflow. See the DSL reference for the full schema.

2. Validate​

Check the workflow for errors before running it:

zigflow validate workflow.yaml

Exits with code 0 if valid. Prints a human-readable error and exits with a non-zero code if invalid. No Temporal connection is required.

Use --output-json for machine-readable output:

zigflow validate workflow.yaml --output-json

3. Run the worker​

zigflow run -f workflow.yaml

This starts a Temporal worker that:

  • Connects to Temporal (default: localhost:7233)
  • Registers the compiled workflow on the task queue defined by document.namespace
  • Polls Temporal until interrupted

4. Trigger the workflow​

Zigflow does not include a trigger command. Use the Temporal CLI to start executions:

temporal workflow start \
  --type your-workflow-name \
  --task-queue your-namespace \
  --workflow-id my-run-1

Pass input with --input:

temporal workflow start \
  --type your-workflow-name \
  --task-queue your-namespace \
  --workflow-id my-run-1 \
  --input '{"userId": 42}'

5. View results​

temporal workflow show --workflow-id my-run-1

Validation in CI​

zigflow validate exits with a non-zero code on failure, which fails the pipeline step. Example GitHub Actions step:

- name: Validate workflow
  run: zigflow validate workflow.yaml

Shell completion​

Zigflow generates completion scripts for common shells.

Bash​

source <(zigflow completion bash)

To make it persistent:

zigflow completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/zigflow

Zsh​

zigflow completion zsh > "${fpath[1]}/_zigflow"

Fish​

zigflow completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/zigflow.fish

Environment variables​

Every CLI flag can be set via an environment variable instead. The naming convention is: flag --flag-name becomes env var FLAG_NAME (uppercase, hyphens replaced by underscores).

Examples:

FlagEnv var
--temporal-addressTEMPORAL_ADDRESS
--temporal-api-keyTEMPORAL_API_KEY
--log-levelLOG_LEVEL
--disable-telemetryDISABLE_TELEMETRY

This applies to every flag in the CLI reference.

Useful flag combinations​

Connecting to Temporal Cloud​

zigflow run -f workflow.yaml \
  --temporal-address your-namespace.tmprl.cloud:7233 \
  --temporal-namespace your-namespace \
  --temporal-tls \
  --temporal-api-key your-api-key

Skipping validation on startup​

zigflow run -f workflow.yaml --validate=false

Use only when you have already validated separately.

Disabling telemetry​

zigflow run -f workflow.yaml --disable-telemetry

Changing the log level​

zigflow run -f workflow.yaml --log-level debug

Valid values: trace, debug, info, warn, error. See the CLI reference for the default.

Troubleshooting​

Worker starts but no executions run. The task queue and workflow type must match what your client uses. Check:

  • --task-queue in temporal workflow start matches document.namespace in your YAML
  • --type matches document.name

"dial tcp: connection refused" on startup. Temporal is not reachable. Check --temporal-address and confirm the server is running.

Validation passes but the worker exits immediately. Run with --log-level debug to see what failed on startup.