Workflow simulation fixtures

Explores workflow branches with controlled fixtures while keeping simulated outcomes separate from live execution.

workflow-simulation-test-fixtures

Team members using this skill

AgentFlow

See how it helps

When is it useful?

Use when testing a process that normally sends messages or performs paid actions.

What does it help you do?

Replaces external effects with explicit simulation handlers.
Pins selected step outputs to exercise rare branches.
Labels simulated runs and validates their limits honestly.

Try asking this

Simulate approval, rejection and provider timeout in an invoice workflow without sending invoices or charging accounts. Inject a timeout after simulated provider acceptance and advance a virtual clock. Label every effect as simulated and prove no real payment or invoice call was made.

Detailed documentation

Read the skill’s original instructions, examples and checks in their authored language.

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Workflow Simulation & Test Fixtures

Use this skill when implementing workflow dry-run / test-run modes, step output mocking, interactive "Test this workflow" previews in the builder, and automated workflow test suites.

Strict Separation Between Simulation and Live Execution

Never Trigger Unintended Live External Side Effects During Simulation:
- In simulation / dry_run mode, external mutating steps (charging cards, sending customer emails/SMS, mutating production ERP/CRM records, firing live webhooks) must be intercepted by sandbox adapters or explicit step mocks unless the user has explicitly authorized a live test against a designated test credential.
Never Present a Simulated Run as a Real Production Run:
- Tag simulated runs unmistakably in the database and UI (mode: 'simulation', distinct "Simulated test run" banner/badge, excluded from production business metrics and billing ledgers).

Step Pinning, Mock Fixtures & Branch Exploration

Sample Input Payloads & Pinned Step Outputs:
- Allow users and automated tests to supply fixture trigger payloads and optionally pin/mock the output of specific steps (e.g., mocking an external HTTP step or AI step response) to test downstream conditions, joins, and error paths quickly and deterministically.
Virtual Clock & Instant Wait Forwarding in Tests:
- In simulation and automated tests, advance durable timers (Wait 3 days, Approval expires in 24h) via a controlled virtual clock or instant step-forward action rather than waiting on wall-clock time.
Fault-Injection Fixtures:
- Provide built-in simulation scenarios for step outcomes: success, transient_error_then_succeed (testing retry backoff), permanent_error (testing failure/compensation branches), timeout, and approval_rejected / approval_expired.

Checklist

Does simulation / dry_run mode block live external side effects (payments, external emails, live webhook mutations) by default?
Are simulated runs clearly badged as simulation in the UI and excluded from production analytics and ledgers?
Can individual step outputs and failure modes (timeout, error, rejected) be mocked to test every branch?
Can durable timers and approval expirations be fast-forwarded deterministically in simulation and test suites?

Included files 1

SKILL.md