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Importing and Exporting Workflows

A workflow you build in one place can be moved to another. Export packages a workflow into a single file you can download, store, or share; import recreates that workflow in your organization. This is useful for moving workflows between a self-hosted instance and the cloud, sharing a reference workflow with a colleague or client organization, keeping a backup, or starting from a template someone sent you.

The Workflow File (.vaf)

Exporting produces a .vaf file — a Validibot Archive Format file. It contains the complete definition of the workflow: its steps, the validator each step uses, the rules and assertions, and any uploaded files a step depends on (such as a weather file or a model template).

A .vaf is self-contained, so the person importing it gets everything they need in one file. If a workflow has no uploaded files, its definition is also valid as plain .json, and you can import that too — but as soon as a workflow includes uploaded files, use the .vaf, because a bare .json can't carry them.

Exporting a Workflow

  1. Open the workflow's detail page.
  2. In the action bar at the top, choose Export.
  3. Your browser downloads a .vaf file named after the workflow.

That file is everything needed to recreate the workflow elsewhere. It does not include any validation runs, results, or access settings — only the workflow itself.

Importing a Workflow

  1. Go to the Workflows list.
  2. Click Import (next to New Workflow).
  3. On the import page, drag a .vaf or .json file onto the drop zone, or click Browse files to choose one.
  4. Click Import workflow.

Validibot reads the file and brings the workflow into your current organization, then shows you a results page.

What You Get After Importing

An import always creates a brand-new copy of the workflow in your organization. It never changes or overwrites an existing workflow. The new copy:

  • belongs to your organization and lists you as its owner,
  • gets a fresh name/identifier (if the name is already taken, a number is added),
  • is active and ready to run — open it first to review the steps, and deactivate it later if you don't want it accepting submissions,
  • is private — even if the original was public or available to AI agents, the imported copy is not shared, not listed publicly, and not agent-accessible until you choose to enable that.

The results page summarizes what was created (steps, assertions) and gives you a Go to workflow button to open it, or Back to workflow list.

Warnings

Sometimes an import succeeds but there are a few things worth your attention. The results page lists them as warnings. Common ones:

  • Validator version differences. If a step was built with a slightly different version of a validator than the one installed here, Validibot uses the available version and tells you. The workflow still imports.
  • Missing shared files. If a step referenced a shared resource (like a weather file from a library) that isn't available on this instance, the step is brought in but flagged — attach the file after import.

Warnings don't stop the import; they're a checklist to finish the setup.

When an Import Fails

If the file can't be imported, you'll see an error page explaining why, with Try again and Back to workflow list buttons. The most common reason is a missing validator: the workflow uses a validator that isn't installed on this instance. Built-in validators are available everywhere, but a custom validator that someone created in another organization has to be set up here first before a workflow that uses it can be imported.

Other reasons include a file that isn't a valid .vaf or .json, a file from a newer, unsupported version of Validibot, or a .json for a workflow that actually needs its .vaf (because it has uploaded files).

Tips

  • Round-tripping is safe. Export a workflow and re-import it and you get a clean, independent copy — handy for duplicating a workflow into another organization.
  • Review after importing. An imported workflow is active right away, so open it, confirm the steps look right, and address any warnings before relying on it for real submissions.
  • Keep .vaf files for backups. A .vaf is a complete, portable snapshot — a good thing to archive alongside your other project files.