Getting Started

Hyphen supports a few different ways of getting started. The right one depends on what you are trying to do.

Choose your path

Path 1 — Design a new process

Best for:

  • operators
  • process owners
  • solution teams
  • teams evaluating Process Studio

Start here:

This path is about turning operational intent into a governed process model, then compiling and publishing it onto the Hyphen runtime.

Path 2 — Build directly against the runtime

Best for:

  • developers
  • platform engineers
  • teams that want direct workflow and DSL control

Start here:

This path uses the engine directly through API calls, workflow definitions, actions, and tenant-scoped execution.

Path 3 — Embed Hyphen into your product or operator surface

Best for:

  • product teams
  • embedded partners
  • internal platform teams building operator surfaces

Start here:

This path uses the gateway and publishable-key model to deliver browser-safe operational surfaces without exposing direct engine tenancy to the client.

What you should understand first

No matter which path you choose, these pages are the best foundation:

Page Why it matters
Core Concepts Explains the runtime model — workflows, actions, primitives, context, agents, and runs
Platform Architecture Explains how design-time authoring, deterministic execution, and bounded agents fit together
Gateway Explains the public edge, auth model, and tenant-safe delivery

The three layers of the platform

flowchart TD A["Design"] --> B["Run"] --> C["Embed"] A1["Process Studio\nAI workflow generation\nWorkflow DSL"] --> A B1["Workflows\nAgents\nApprovals\nCustom tables\nDocuments"] --> B C1["Gateway\nSDK\nAPI\nHosted surfaces"] --> C

You do not need to learn everything at once.

  • If you want guided authoring, start with the design layer.
  • If you want low-level control, start with the runtime.
  • If you want delivery inside another product, start with the embed layer.

Direct engine vs gateway

Hyphen supports both:

Gateway mode

Recommended for most teams.

  • API keys and publishable keys
  • org resolution handled server-side
  • browser-safe SDK sessions
  • public edge routes for embedding and hosted surfaces

Start with:

Direct engine mode

Recommended for private deployments, internal platform teams, or low-level runtime integration.

  • tenant-scoped requests require X-Org-Id
  • direct access to workflow, run, agent, approval, and storage APIs

Start with:

Role Start here
Executive / product lead Home, About, Platform Architecture
Operator / process owner Authoring, Process Studio (Beta)
Developer Quickstart, Workflow DSL
Product or partner team SDK, Gateway, Embedding Hyphen

Next step

If you want the fastest path into the platform, start with: