What you'll learn
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:
Add and configure basic steps and assistant steps
Connect steps together in a logical sequence
Test and run your flow
Troubleshoot common issues
Understand when to use basic steps vs. assistant steps
By the end of this tutorial, you'll have built a working content research flow that can gather information on any topic, analyze the findings, and produce a structured summary.
Before you start
You should have:
An elvex account with Creator permissions
Basic familiarity with elvex assistants and how they work
Understanding of what datasources are (though you won't need any for this tutorial)
What we're building
We'll create a simple content research flow with three steps:
Research step - Gather information about a topic from the web
Analysis step - Analyze and organize the gathered information
Summary step - Create a structured summary with key findings
This flow will take a research topic as input and produce a comprehensive research summary as output.
Step 1: Access the flow builder
Look for the Flows section in the sidebar or main navigation
Click Create New Flow or the + button
You should now see the flow builder interface with an empty canvas.
Step 2: Set up your flow basics
Before adding steps, let's configure the basic flow settings:
Name your flow: Click on "Untitled Flow" at the top and rename it to "Content Research Flow"
Add a description: "Researches a topic, analyzes findings, and creates a structured summary"
Set the input: Your flow will need a topic to research, so we'll configure this as a text input
Step 3: Add your first step - Research
Now let's add the research step that will gather information:
Click the + Add Step button on the canvas
Choose Basic Step from the options
Configure the step:
Step name: "Web Research"
Instructions: "Search the web for comprehensive information about the given topic. Focus on finding recent, credible sources and gather key facts, statistics, and expert opinions."
Input: Connect this to your flow's main input (the research topic)
This basic step will use elvex's web browsing capabilities to gather information about your research topic.
Step 4: Add the analysis step
Next, we'll add a step to analyze and organize the research:
Click + Add Step below your research step
Choose Assistant Step this time
Configure the step:
Step name: "Research Analysis"
Select assistant: Choose an existing assistant designed for analysis, or create a new one with these settings:
Name: "Research Analyzer"
Instructions: "You are a research analyst. Take the provided research information and organize it into clear categories: key findings, important statistics, expert opinions, and emerging trends. Identify the most credible sources and highlight any conflicting information."
Input: Connect this to the output of your "Web Research" step
Step 5: Add the summary step
Finally, let's add a step to create the final summary:
Click + Add Step below your analysis step
Choose Basic Step
Configure the step:
Step name: "Create Summary"
Instructions: "Create a comprehensive research summary with the following structure:
Research Summary: [Topic]
Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence overview]
Key Findings
[Bullet points of main discoveries]
Important Statistics
[Relevant numbers and data]
Expert Opinions
[Notable quotes or perspectives]
Sources
[List of credible sources used]
Format the output in clear, professional markdown."
Input: Connect this to the output of your "Research Analysis" step
Step 6: Connect your steps
Now you should see three connected steps in sequence:
Research Topic (Input) β Web Research β Research Analysis β Create Summary β Final Output
The flow builder should show lines connecting each step, indicating the flow of information.
***To delete a connection click anywhere on the line and hit delete on your keyboard.
Step 7: Test your flow
Before using your flow, let's test it:
Click the Test Flow button
Enter a sample research topic, such as "artificial intelligence in healthcare"
Click Run Test
Watch as each step executes:
The research step will gather web information
The analysis step will organize the findings
The summary step will create the final formatted output
Step 8: Review and refine
After your test run:
Check the output: Does the final summary meet your expectations?
Review each step: Click on individual steps to see their outputs
Identify issues: Look for steps that didn't work as expected
Common issues and fixes:
Research step returns too little information:
Refine the instructions to be more specific about the type of information needed
Add instructions to search multiple sources
Analysis step is too generic:
Make the assistant instructions more specific about categorization
Add examples of the type of analysis you want
Summary format is inconsistent:
Make the formatting instructions more explicit
Add specific examples of the desired output structure
Step 9: Save and use your flow
Once you're satisfied with the results:
Click Save Flow
Your flow is now ready to use!
You can run it anytime by providing a new research topic
Understanding step types
Now that you've built your first flow, let's understand when to use each step type:
Basic Steps
Use basic steps when you need:
Simple, straightforward processing
Built-in elvex tools (web browsing, data analysis, etc.)
Quick operations that don't require complex reasoning
Consistent, repeatable actions
Examples: Web searches, data formatting, file operations, simple text processing
Assistant Steps
Use assistant steps when you need:
Complex reasoning or analysis
Consistent personality or expertise as defined by an assistant
Reusable logic across multiple flows
Custom instructions that you want to refine over time
Examples: Content analysis, expert evaluation, creative writing, complex decision-making
What's next?
Now that you've built your first flow, you can:
Experiment with different topics: Try your flow with various research subjects
Add more steps: Consider adding steps for fact-checking or citation formatting
Create variations: Build flows for different types of research (market research, academic research, etc.)
Share your flow: Make it available to your team if it proves useful
Build more complex flows: Try flows with conditional logic or multiple output formats
Tips for success
Start simple: Begin with basic flows and add complexity gradually
Test frequently: Run tests after adding each step to catch issues early
Be specific: Clear, detailed instructions lead to better results
Iterate: Don't expect perfect results on the first try - refine your steps based on testing
Document your flows: Add clear names and descriptions to make them easy to understand later
Troubleshooting
If your flow isn't working as expected:
Check connections: Ensure all steps are properly connected
Review instructions: Make sure each step has clear, specific instructions
Test individual steps: Run steps in isolation to identify problems
Simplify: If a step is too complex, break it into smaller steps
Check inputs: Verify that each step is receiving the right type of input
Remember, building effective flows takes practice. Don't hesitate to experiment and iterate until you achieve the results you want.