Canvas Workflows

Otesse Canvas is the visual builder for creating automated workflows, data pipelines, and page layouts. Instead of writing code or filling out complex configuration forms, you drag steps onto an infinite canvas and connect them together.

Getting to Canvas

Canvas is accessible from the main Otesse navigation. Click Canvas in the top-level menu. You can also access it directly at canvas.otesse.com.

Creating a New Workflow

Click New Workflow (or the + button).
The system asks: What do you want to build? Choose from:

Email automation — Trigger on an event, compose and send an email.
Invoice workflow — Generate invoices when bookings complete.
Reminder sequence — Schedule SMS or email reminders at intervals.
Page layout — Build a visual page with containers, text, and images.
Custom — Start with a blank canvas.

If you choose a preset, the canvas loads with starter steps already connected. You customize from there.

The Canvas Interface

The canvas is an infinite workspace where you place and connect steps.

Toolbar — Along the top. Contains the step palette, undo/redo, zoom controls, Test/Live toggle, and save status.
Step palette — Click the + button to browse all available step types organized by category. Drag a step onto the canvas to add it.
Canvas area — The main workspace. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom. Steps snap to a grid for alignment.
Properties panel — Click any step to configure it. The right panel shows all settings for that step.
Mini-map — Bottom-right corner. Shows a zoomed-out view of your entire workflow. Useful for large workflows.

Connecting Steps

Steps have input and output ports. To connect them:

Hover over a step's output port (right side).
Click and drag to another step's input port (left side).
Release to create a connection.

Data flows left to right through your connections. Each step can read data from any step that comes before it in the flow.

Configuring Steps

Click any step to open its settings in the properties panel. Every step has:

Name — A label for the step (for your reference).
Type-specific settings — Each step type has its own configuration. For example, an Email step has subject, body, and recipient fields. A Filter step has condition rules.
Template expressions — Use double curly braces to reference data from earlier steps. For example, if a Trigger step outputs a customer name, you can write trigger.customerName (wrapped in double curly braces) in an Email step's body.

Testing Your Workflow

Before deploying, test your workflow:

Toggle the Test/Live pill in the toolbar to Test mode.
Click Run. The system executes your workflow with sample data.
Each step shows its output. Green means success. Red means an error.
Click any step to see its detailed output and debug any issues.

Deploying a Workflow

When your workflow is tested and ready:

Toggle to Live mode.
Click Deploy.
The workflow is active and will trigger based on your configured trigger conditions.

Deployed workflows run in the background. You can monitor their execution from the Run History tab, which shows every run with timestamps, statuses, and outputs.

Multi-Page Workflows

Complex workflows can span multiple pages. Use the page tabs at the top of the canvas to add pages. Each page is its own canvas, and you can reference steps across pages using template expressions.

Templates

Canvas includes a template marketplace with pre-built workflows:

Booking confirmation email — Sends a styled email when a booking is created.
Invoice generator — Creates and sends an invoice when a job is completed.
24-hour reminder — Sends a reminder SMS 24 hours before a scheduled service.
Review request — Asks the customer for a review 2 hours after service completion.
Welcome sequence — A multi-step onboarding email series for new customers.

Browse templates from the Templates tab and click Use Template to load one onto your canvas.

Auto-Save

Canvas auto-saves your work every few seconds. If your connection drops, a banner appears with a retry button. Your work is never lost.