Pipeline Entry Point¶

The Entry Point is the first node that executes when your pipeline runs. Every pipeline must have exactly one entry point.

Required Configuration

Every pipeline must have an entry point. Without one, the pipeline cannot execute.

What is an Entry Point?¶

The Entry Point defines which node executes first when your pipeline runs—the "starting line" of your workflow.

Key Rules¶

Single Entry Point:

Exactly one node must be designated as the entry point
Pipeline execution always begins at this node

Node Eligibility:

✅ Can be entry points: LLM, Agent, Function, Tool, Code, Custom, Loop, Loop from Tool, State Modifier, Pipeline (Subgraph), Decision
❌ Cannot be entry points: Router and Condition nodes

Why Router and Condition Can't Be Entry Points

Router and Condition nodes require input data to evaluate their conditions. At pipeline start, no state variables have been populated yet, so these nodes have nothing to evaluate.

Setting an Entry Point¶

Visual Method (Flow Editor)¶

Steps:

Open your pipeline in the Flow Editor
Click the three dots (⋮) on the node card
Select Make entrypoint from the dropdown

After making a node the entry point, an Input icon appears at the top of the node card, indicating it's the pipeline's starting point.

Changing Entry Points

Setting a new entry point automatically removes the previous designation.

YAML Method¶

In YAML configuration, define the entry point at the top level:

entry_point: node_id

nodes:
  - id: node_id
    type: llm
    # ... node configuration

Valid Example:

entry_point: greeting

nodes:
  - id: greeting
    type: llm

Invalid Examples:

# ❌ Non-existent node
entry_point: missing_node

# ❌ Router as entry point
entry_point: route_decision
nodes:
  - id: route_decision
    type: router

Best Practices¶

Match Entry Point to Workflow Type¶

Conversational: Start with LLM node
Automated: Start with Function/Tool node
Routing: Start with Decision node
Batch: Start with Loop/Loop from Tool node
Modular: Start with Pipeline (Subgraph) node

Essential Checks

Ensure entry_point value exactly matches a node id
Avoid Router/Condition nodes as entry points
Test that entry point node executes first
Confirm transition to next node works