Working with Nodes

Nodes are the fundamental building blocks of Atomemo workflows. Each node represents a specific operation or functionality, and by connecting nodes, you define data flow and business logic.

Node Types

Atomemo provides three types of nodes:

Trigger Nodes

Triggers are the entry points of workflows, defining when execution starts.

Available Triggers:

• Chat Trigger - Triggered by user conversations
• Manual Trigger - Manually triggered execution
• Webhook Trigger - Triggered by HTTP requests

Characteristics:

• Each workflow can only have one trigger
• Must be the first node in the workflow
• Defines the context data for the workflow

Action Nodes

Action nodes execute specific operational tasks.

Common Action Nodes:

• AI Agent - Build intelligent AI agents
• LLM - Call large language models
• HTTP Request - Call external APIs
• Code - Execute custom code
• Conditional Branch - Execute different branches based on conditions
• Answer - Return response messages

Characteristics:

• Can have multiple Action nodes
• Execute sequentially or in parallel
• Can access data from previous nodes

Tool Nodes

Tool nodes provide callable tool capabilities for AI Agents.

Available Tool Nodes:

• Code Tool - Provide code execution capability
• HTTP Request Tool - Provide API calling capability
• Entity Recognition Tool - Provide information extraction capability

Characteristics:

• Can only connect to AI Agent nodes
• Called autonomously by AI Agent
• Extend AI Agent's capability range

Adding Nodes

Atomemo provides three ways to add nodes to the canvas:

Method 1: Add from Toolbar

This is the most common way to add nodes.

1. Click Add Button

   • Find the "+" button in the top-left corner of canvas
   • Or press Tab key to open node panel

2. Browse Node List

   • Use search box to quickly find nodes
   • Filter nodes by category tabs:
     • All - Show all nodes
     • Trigger - Show only trigger nodes
     • Action - Show only Action nodes
     • Tool - Show only Tool nodes
     • Plugins - Show installed plugin nodes

3. Add Node

   • Drag Method:
     • Drag node card to canvas
     • Release mouse to complete addition
   • Click Method:
     • Click node card
     • Node follows mouse movement
     • Click on canvas to place node

Shortcut: Tab - Open/close node panel

Example Flow:

1. Press Tab to open node panel
2. Type "HTTP" in search box
3. Find "HTTP Request" node
4. Drag to canvas center
5. Node is added to canvas

Method 2: Add from Context Menu

Quickly add nodes through canvas context menu.

1. Open Context Menu

   • Right-click on blank canvas area
   • Select "Add Node" submenu

2. Select Node

   • Browse node category menu
   • Click node to add

3. Node Auto-Created

   • Node is created at mouse position
   • No dragging needed, directly completed

Use Cases:

• Quick node addition
• Create node at specific position
• Don't need to preview node information

Shortcuts:

• Shift + T - Tidy Up canvas
• Cmd/Ctrl + A - Select all nodes

Method 3: Add from Node Handles

This is the most fluid way to add, creating both node and connection simultaneously.

Through Node Handles

Each node has connection points (handles) for connecting to other nodes:

Right-Side Handle (Output Port):

• Located on node's right side
• Used to connect to next node
• Displayed as circular button

Bottom Handle (Tool Output):

• Located at bottom of AI Agent node
• Used to connect Tool nodes
• Only shown on AI Agent nodes

Addition Steps

Method 1: Drag Handle

1. Start Dragging

   • Find node's output handle (circular button)
   • Click and drag handle
   • Connection line follows mouse

2. Show Node Menu

   • Drag to blank area
   • Release mouse
   • Node selection menu automatically pops up

3. Select Node

   • Browse available nodes in menu
   • Click node to add
   • Node and connection auto-created

Method 2: Click Handle

1. Click Handle

   • Directly click node's output handle
   • No dragging needed

2. Node Menu Pops Up

   • Menu displays next to handle
   • Shows list of connectable nodes

3. Select and Add

   • Click node to add
   • Node is created next to current node
   • Connection automatically established

Smart Filtering:

• Right-Side Output Handle: Shows Action nodes (excludes triggers and tools)
• Bottom Output Handle: Shows only Tool nodes
• Auto-filters based on node type, showing only connectable nodes

Advantages:

• One operation completes addition and connection
• Auto-calculates node position
• Keeps workflow tidy
• Improves build efficiency

Node Configuration

After adding a node, you need to configure node parameters.

Select Node

1. Click Node

   • Click node on canvas
   • Node border highlights
   • Configuration panel displays on right

2. Configuration Panel

   • Displays all node parameters
   • Each parameter has description
   • Supports expressions and fixed values

Configure Parameters

Basic Parameters:

• Required Parameters: Marked with red asterisk
• Optional Parameters: Can be left empty
• Default Values: Some parameters have preset values

Parameter Types:

• Text Input: Enter string or number
• Dropdown Select: Choose from options
• Code Editor: Enter code or expressions
• File Upload: Upload files
• Toggle: Enable or disable feature

Using Expressions:

• Click expression icon on right of parameter
• Enter expression to reference other node data
• Use $('NodeName').fieldName syntax
• Supports string templates and function calls

Examples:

// Reference trigger message
$('Chat Trigger').message

// Reference HTTP request response
$('HTTP Request').body.data

// Use string template
`User ${$('Chat Trigger').userId} order`

// Use methods
$('HTTP Request').body.items.length

Node Settings

Click menu icon in top-right of node to access node settings:

Common Settings:

• Rename Node: Modify node display name
• Add Notes: Add description to node
• Error Handling: Configure behavior on failure
• Retry Strategy: Set retry count and interval
• Timeout Setting: Set node execution timeout

Connecting Nodes

Nodes are connected by connection lines to define data flow.

Create Connection

Method 1: Drag Connection

1. Drag from source node's output handle
2. Drag to target node's input handle
3. Release mouse to complete connection

Method 2: Click Connection

1. Click source node's output handle
2. Click target node's input handle
3. Connection auto-created

Connection Rules

Basic Rules:

• Trigger nodes can only connect to Action nodes
• Action nodes can connect to other Action nodes
• Tool nodes can only connect to AI Agent nodes
• Cannot form circular connections

Connection Limits:

• Each input port usually accepts only one connection
• Output ports can connect to multiple nodes
• Some nodes support multiple inputs (e.g., Merge node)

Manage Connections

Delete Connection:

• Select connection line
• Press Delete or Backspace key
• Or right-click and select "Delete"

Reconnect:

• Delete old connection
• Create new connection

Node Operations

Move Nodes

Single Node:

• Click and drag node
• Release mouse to place node

Multiple Nodes:

• Hold Shift and click to select multiple nodes
• Or drag selection box to select area
• Drag any selected node to move all nodes

Copy Nodes

Shortcuts:

• Cmd/Ctrl + C - Copy
• Cmd/Ctrl + V - Paste
• Cmd/Ctrl + D - Duplicate

Context Menu:

• Right-click node
• Select "Copy"
• Select "Paste" at target location

Delete Nodes

Delete Single Node:

• Select node
• Press Delete or Backspace key
• Or right-click and select "Delete"

Delete Multiple Nodes:

• Select multiple nodes
• Press Delete or Backspace key

Smart Delete (Shift + Delete):

• Deletes node and auto-reconnects surrounding nodes
• Maintains workflow continuity

Tidy Canvas

Auto Tidy:

• Press Shift + T key
• Or select "Tidy" in context menu
• Nodes automatically arrange neatly

Manual Adjust:

• Drag nodes to ideal positions
• Use alignment guides
• Keep consistent node spacing

Node Status

Nodes display different states during execution:

Execution States

Waiting (Gray):

• Node not yet executed
• Waiting for preceding nodes to complete

Executing (Blue Animation):

• Node is executing
• Shows loading animation

Success (Green):

• Node execution completed
• Shows checkmark icon

Failed (Red):

• Node execution error
• Shows error icon
• Click to view error details

View Data

In the node editor, you can view input and output data:

Context (Left Panel):

• Shows output data from all upstream nodes
• Available for expression references
• Support executing upstream nodes to view data

Output (Right Panel):

• Shows current node's output data
• Supports Schema and JSON view switching
• Can pin data for testing

Execution Time:

• Node shows execution duration
• Helps identify performance bottlenecks

Node Creator Panel

Search Nodes

In search box at top of node panel:

Search by Name:

Input: "HTTP"
Results: HTTP Request, HTTP Request Tool

Search by Function:

Input: "AI"
Results: AI Agent, AI Classifier

Search by Description:

Input: "call API"
Results: HTTP Request

Filter Nodes

Use category tabs for quick filtering:

Trigger:

• Show only trigger nodes
• Used to start building workflow

Action:

• Show all Action nodes
• Most commonly used node type

Tool:

• Show Tool nodes
• Used to extend AI Agent capabilities

Plugins:

• Show installed plugin nodes
• Custom and third-party nodes

Node Information

Each node card displays:

Basic Info:

• Icon: Node type identifier
• Name: Node name
• Description: Brief function description

Category Colors:

• Blue: Trigger nodes
• Purple: Action nodes
• Green: Tool nodes
• Gray: Plugin nodes

Keyboard Shortcuts

Node Operations

Shortcut	Function
Tab	Open/close node panel
Cmd/Ctrl + C	Copy node
Cmd/Ctrl + V	Paste node
Cmd/Ctrl + D	Duplicate
Delete / Backspace	Delete node
Shift + Delete	Smart delete (reconnect)

Canvas Operations

Shortcut	Function
Cmd/Ctrl + A	Select all nodes
Shift + T	Tidy canvas
Cmd/Ctrl + Z	Undo
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z	Redo
Space + Drag	Pan canvas
Cmd/Ctrl + Scroll	Zoom canvas

Best Practices

1. Organize Nodes Properly

Linear Flow:

Chat Trigger → LLM → Answer

Branching Flow:

Chat Trigger → AI Classifier
              ↓
              ├→ [Support] → Answer
              ├→ [Sales] → Answer
              └→ [Technical] → Answer

Complex Flow:

Chat Trigger → Entity Recognition → HTTP Request → Code → Answer

2. Name Nodes

Use Descriptive Names:

✓ "Query User Info"
✓ "Calculate Order Total"
✓ "Send Email Notification"

✗ "HTTP Request"
✗ "Code 1"
✗ "Node"

3. Add Comments

Add comments for complex nodes:

• Explain node purpose
• Document important logic
• Mark important notes

4. Keep Tidy

Regular Tidying:

• Use Shift + T for auto-tidying
• Keep nodes aligned
• Avoid crossing connection lines

Group Related Nodes:

• Place related nodes together
• Use visual separation
• Easy to understand and maintain

5. Test Nodes

Test Individually:

• Test each node's configuration
• Verify input/output data
• Ensure logic is correct

Progressive Building:

• Build core flow first
• Add features gradually
• Test after each addition

FAQ

Q: Why can't I connect nodes after adding?

A: Check the following:

• Tool nodes can only connect to AI Agent's bottom port
• Trigger nodes cannot connect to another trigger
• Some ports may have reached connection limit
• Ensure connection direction is correct (output→input)

Q: How to pass data between nodes?

A: Use expression syntax:

// Reference data from previous nodes
$('NodeName').fieldName

// Examples
$('HTTP Request').body.userId
$('Chat Trigger').message

Q: Node panel won't open?

A:

• Press Tab key to toggle panel state
• Click "+" button in top-left
• Refresh page and retry

Q: How to delete node but keep connection?

A: Use smart delete:

• Select node to delete
• Press Shift + Delete
• Node deleted, surrounding nodes auto-reconnect

Q: Lost node configuration?

A:

• Use Cmd/Ctrl + Z to undo operation
• Check version history to restore previous state
• System auto-saves, try refreshing page

Q: How to copy entire workflow branch?

A:

1. Hold Shift to select multiple nodes
2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + C to copy
3. Press Cmd/Ctrl + V to paste
4. All nodes and connections will be copied

Next Steps

• Expressions - Learn how to use expressions for data processing
• Chat Trigger - Learn about trigger nodes
• AI Agent - Build intelligent agents
• HTTP Request - Call external APIs

Related Resources

• Node Type Documentation - View all available nodes
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete shortcut list
• Expression Syntax - Data processing reference