The storyboard is the heart of the Tines platform, a flexible, interactive workspace where automation workflows come to life. The storyboard is an interactive, drag-and-drop builder where you create and visualize automation workflows called "stories."
A story is a collection of interconnected actions working toward a singular mission, like responding to a phishing email, onboarding a new employee, or investigating a security alert.
On the storyboard, you can:
Drag and drop actions from the left panel onto the canvas
Connect actions visually by drawing lines between them to define data flow
Configure action settings using the properties panel on the right
See your workflow in action with real-time event badges showing execution status
Organize and layout your automation for clarity and maintainability
Collaborate with teammates who can view and edit alongside you in real-time
Key components of the storyboard
The action library (left panel)
The left side of your storyboard contains the action library, which includes:
Eight core action types:
Webhook - Receives data from external systems to trigger workflows
HTTP Request - Sends or receives data from any API
Receive Email - Initiates workflows from incoming emails
Send Email - Sends email notifications or reports
AI Agent - Enables AI-powered reasoning and execution
Event Transform - Manipulates and structures data
Trigger - Makes decisions based on conditions
Send to Story - Reuses workflows by nesting them within other stories
👉 Learn more about actions here.
Action templates:
Search and drag pre-configured templates for popular tools and services. These templates come with pre-filled configurations for common tasks, dramatically speeding up your build time. If a tool offers an API, Tines can connect to it.
Story library:
Access hundreds of pre-built workflows from the Tines community that you can import and customize for your needs.
The canvas (center)
The central area is your workspace where you:
Place actions by dragging them from the left panel
Connect actions by drawing lines from one action to another
Move and arrange actions to create a clear, logical flow
Select actions to view and edit their configurations
See real-time indicators showing which actions have executed and how many events they've processed
The properties panel (right panel)
When you select an action on the storyboard, the right panel displays:
Name and description fields for documenting your action
Configuration options specific to that action type
An editable options block where you can define the action's behavior using formulas and data from previous actions
Rules and conditions that determine when the action should run
Working on the storyboard
Organizing your storyboard
When building a story in Tines, things can get messy. Actions overlap, or get crowded, and the overall flow can become harder to follow. Tines gives you two simple tools to quickly bring order back to your board: Align and Tidy. With these options, you can straighten out actions, space them evenly, and make your storyboard that bit easier to read and manage.
Align: This arranges the selected actions so that they line up neatly, either vertically or horizontally. It’s useful when you want multiple actions to share the same axis.
Tidy: This automatically spaces out the selected actions evenly, reducing overlaps and improving readability. It’s helpful for cleaning up a messy storyboard quickly without manually dragging actions around.
You can use Align when precision is needed (e.g., keeping several actions perfectly level) and Tidy when you want the overall layout to be more organised and visually clearer.
Notes:
Add notes to your storyboard to document complex logic, explain API requirements, or provide context for teammates. Notes are visible to everyone viewing the story and are particularly useful for:
Documenting intricate workflow sections
Explaining unclear API requests
Listing required parameters for Send to Story actions
Linking to external documentation for audit purposes
Connections:
Connections on the storyboard define how data flows between actions. When you connect Action A to Action B, you're telling Tines that when Action A completes and emits an event, Action B should receive that event and execute. To connect two actions:
Click on the source action (the one that will send data)
Drag from the action to the receiver action
Release to create the connection
You'll see a line connecting the two actions, showing the data flow path.
Understanding event flow:
An event is the output of an executed action. When an action runs successfully, it emits an event containing the data it produced. This event then flows to all connected actions, triggering them to execute with that data.
The storyboard shows event counts on each action with small badges, helping you understand how many times each action has executed and troubleshoot any issues.
👉 Learn more about events here.
Best practices
Start simple, then expand
Begin with a basic workflow that accomplishes your core objective. Once it's working, you can add error handling, notifications, and additional integrations. The storyboard makes it easy to add new actions without disrupting your existing flow.
Use descriptive names
Give your actions clear, descriptive names that explain what they do. Instead of "HTTP Request 1," use "Fetch user details from Okta." This makes your storyboard self-documenting and easier for teammates to understand.
Test as you build
Don't wait until your entire workflow is complete to test it. Use the test functionality on individual actions as you add them to catch issues early.
Leverage Send to Story for reusability
If you find yourself building the same sequence of actions in multiple workflows, create a separate story for that sequence and use Send to Story actions to call it. This keeps your storyboards cleaner and makes updates easier—change the sub-story once, and all stories using it benefit.
Document complex logic
Use notes on your storyboard to explain any complex decision logic, unusual API requirements, or business rules. Your future self (and your teammates) will thank you.
Keep it visual
Arrange your actions in a logical flow from left to right or top to bottom. Avoid crossing connection lines when possible, as this can make the workflow harder to follow.