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Read What Asteroid is first. This page helps you create your first healthcare system integration. It takes a few minutes. Open the Asteroid platform and follow along. An Asteroid integration is built using a workflow, split into steps. Each step can be either fully written in code or it can use AI, or a mixture of both. Code is cheaper to run but less flexible. Most customers start with a fully AI-powered integration that is flexible but slow and expensive. Then, they use Astro to convert the workflow into code where possible so that it runs quickly and cheaply. Our assistant Astro is the best way to build and optimize your Asteroid workflows.
1

Create the integration

Sign in, click Create, and describe to Astro the task you want your integration to doStart with the goal in one line. Then list the steps in order. For example:
Note:
  • The integration signs in with credentials in an Agent profile.
  • {{.NAME}} and {{.DOCTOR_NOTE}} are inputs. You supply their values at execution time. See Inputs and outputs.
2

Work together with Astro

Astro will start building your integration. You can interact with Astro via the chat.Astro might open up a web browser in order to sign in to the portal and gain a better understanding of how to construct the integration.Astro might also ask you questions to clarify anything that requires your input.
3

Look at the graph

Astro, our builder, turns your description into a graph. Open it and read what it made.The graph holds two things:
  • Nodes — one narrow subtask each. See Nodes.
  • Transitions — the rules that pick the next node. See Transitions.
A new workflow usually starts as three nodes: a start node, one that does the work, and one that returns the outcome. That is enough for a first execution. Split it up later, as the task grows. Read Workflows are graphs.Rename the workflow while you are here with a clear name.
4

run it

Pick a profile, fill in the inputs, and start the execution.Click Run in the builder. The execution configuration opens. Set two things:
  1. Agent profile — the credentials and settings the execution uses. Select one, or create one now. See Agent profiles.
  2. Inputs — a value for every variable your instructions reference, such as NAME and DOCTOR_NOTE.
You can also attach files for the workflow to read during the execution. See Workflow filesystem.Start the execution.
5

Watch it work

quickstart-run2

Execution page

The execution opens live. Watch the workflow drive the browser, step by step.
From this page you can:
  • Send the workflow a message while it works
  • Pause or cancel the execution
  • Take the browser and click in it yourself
An execution moves through a fixed set of statuses, and ends in one of completed, failed, or cancelled. See Executions and statuses.
6

Read what happened

Open the execution on the Executions page. Read the timeline first. It shows each node the workflow entered and each action it took.Then read the result. The output node returns an outcome label and structured data. The label tells you which ending the workflow reached. See Inputs and outputs.Your first execution may not pass. That is normal, and the timeline shows you where it stopped. See Debug your workflows.
7

Iterate

You’re unlikely to make the perfect integration first time; you might have forgotten about an edge case or not accurately specified your task in some way.You can go back to Astro and explain any issues, and it will help you to fix them.See Improve your workflows for best practices on iterating on your workflows.Part of this will very likely involve scripting your workflow to make it cheaper, faster and more reliable.
8

Deploy

Once you have a workflow that you’re happy with, it’s time to deploy it. See Integrate for more information on how to go live.

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Next

Write good instructions

Make the workflow do the same thing every time.

Test, iterate, publish

Ship a version your systems can call.

Call a workflow from your code

Start executions by API and read the results.

Workflows are graphs

Understand nodes, transitions, and why small steps win.