---
title: Processes
description: Chain flows into ordered, multi-phase processes with automatic data handoff and approval gates.
---

A **process** is the layer above a flow. Where a flow is a DAG of steps inside one agent session, a process is an ordered sequence of **phases** — each phase runs a complete flow, and the output of one phase feeds the input of the next.

> For phase types and `inputMapping` syntax, see [Phase templates](#phase-templates) below.

## Why processes exist

One flow automates one job. A process chains several flows into a supervised, multi-phase line of work — the output of a whole team, as one auditable run. An operator supervising a process board sees every phase of every run at a glance.

## Example: a content production process

```
📥 Intake flow A
      ↓
🔎 Research flow B
      ↓
✍️  Draft flow C
      ↓
⏸  Review — human gate
      ↓
✅ Approve flow D
      ↓
🚀 Deliver flow E
```

Each phase is a full, independently durable flow. If the review gate pauses the run, flows A–C are not re-executed when a reviewer approves.

## Three core mechanisms

### Data handoff

Each phase's output feeds the next via a **JSONPath mapping** you configure in the process definition — no glue code, no manual copy-paste. The `outputKey` of a phase is the root for downstream `inputMapping` selectors. The schema is validated at process compile time.

### Approval anywhere

Any phase can carry `requireApproval: true`. When the phase completes, the run pauses and the configured reviewers are notified. The run resumes only after a reviewer approves (or rejects, sending it to the configured fallback).

### Kanban supervision

The process board shows every phase of every run as a card in a kanban view. One operator can supervise what used to require a full team — intake is queued, drafts are in progress, reviews are waiting, deliveries are done.

## Phase templates

AKOS ships built-in phase templates (`prd`, `issues`, `dev`, `review`, `qa`, `security`, `custom`) plus the full `inputMapping` / `outputKey` schema. The `custom` phase type accepts any flow template, making processes usable in any industry vertical.

## Related topics

- **[Flows](./flows)** — the building block of every process phase.
- **[Processes in the app](/docs/using-the-app/pipelines)** — kanban board, chain view, and process run bar.
- **[HITL gates](./flows#node-kinds)** — how human approval works inside a flow node.
- **[Inbox](/docs/using-the-app/inbox)** — where approval tasks land when a phase requires human sign-off.
- **[Run lifecycle](/docs/how-it-works/run-lifecycle)** — how a process run is traced and audited end to end.