What Is a Pipeline?

In Auto Engine, a pipeline is the complete script that breaks a complex job into stages and lets the system execute each part automatically. It bundles the business flow, required tools, and trigger methods so repeatable work becomes visible, traceable, and reusable.

Core Traits

• Structured: A pipeline contains multiple stages, and each stage contains several nodes that execute the smallest tasks.
• Controllable: Conditions, variables, and context data help nodes form DAG-like paths so you can describe serial, parallel, or branching behaviors.
• Reusable: One definition can be triggered by different sources; cloning a pipeline quickly spins up a new use case.
• Observable: Every stage and node records inputs and outputs, which simplifies debugging and auditing.

What Does a Pipeline Include?

Stage

A stage groups related steps and decides the order in which nodes run. Typical examples are “prepare environment → fetch data → generate content → publish.”

Node

Nodes are the smallest execution units inside a stage. They can run a script, call an API, or drive the mouse/keyboard to finish a single action, then pass results downstream.

Conditions & Variables

Pipelines let you add conditions between nodes—for example, “only deploy when approval passes.” Global or runtime variables let the same pipeline adapt to different environments.

How Does a Pipeline Run?

1. Trigger: The system listens for user actions or external events and loads the matching pipeline.
2. Stage progression: Stages run in order; nodes inside the same stage execute in parallel.
3. Conditional routing: Node outputs and variables decide whether to skip, repeat, or branch into different stages.
4. Result reporting: After completion, the pipeline publishes logs, artifacts, and status so you can audit or rerun it later.

Why Use Pipelines?

• Reduce manual work: Automate repetitive, error-prone tasks.
• Keep consistency: Fixed flows with transparent steps prevent human differences from causing drift.
• Iterate faster: Every execution is recorded, making it easy to replay or reuse successful runs.
• Adapt to multiple scenarios: Multiple pipelines can live in one pipeline group and run in parallel for separate business needs.

Usage Tips

• Sketch the stages and nodes on paper or a whiteboard before configuring them.
• Standardize node inputs/outputs to avoid hidden dependencies.
• Add conditions or notifications to critical stages so exceptions are caught quickly.
• Review execution logs periodically, delete redundant stages, or split long pipelines to keep them maintainable.