Getting Started

Learn how to create your first insurance process flow with the Process Editor.

Table of contents

  1. Opening the Editor
  2. Creating Your First Process
    1. Step 1: Add the Initial Task
    2. Step 2: Set Task Properties
    3. Step 3: Add More States
    4. Step 4: Configure Transitions
    5. Step 5: Add Timers (Optional)
  3. Example: Simple Quote Process
  4. Validation
  5. Saving Your Work
    1. Auto-save
    2. Manual Export
  6. Try Examples
    1. đź“„ Download and Import
    2. 🎯 Recommended Examples
  7. Next Steps

Opening the Editor

  1. Live Demo: Visit the live demo to start immediately
  2. Local Development: Run pnpm run dev and open http://localhost:3000

Creating Your First Process

Step 1: Add the Initial Task

  1. From the palette (left side), drag a Task onto the canvas
  2. This task will automatically become your initial state (since it has no incoming flows)
  3. Click the task to select it and view its properties in the Properties Panel (right side)

Step 2: Set Task Properties

In the Properties Panel, configure:

  • State Name: Use snake_case format (e.g., created, waiting_approval)
  • Element ID: Unique identifier (e.g., task_created)
  • Description: Optional documentation

Step 3: Add More States

  1. Right-click your first task
  2. Choose “Append Task” to add a connected task, or
  3. Choose “Append End Event” to add a terminal state
  4. The connection (sequence flow) is created automatically

Step 4: Configure Transitions

  1. Click a sequence flow (the arrow between elements)
  2. In the Properties Panel, set:
    • Event Name: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (e.g., APPROVE, SUBMIT)
    • Flow ID: Unique identifier (e.g., flow_approve)
    • Guard: Optional guard function (e.g., isReviewer)
    • Actions: Comma-separated side effects (e.g., recordPayment, sendEmail)

Step 5: Add Timers (Optional)

  1. Right-click a task
  2. Choose “Add Timer Boundary Event”
  3. Configure the timer in Properties Panel:
    • Timer ID: Unique identifier
    • Timer Type: Choose DURATION or DATE
    • ISO Duration: For duration timers (e.g., P14D for 14 days)
    • At DateTime: For date timers (ISO format)
    • Timer Event: Event to trigger when timer fires

Example: Simple Quote Process

Let’s create a basic insurance quote process:

  1. Create Task: created (initial state)
  2. Append Task: approved
  3. Append End Event: completed
  4. Configure Flows:
    • created → approved: Event APPROVE, Guard isReviewer
    • approved → completed: Event COMPLETE
  5. Add Timer: 14-day timer on approved task for COLLECTION_EXPIRED

Validation

The editor validates your process in real-time:

  • Green: No issues found
  • Yellow Warning: Non-critical issues
  • Red Error: Must be fixed before export

Common validation rules:

  • Exactly one initial task (no incoming flows)
  • All tasks must have state names
  • Event names must be UPPER_SNAKE_CASE
  • No duplicate events from the same state
  • End events cannot have outgoing flows

Saving Your Work

Auto-save

  • Automatic: Saves to browser localStorage every 2 seconds after changes
  • Persistent: Survives page reloads and browser restarts
  • Visual Feedback: Shows “Auto-saved” notifications

Manual Export

  • Save BPMN: Export as .bpmn XML file
  • Export MachineSpec: Export as .machine.json for your web application
  • Bundle Export: ZIP package with BPMN + JSON + manifest

Try Examples

Want to explore more complex processes? Check out our ready-to-use examples:

đź“„ Download and Import

  1. Visit Examples Page - Browse all available examples
  2. Download both .bpmn and .machine.json files
  3. Import into the editor using “Load BPMN” or “Import Spec”
  4. Customize for your specific needs

Next Steps


Copyright © 2025 Etherisc. Distributed under the MIT License.