workflow/docs/deploying/building-a-world.mdx

Workflow SDK - Build durable, resilient, and observable workflows

---
title: Building a World
description: Implement the World interface to run workflows on any custom infrastructure.
type: guide
summary: Build a custom World adapter to run workflows on your own infrastructure.
prerequisites:
  - /docs/deploying
  - /docs/foundations/workflows-and-steps
related:
  - /docs/deploying/world/local-world
  - /docs/deploying/world/postgres-world
  - /docs/deploying/world/vercel-world
---

A **World** is the abstraction that allows workflows to run on any infrastructure. It handles workflow storage, step execution queuing, and data streaming. This guide explains the World interface and how to implement your own.

<Callout>
  Before building a custom World, check the [Worlds Ecosystem](/worlds) page — there may already be a community implementation for your infrastructure.
</Callout>

<Callout type="info">
  **Reference Implementation:** The [Postgres World source code](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/tree/main/packages/world-postgres) is a production-ready example of how to implement the World interface with a database backend and graphile-worker for queuing.
</Callout>

## What is a World?

A World connects workflows to the infrastructure that powers them. The World interface abstracts three core responsibilities:

1. **Storage** — Persisting workflow runs, steps, hooks, and the event log
2. **Queue** — Enqueuing and processing workflow and step invocations
3. **Streamer** — Managing real-time data streams between workflows and clients

{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface World extends Storage, Queue, Streamer {
  start?(): Promise<void>;
  close?(): Promise<void>;
  getEncryptionKeyForRun?(run: WorkflowRun): Promise<Uint8Array | undefined>;
  getEncryptionKeyForRun?(runId: string, context?: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<Uint8Array | undefined>;
}
```

The optional `start()` method initializes background tasks (for example, queue polling). The optional `close()` method releases resources like connection pools and listeners. The optional `getEncryptionKeyForRun()` method returns the AES-256 key used to encrypt data for a run; if it is not implemented, encryption is disabled.

## The Event Log Model

Workflow storage is built on an **append-only event log**. All state changes happen through events — you never modify runs, steps, or hooks directly. Instead, you create events that update the materialized state.

Events fall into three categories: run lifecycle events, step lifecycle events, and hook lifecycle events. See the [Event Sourcing](/docs/how-it-works/event-sourcing) documentation for a complete list of event types and their semantics.

## Storage Interface

The Storage interface provides read access to materialized entities and write access through events:

{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface Storage {
  runs: {
    get(id: string, params?: GetWorkflowRunParams): Promise<WorkflowRun>;
    list(params?: ListWorkflowRunsParams): Promise<PaginatedResponse<WorkflowRun>>;
  };

  steps: {
    get(runId: string | undefined, stepId: string, params?: GetStepParams): Promise<Step>;
    list(params: ListWorkflowRunStepsParams): Promise<PaginatedResponse<Step>>;
  };

  events: {
    // Create a new workflow run (runId may be client-provided or null for server generation)
    create(runId: string | null, data: RunCreatedEventRequest, params?: CreateEventParams): Promise<EventResult>;
    
    // Create an event for an existing run
    create(runId: string, data: CreateEventRequest, params?: CreateEventParams): Promise<EventResult>;
    
    list(params: ListEventsParams): Promise<PaginatedResponse<Event>>;
    listByCorrelationId(params: ListEventsByCorrelationIdParams): Promise<PaginatedResponse<Event>>;
  };

  hooks: {
    get(hookId: string, params?: GetHookParams): Promise<Hook>;
    getByToken(token: string, params?: GetHookParams): Promise<Hook>;
    list(params: ListHooksParams): Promise<PaginatedResponse<Hook>>;
  };
}
```

### Key Implementation Details

**Event Creation:** When `events.create()` is called, your implementation must:
1. Persist the event to the event log
2. Atomically update the affected entity (run, step, or hook)
3. Return both the created event and the updated entity

**Run Creation:** For `run_created` events, the `runId` parameter may be a client-provided string or `null`. When `null`, your World generates and returns a new `runId`.

**Hook Tokens:** Hook tokens must be unique. If a `hook_created` event conflicts with an existing token, return a `hook_conflict` event instead and include the active hook owner's run ID as `eventData.conflictingRunId`.

**Automatic Hook Disposal:** When a workflow reaches a terminal state (`completed`, `failed`, or `cancelled`), automatically dispose of all associated hooks to release tokens for reuse.

## Queue Interface

The Queue interface handles asynchronous execution of workflows and steps:

{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface Queue {
  getDeploymentId(): Promise<string>;

  queue(
    queueName: ValidQueueName,
    message: QueuePayload,
    opts?: QueueOptions
  ): Promise<{ messageId: MessageId }>;

  createQueueHandler(
    queueNamePrefix: QueuePrefix,
    handler: (message: unknown, meta: { attempt: number; queueName: ValidQueueName; messageId: MessageId }) => Promise<void | { timeoutSeconds: number }>
  ): (req: Request) => Promise<Response>;
}
```

### Queue Names

Queue names follow a specific pattern:
- `__wkf_workflow_<name>` — For workflow invocations
- `__wkf_step_<name>` — For step invocations

### Message Payloads

Two types of messages flow through queues:

**Workflow Invocations:**
{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface WorkflowInvokePayload {
  runId: string;
  traceCarrier?: Record<string, string>;  // OpenTelemetry context
  requestedAt?: Date;
}
```

**Step Invocations:**
{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface StepInvokePayload {
  workflowName: string;
  workflowRunId: string;
  workflowStartedAt: number;
  stepId: string;
  traceCarrier?: Record<string, string>;
  requestedAt?: Date;
}
```

### Implementation Considerations

- Messages must be delivered at-least-once
- Support configurable retry policies
- Track attempt counts for observability
- Implement idempotency using the `idempotencyKey` option when provided

## Streamer Interface

The Streamer interface enables real-time data streaming:

{/* @skip-typecheck - interface definition, not runnable code */}
```typescript
interface Streamer {
  writeToStream(
    name: string,
    runId: string,
    chunk: string | Uint8Array
  ): Promise<void>;

  writeToStreamMulti?(
    name: string,
    runId: string,
    chunks: (string | Uint8Array)[]
  ): Promise<void>;

  closeStream(
    name: string,
    runId: string
  ): Promise<void>;

  readFromStream(
    name: string,
    startIndex?: number
  ): Promise<ReadableStream<Uint8Array>>;

  listStreamsByRunId(runId: string): Promise<string[]>;

  /** Paginated snapshot of stream chunks. */
  getStreamChunks(
    name: string,
    runId: string,
    options?: { limit?: number; cursor?: string }
  ): Promise<{
    data: { index: number; data: Uint8Array }[];
    cursor: string | null;
    hasMore: boolean;
    done: boolean;
  }>;

  /** Lightweight metadata: tail index and completion flag. */
  getStreamInfo(
    name: string,
    runId: string
  ): Promise<{ tailIndex: number; done: boolean }>;
}
```

Streams are identified by a combination of `runId` and `name`. Each workflow run can have multiple named streams.
`writeToStreamMulti()` is an optional optimization for batching multiple writes.

`getStreamChunks` returns a paginated snapshot of currently available chunks (unlike `readFromStream` which returns a live `ReadableStream` that waits for new chunks). `getStreamInfo` returns the tail index (last chunk index, 0-based, or `-1` when empty) and whether the stream is complete — useful for resolving negative `startIndex` values into absolute positions.

## Reference Implementations

Study these implementations for guidance:

- **[Local World](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/tree/main/packages/world-local)** — Filesystem-based, great for understanding the basics
- **[Postgres World](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/tree/main/packages/world-postgres)** — Database-backed with graphile-worker for queuing

## Testing Your World

Workflow SDK includes an E2E test suite that validates World implementations. Once your World is published to npm:

1. Add your world to [`worlds-manifest.json`](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/blob/main/worlds-manifest.json)
2. Open a PR to the Workflow repository
3. CI will automatically run the E2E test suite against your implementation

Your world will then appear on the [Worlds Ecosystem](/worlds) page with its compatibility status and performance benchmarks.

## Publishing Your World

1. **Package your World** — Export a default World instance from your package
2. **Publish to npm** — Publish your package to npm
3. **Add to the manifest** — Submit a PR adding your world to [`worlds-manifest.json`](https://github.com/vercel/workflow/blob/main/worlds-manifest.json)
4. **Document configuration** — Clearly document any required environment variables

```json
// worlds-manifest.json entry
{
  "package": "your-world-package",
  "repository": "https://github.com/you/your-world",
  "docs": "https://github.com/you/your-world#readme"
}
```