workflow/docs/v4/api-reference/workflow-runtime/create-world.mdx

Workflow SDK - Build durable, resilient, and observable workflows

---
title: createWorld
description: Create a new World instance from environment configuration.
type: reference
summary: Use createWorld to instantiate a World from WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD environment configuration, bypassing the cached instance.
prerequisites:
  - /docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/get-world
related:
  - /docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/set-world
---

Creates a new [World](/docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/world) instance based on environment configuration. The `WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD` environment variable determines which World implementation is instantiated (for example the local development World or the Vercel production World).

Unlike [`getWorld()`](/docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/get-world), which caches a singleton instance, `createWorld()` constructs a fresh instance on every call. Application code should almost always use `getWorld()` — `createWorld()` is for infrastructure code that manages World lifecycles itself.

```typescript lineNumbers
import { createWorld } from "workflow/runtime";

const world = await createWorld(); // [!code highlight]
```

## API Signature

### Parameters

This function does not accept any parameters. Configuration is read from environment variables.

### Returns

Returns a newly constructed `World` instance.

<Callout type="info">
  In workflow 4.x, `createWorld()` is synchronous and returns `World` directly. It becomes async in 5.x, so writing `await createWorld()` works on both versions.
</Callout>

<Callout type="info">
  Tooling that needs to construct a World with explicit (non-environment) configuration should instantiate the specific World implementation directly and register it with [`setWorld()`](/docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/set-world).
</Callout>

## Related Functions

- [`getWorld()`](/docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/get-world) - Resolve the cached World instance (preferred in application code).
- [`setWorld()`](/docs/api-reference/workflow-runtime/set-world) - Override the cached World instance.