> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gumloop.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Workflow Checkpoints

## What are Workflow Checkpoints

Checkpoints in Gumloop provide a simple way to create snapshots of your work and roll back when needed.

**Here's how it works:**

* You're always editing the live checkpoint directly
* Create checkpoints whenever you want to save a snapshot
* Any past checkpoint can be made live instantly
* Every checkpoint is saved forever in your history

<div className="rounded-2xl overflow-hidden border border-pink-200 dark:border-pink-800">
  <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1111505036?h=a3aa1873a2&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" style={{ width: '100%', aspectRatio: '16/9' }} frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media" title="Checkpoint History Video" />
</div>

<Note>
  **Simple analogy**: Think of it like Google Docs. You're always editing the real document, and checkpoints lets you create snapshots of your work you can return to at any time.
</Note>

## Understanding Live Checkpoint vs Saved Checkpoints

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="🚀 Live Checkpoint">
    The checkpoint that's currently running and that you're editing. Triggers, interfaces, and webhooks all point to this. All your edits happen here and take effect immediately.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="📌 Saved Checkpoints">
    Snapshots you've created at specific points in time. These are read-only checkpoints stored in history that can be viewed, duplicated, or promoted to become the new live checkpoint.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Quick Overview

|                         | **Live Checkpoint**                             | **Saved Checkpoint**                  |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **What is it?**         | Your current checkpoint that runs everything    | A snapshot saved in history           |
| **Can you edit it?**    | ✅ Yes - you're always editing this              | ❌ No - read-only snapshot             |
| **Runs automatically?** | ✅ Yes - triggers, interfaces, webhooks use this | ❌ No - unless promoted to live        |
| **Create checkpoint**   | Save menu → "Save & Create New Checkpoint"      | Already exists in history             |
| **Make it live**        | Already live                                    | "Make This Checkpoint Live" from menu |

## How Checkpoints Work

### The Workflow of Work

<Steps titleSize="h3">
  <Step title="Edit Your Workflow">
    You're always working on the live checkpoint. Changes take effect immediately as you save.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Checkpoints">
    Use Save menu → **Save & Create New Checkpoint** when you want to save a snapshot of your current work.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Continue Working">
    Keep editing the live checkpoint. Your snapshot remains safely stored.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Roll Back if Needed">
    If something goes wrong, promote any past checkpoint to instantly make it live.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Real-World Example: Building a Slack Notification Workflow

```text theme={"dark"}
Monday: Build working Slack notification workflow → LIVE
        Save & Create New Checkpoint (Checkpoint 1) → snapshot saved
        
Tuesday: Add email notifications → LIVE 
         Accidentally break Slack connection → LIVE broken
         Open Checkpoint History → Make Checkpoint 1 Live → LIVE restored instantly
         
Wednesday: Fix the issue properly → LIVE
           Add email feature again → LIVE
           Save & Create New Checkpoint (Checkpoint 2) → snapshot saved
```

## Creating and Managing Checkpoints

### Creating a New Checkpoint

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/RJ-NHNhqI7lquLP4/images/save_dropdown_menu.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=RJ-NHNhqI7lquLP4&q=85&s=f7416c5e38ef59f55a7cadcb9b0114ee" alt="Save dropdown showing Save & Create New Checkpoint option" width="300" data-path="images/save_dropdown_menu.png" />
</div>

To create a checkpoint to save a snapshot of your workflow:

1. Click the **Save** dropdown arrow
2. Select **"Save & Create New Checkpoint"**
3. Your current state is saved as a checkpoint
4. Continue editing the live checkpoint

<Info>
  **Pro Tip**: Create checkpoints before making major changes, so you have a known-good state to return to if needed.
</Info>

### Making a Past Checkpoint Live

When you need to roll back to a stable checkpoint:

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/mtseThdZrTN35njO/images/workbook_history_panel.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=mtseThdZrTN35njO&q=85&s=6d6c1dfd547b49ffd63c5524025e6019" alt="Checkpoint History panel showing Make This Checkpoint Live option" width="500" data-path="images/workbook_history_panel.png" />
</div>

1. Open Checkpoint History from Save menu
2. Find the stable checkpoint you want
3. Click menu (⋮) → **"Make This Checkpoint Live"**
4. Triggers/interfaces immediately switch to this checkpoint

### Rolling Back to a Checkpoint

When you need to continue working from a past checkpoint, you can **rollback** to it. This replaces your current working draft with that past checkpoint, allowing you to build directly on top of it.

**Steps to Rollback:**

1. Open **Checkpoint History** from the Save menu
2. Find the checkpoint you want to rollback to
3. Click the menu (⋮) → **"Rollback to This Checkpoint"**
4. Your current draft is replaced with that checkpoint, and you are now editing from it directly

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/4wfT7RsBQWwLHjdN/images/rollback_to_checkpoint.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4wfT7RsBQWwLHjdN&q=85&s=68f54eac3b73d240ed888c964792eb27" alt="Checkpoint History panel showing Rollback to This Checkpoint option" width="500" data-path="images/rollback_to_checkpoint.png" />
</div>

<Note>
  Rolling back is useful when you want to take a past version and **continue evolving it**, rather than just viewing or duplicating it.
</Note>

***

### Difference Between Rollback and Make Live

| Action                          | What It Does                                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Rollback to This Checkpoint** | Sets that past checkpoint as your current working draft so you can continue editing it.                               |
| **Make This Checkpoint Live**   | Switches triggers, interfaces, and webhooks to run that checkpoint immediately, without affecting your current draft. |

**Example Workflow:**

```text theme={"dark"}
Checkpoint 3: Stable version
Checkpoint 4: New feature added but buggy

You decide to scrap Checkpoint 4 and keep working from Checkpoint 3:
→ Rollback to Checkpoint 3 → Your editor now shows Checkpoint 3 and you continue building from there
→ When ready, Make This Checkpoint Live → Production switches to the updated version
```

This makes **Rollback** perfect for cases where you want to roll back your actual work in progress and build forward from a previous stable point.

## Working with Triggers

<Warning>
  **Important**: Triggers always run from whichever checkpoint is currently live. When you switch checkpoints, all triggers immediately use the new live checkpoint.
</Warning>

### How Triggers Behave

* **While editing**: Your saved changes affect triggers immediately (you're editing live)
* **When creating a checkpoint**: Triggers continue running, just creates a snapshot
* **When making past checkpoint live**: All triggers instantly switch to that checkpoint

| Action                       | What Happens to Triggers             | Important Note             |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| Edit the workflow            | ❌ No effect until saved              | Changes are local only     |
| **Save** the workflow        | ✅ Changes apply immediately          | Triggers use saved changes |
| Save & Create New Checkpoint | ✅ No change - just saves snapshot    | Triggers keep running      |
| Make past checkpoint live    | ✅ Triggers switch to that checkpoint | Instant switch             |
| Add new trigger + Save       | ✅ Active immediately                 | Must save to activate      |
| Delete trigger + Save        | ✅ Removed immediately                | Must save to deactivate    |

## Working with Interfaces

Interfaces work exactly like triggers - they always serve the current live checkpoint:

* Users always see the live checkpoint
* Changes to interfaces take effect immediately
* When you promote a past checkpoint, interfaces instantly switch
* No publish step required

## Past Checkpoints Panel

### Viewing Past Checkpoints

Click **"View Past Checkpoints"** from the Save menu to see all your checkpoints:

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/Mawd7Qa09jWZc12U/images/workbook_history_2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Mawd7Qa09jWZc12U&q=85&s=e198e3b1c9c93fdcd786795669d8e23f" alt="Checkpoint History panel" width="200" data-path="images/workbook_history_2.png" />
</div>

Each checkpoint shows:

* Checkpoint number
* Creation date and time
* Author information
* Live badge (if currently live)
* Menu for actions

### Available Actions for Past Checkpoints

From the menu (⋮) next to any past checkpoint:

* **Make This Checkpoint Live**: Instantly switch to this checkpoint
* **Rollback to This Checkpoint**: Create a duplicate of this checkpoint as a new snapshot
* **Edit Details**: Update the name or description

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/o2Z6pVHza2AqPrtr/images/checkpoint_menu.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=o2Z6pVHza2AqPrtr&q=85&s=07d0821c0288aeafb6073b1541d5053d" alt="Checkpoint menu options" width="200" data-path="images/checkpoint_menu.png" />
</div>

## Advanced: When a Past Checkpoint is Live

<Info>
  This section covers an advanced scenario used by power users who need to maintain stable production while fixing issues.
</Info>

### What Happens When You Promote a Past Checkpoint

When you make a past checkpoint live:

1. Triggers, interfaces, and webhooks immediately point to that past checkpoint
2. **Your current work is NOT lost** - it becomes a checkpoint
3. The past checkpoint remains read-only (you can't edit it)
4. You continue editing from where you left off

### Returning to Your Latest Work

After promoting a past checkpoint, you might want to switch back to your recent edits:

<div align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agenthub/RJ-NHNhqI7lquLP4/images/save_menu_with_past_checkpoint_live.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=RJ-NHNhqI7lquLP4&q=85&s=f3f769b6907066a5894d676b90e2987b" alt="Save menu showing Make This Checkpoint Live when past checkpoint is active" width="600" data-path="images/save_menu_with_past_checkpoint_live.png" />
</div>

When a past checkpoint is live, the Save menu shows **"Make This Checkpoint Live"** - click this to:

* Return your recent edits to live status
* Switch triggers/interfaces back to your latest work

### Example Scenario: Production Hotfix

```text theme={"dark"}
1. Production issue occurs
2. Make stable Checkpoint 5 live → Users get working checkpoint
3. Continue fixing in your current checkpoint
4. Test thoroughly
5. Save menu → "Make This Checkpoint Live" → Deploy fix
```

This setup allows you to:

* Instantly restore service with a past checkpoint
* Fix issues without time pressure
* Deploy when ready

## Best Practices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Checkpoint Before Major Changes">
    Create a checkpoint before adding new features or making significant edits
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name Your Checkpoints">
    Add descriptions to checkpoints so you know what state they represent
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test After Switching">
    When promoting a past checkpoint, verify triggers and interfaces work as expected
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common Workflows

### Quick Rollback

1. Something breaks in production
2. Open Checkpoint History
3. Find last known good checkpoint
4. Click **"Make This Checkpoint Live"**
5. Production is fixed instantly

### Experimenting Safely

1. Save & Create New Checkpoint (save current state)
2. Make experimental changes
3. If experiment fails: promote the checkpoint back to live
4. If experiment succeeds: create another checkpoint to save it

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need to publish or deploy changes?">
    No. You're always editing the live checkpoint. Changes take effect immediately. Creating checkpoints is just for saving snapshots.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to running workflows when I switch checkpoints?">
    Currently running workflows continue with their checkpoint. New runs will use the newly promoted checkpoint.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I edit a past checkpoint?">
    No, past checkpoints are read-only snapshots. To work from one, you can either make it live or use "Rollback to This Checkpoint" to create a duplicate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do webhook URLs change when switching checkpoints?">
    No, webhook URLs stay constant. They always run whichever checkpoint is currently live.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between 'Make Live' and 'Rollback to This Checkpoint'?">
    * **Make This Checkpoint Live**: Switches triggers/interfaces to that checkpoint immediately
    * **Rollback to This Checkpoint**: Creates a duplicate snapshot without making it live
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When I make a past checkpoint live, do I lose my current work?">
    No! Your current work is automatically saved. You can return to it using "Make This Checkpoint Live" from the Save menu.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do subflows behave when checkpoints change?">
    Subflows follow the main workflow's checkpoint. When you switch checkpoints, embedded subflows switch too.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I delete old checkpoints?">
    Currently, all checkpoints are kept indefinitely. This ensures you can always recover past states.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I forget to create checkpoints?">
    That's fine! Most users work directly on the live checkpoint without creating snapshots. Checkpoints are optional - create them when you want a safety net.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have unsaved work if I see 'Make This Checkpoint Live' in the menu?">
    This appears when a past checkpoint is currently live. Your recent edits are safe and can be made live by clicking this option.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do global subflows work with checkpoints?">
    Global subflows (subflows from other workbooks) behave differently depending on whether they have any checkpoints saved:

    **If the global subflow has NO checkpoints:**

    * You're always working on its live checkpoint
    * Any saves to the global subflow immediately affect ALL workflows using it
    * Changes reflect instantly across all workflows using that subflow

    **If the global subflow HAS checkpoints:**

    * Saves to the global subflow do NOT automatically update workflows using it
    * Each workflow locks to a specific checkpoint of the global subflow
    * To update: hover over the global subflow node and click "Upgrade Node Version"
    * This gives you control over when to adopt changes

    **Example:**

    * Workflow A uses Global Subflow Checkpoint 3
    * You update the Global Subflow and create Checkpoint 4
    * Workflow A continues using Checkpoint 3 until you manually upgrade
    * This prevents unexpected changes in production workflows
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Summary

**The mental model is simple - just like Google Docs:**

* You're always editing the live checkpoint
* **Save & Create New Checkpoint** = save a snapshot (like starring a revision in Google Docs)
* **Make This Checkpoint Live** = instantly switch to that snapshot
* Triggers, interfaces, and webhooks always use whatever's live