Build Workflows

To add a tool to a workflow, click any tool from the tool palette and drag it onto the workflow canvas, or right-click the workflow to access a menu to insert tools. See Tool Categories .

To remove a tool from a workflow, select the tool and press the Delete key.

To connect tools in a workflow, click and drag a tool from the tool palette onto the canvas near the output anchor of another tool. You can also drag the output anchor from an existing tool to the tool you just added.

Connections go in through the left side (or top) of a tool and out through right side (or bottom) of a tool. Some tools accept multiple inputs indicated by multiple input anchors . Some tools have optional inputs indicated by a gray input anchor. All tools with an output anchor can be outputted to multiple streams.

Delete a Connection

Select the connection and press Delete. Downstream tools are not deleted.

Insert a Tool Between a Connection

• Right-click the connection and click Insert in Connection, then select a tool.
• Drag a tool from the tool palette or anywhere on the canvas and hover over an existing connection.
• Right-click the output anchor and click Insert After, then select a tool.

Connect Multiple Tools at Once

You can view a list of possible tool connections and make multiple connections at the same time. For example, this is useful for connecting multiple data inputs to a single downstream tool. To make multiple connections:

1. Select a tool on the canvas. If the tool accepts both an input and output, specifically select the input anchor or output anchor of the tool to determine the list of possible connections to or from that anchor.
2. Right-click the selected anchor and click View Possible Connections.
1. In the Possible Connections window, select one or more tools from the Output Connections list to connect to one or more tools from the Input Connections list.
2. Under Connection Type, select whether to make the connection Wired or Wireless.
3. Click Connect.

If you view possible connections for multiple selected tools, only valid connections from output to input anchors are shown.

View Connection Properties

Double-click any connection to view and modify its properties in the Configuration window:

• Name: Type a name for the connection.
• Wireless: Select to set a connection to wireless.
• Fields: In the table, view data going through the connection.

For wireless connections, a wireless connection icon with colored bars indicates the number of connection coming into or out of an anchor: one bar = one connection; two bars = two connections; three bars = three or more connections. The connection becomes invisible unless the tool is selected.

Click a workflow tab on the canvas to select it, then right-click the tab to display a menu with these options:

• Close: Close the workflow.
• Close All But This: Close all open workflows except this one.
• Close All: Close all open workflows.
• Duplicate: Create a duplicate of this workflow.

Alteryx changes path dependencies from relative to absolute. See Workflow Dependencies for more information.

Click a tool on the canvas to select it, then right-click to display a menu with these options:

• Cut: Cut the selected tool from the canvas.
• Copy: Copy the selected tool.
• Delete: Deletes the selected tool.
• Zoom: Select to:
• Zoom In
• Zoom Normal: Cancel zoom.
• Zoom Out
• All: Zoom to fit all tools in the window.
• Selected tools: Zoom to fit all selected tools in the window.
• View Possible Connections: View a list of possible tool connections to or from a selected tool. See Connect multiple tools at once.
• Add to New Container: Adds the selected tool or tools to a Container Tool. See Tool Container Tool.
• Bring to Front: Send the selected tool to the front if tools are overlapping. This is useful for layering Comment boxes or ordering overlapping tool annotations. See Comment Tool.
• Send to Back: Send the selected tool to the back if tools are overlapping. This is useful for layering Comment boxes or ordering overlapping tool annotations. See Comment Tool.
• Toggle between Make Incoming Connections Wired and Make Incoming Connections Wireless to change how the connections display.
• Toggle between Make Outgoing Connections Wired and Make Outgoing Connections Wireless to change how the connections display. Input and output anchors with a wireless connection display the icon , which presents colored bars indicating the number of connections coming into or out of an anchor: one bar = one connection; two bars = two connections; three bars = three or more connections. The connection becomes invisible unless the tool is selected.
• Convert to Macro: Convert all or part of your workflow to a macro. Visit Macros for more information.
Cache and Run Workflow: Runs the workflow and caches all data up to the selected tool. You can use multiple caches in a single workflow.

When you interact with a tool that has been cached, you can view the tool's configuration without clearing the cache. However, changing the tool's configuration will release the cached data. Alteryx clears caches when you close the workflow.

To cache a tool

1. Right-click the tool.
2. Select Cache and Run Workflow.

Alteryx creates multiple cache points simultaneously.

You can work with multiple cache points by holding down the Control key and clicking individual cache points.

Not all tools and workflows can be cached.


• The tool can have a maximum of 5 output anchors and it can't be part of a loop.
• In-DB tools, Machine Learning tools, and Python tools can't be cached.

Clear Cache: Remove a cache.

To clear cache for a tool

1. Right-click the tool.
2. Select Clear Cache.

Alteryx clears multiple cache points simultaneously. To clear cache on one or more tools individually, select the tool or tools, and then right-click to view the menu.

• Convert to Macro Input: Convert a selected input tool to a macro input tool. See Macro Input Tool.
• Insert After: Select a tool to insert after the selected tool. See Tool Categories
• Add Browse After: Add a Browse tool after the selected tool. If the selected tool has multiple output anchors, an option to add a Browse tool to each output will be available.
• Properties: Place the focus on the Configuration window for the selected tool.

Select three or more tools to see distribution options.

• Distribute Horizontally: The selected tools are arranged to have even space between them along the horizontal axis.
• Distribute Vertically: The selected tools are arranged to have even space between them along the vertical axis.

Add annotations to individual tools in the tool Configuration window > Annotation, or add a Comment tool to the workflow. See Tool Configuration, Comment Tool.

• Run Workflow: Runs the workflow. Ctrl+R will also run the workflow. The icon changes to Stop Workflow while the workflow is running.
• Stop Workflow: Stops the workflow. Ctrl+R can also be used to stop the workflow.
• Run As Analytic App: Runs the analytic application.
• Add Workflow to Schedule: Allows the user to schedule workflows to run at specific times and frequency.
• Active Documents: Shows open workflows, apps, or macros.
• New Blank Workflow: Creates a new workflow (.yxmd).
• Zoom In: Increases the normal zoom by 3/2.
• Zoom Out: Decreases the normal zoom by 2/3.

To control where an item pastes onto the canvas, select the item, copy it (Ctrl + C), click where you want to paste the item, and then paste it (Ctrl + V). Alteryx pastes the item at the same point as the cursor. See Build Workflows to find out ways you can copy and paste tools in your workflows without losing the tool's configuration.

Alteryx Designer prompts you to save unsaved workflows when you have more one or more unsaved workflow and you attempt to exit the application. Alteryx displays, Save changes to the following workflows?, and provides the following options:

• Save Selected: Select the workflows you want to save and then click Save Selected. Alteryx saves the selected workflows and closes. Any workflows you do not select are not saved.
• Discard Changes: Click Discard Changes to discard all changes and exit without saving.
• Cancel: Click Cancel to return to the canvas.