Make Your Data Workflows Smarter

What Are Conditional Flows?

Conditional flows are the next step in data workflow automation. Rather than running every task blindly, Keboola’s conditional flows let you build pipelines that make decisions based on job statuses, durations, or specific outcomes. This means your workflows can adapt in real time, saving you from manual intervention, reducing errors, and ensuring you get the right outcome every time.

Real-World Example: Weather-Driven Automation

Imagine never being caught off guard by the weather. One user, preparing for a Prague trip, often found themselves dressed for the wrong season. By using Keboola’s conditional flows, they automated a daily weather check, receiving email notifications—rain or shine—so they could dress appropriately. Here’s how it worked:

1. Collect Weather Data:
2. A flow pulls the latest Prague weather data via a free weather API.
3. Check for Rain with Python:
4. A Python script analyzes the next three days for rain probability. If there’s a high chance, it returns an error status; if not, it completes successfully.
5. Send Smart Notifications:
6. Based on the script’s result, the workflow sends a personalized email: “Pack your umbrella” if rain is likely, or “Get out your sunglasses” if not.

This eliminates guesswork, automates preparedness, and brings peace of mind—all thanks to conditional flows.

Why Use Conditional Flows?

• Reduce Manual Monitoring: No more waiting for tasks to fail—automatically trigger the right response.
• Adapt to Data in Real Time: Make workflows that react instantly to data changes, errors, or specific results.
• Increase Reliability: Prevent cascading failures and ensure only the right steps are taken based on outcomes.
• Save Time: Focus on insights and improvements, not repetitive checking and manual intervention.

How to Build a Conditional Flow in Keboola

1. Set Up Your Data Sources:
2. Start by connecting your data source. In the weather example, that’s the weather API for Prague.
3. Add Transformation Components:
4. Apply logic using scripts (Python, SQL, etc.) to process data and determine next steps. For weather, a Python script checks for rain.
5. Configure Conditions:
6. Add conditional branches based on job status (success, error, etc.). For instance:

IF CheckForRain job_status == error THEN Send Rain Notification ELSE Send No Rain Notification

1. Send Notifications:
2. Automate alerts via email, Slack, or other channels. Keboola’s notification component makes this seamless.
3. Save and Run:
4. Execute your flow and monitor results. Adjust conditions as your business logic evolves.

Expanded Use Cases for Conditional Flows

• Data Quality Assurance: Automatically halt pipelines and notify stakeholders if data fails validation checks.
• ETL Error Handling: Trigger reprocessing or escalation workflows when errors occur in data extraction or transformation.
• Automated Reporting: Only send reports if data meets specific quality or completeness thresholds.
• Dynamic Data Routing: Send data to different destinations based on content—for example, route high-priority leads to sales instantly.
• Resource Optimization: Skip unnecessary steps (like heavy data transformations) if not needed, saving computational resources.

Deeper Dive: Weather Example Workflow

1. Weather Data Acquisition:

• Connect to a weather API with an API key.
• Set up a scheduled flow to run each morning.

1. Analyze Conditions:

• Python transformation checks the next three days for rain.
• Script returns success if no rain, error if rain is expected.

1. Branching Logic:

• Condition checks job status:
• On error, sends a rain notification email (“Pack your umbrella”).
• On success, sends a no-rain notification (“Get out your sunglasses”).

1. Notifications:

• Personalized messages delivered instantly to your inbox.

Best Practices for Designing Conditional Flows

• Plan Your Logic: Map out all possible outcomes and required actions before building.
• Test Each Branch: Use test data to verify behavior under all conditions.
• Monitor and Refine: Regularly review flow run logs and refine conditions as needed.
• Document: Maintain clear documentation so team members understand flow logic and can maintain or scale it.

Common Pitfalls & Solutions

• Overcomplicating Branches: Keep your conditions simple and focused. Too many nested branches can make maintenance difficult.
• Unmonitored Failures: Always include notification steps for errors, so issues are surfaced immediately.
• Data Dependency Issues: Ensure each step has the right data inputs and outputs defined.

Integrations and Extensibility

Keboola’s conditional flows work seamlessly with a wide range of components:

• Data Sources: APIs, databases, cloud storage, files.
• Transformations: Python, R, SQL, or custom components.
• Notifications: Email, Slack, Teams, webhooks, and more.

You can even trigger external systems or automate cross-team workflows based on results.

Security and Auditability

• Track Every Decision: Every flow run is logged, including which branches were taken and why.
• Role-Based Access: Control who can modify or execute flows.

Who Benefits from Conditional Flows?

• Data Engineers: Automate pipeline resilience and error handling without manual checks.
• Business Analysts: Get timely, relevant notifications based on real business events.
• Ops Teams: Reduce downtime by automating recovery and alerting.
• Everyone: Save time, reduce errors, and focus on high-value work.

Getting Started with Keboola Conditional Flows

1. Sign up for a free Keboola trial or contact us for a demo.
2. Explore the component library and sample flows.
3. Try building a simple conditional flow for a common use case—like sending alerts for failed jobs or automating data validation.
4. Scale up to more complex logic as you gain confidence.

Summary: Smarter Workflows, Better Outcomes

Keboola’s conditional flows turn ordinary automations into intelligent, context-aware pipelines. Whether you need to check the weather, validate data, or respond instantly to changes, conditional flows empower you to build workflows that adapt, alert, and deliver results. No more manual monitoring, missed opportunities, or fashion disasters—just efficient, intelligent automation at every step.