What is DBFlow?

DBFlow is a model-first workflow engine for Laravel and Filament. It attaches approval workflows, tasks, audit logs, and reject paths directly to your Eloquent models — without rebuilding your domain logic around a separate process engine.

Alpha notice: dbflowlabs/core and dbflowlabs/filament are available through Composer / Packagist; pin exact alpha tags in production. dbflowlabs/filament-pro remains Early Access / Preview.

The core idea

In most Laravel applications, approval logic ends up scattered across controllers, observers, and service classes. You track state in ad hoc columns, hand-roll transitions, and accumulate edge cases around concurrent approvals and audit requirements.

DBFlow offers a cleaner model: publish a JSON workflow definition, attach HasWorkflow to your model, and let the runtime handle tasks, transitions, concurrency, and history.

use DbflowLabs\Core\DBFlow;
use DbflowLabs\Core\Enums\RejectStrategy;
use DbflowLabs\Core\Enums\WorkflowTaskStatus;

DBFlow::start('refund_dispute_approval', $dispute, $user);

$task = $dispute->runningWorkflowInstance('refund_dispute_approval')
    ?->tasks()
    ->where('status', WorkflowTaskStatus::Pending)
    ->first();

DBFlow::approve($task, $user, 'Approved.');
DBFlow::reject($task, $user, 'Missing receipt.', RejectStrategy::Starter);

Workflow state lives in DBFlow tables (dbflow_workflow_instances, dbflow_workflow_tasks, dbflow_workflow_logs). Your domain model stays focused on business data.

What DBFlow handles

• Approvals — multi-step, multi-actor approval chains (ApprovalMode::Any, All, Sequential)
• Tasks — assignable action items that block progression
• Conditions — branch via transitions[].condition and workflow variables
• Rollback — reject back via RejectStrategy (Starter, PreviousNode, SpecificNode, End)
• Audit logs — dbflow_workflow_logs with actor, event type, and comment
• Filament visibility — optional via dbflowlabs/filament, or host-built inbox pages

What DBFlow is not

DBFlow is not a generic BPM platform, a Zapier clone, or a no-code process suite for non-technical users. It is a developer tool. Definitions are JSON schemas versioned in your database, typically authored from PHP providers or Standard/Pro admin tools.

It is also not:

• A form builder
• An AI-generated workflow tool
• A replacement for Laravel queues or event listeners
• A fluent PHP node DSL (no ApprovalNode::make() chain)

DBFlow Pro adds a Filament-native LogicFlow canvas (ProCanvasField) in Early Access / Preview. The JSON definition remains the runtime source of truth.

Good use cases

Not ideal for

• Generic event pipelines (use Laravel Events and Listeners)
• Simple one-step form submissions
• Complex BPMN suites with diagram interchange
• AI-generated or natural-language-defined workflows

Product layers

License note: Core and Filament Standard ship with MIT license files. Pro features and production domain entitlement are commercial — see Pricing.

Next step

Install DBFlow →