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Workflow File Auto-Discovery: Run Workflows Without Specifying Files

· 3 min read
Erik Osterman
Erik Osterman
Founder @ Cloud Posse

The atmos workflow command now automatically discovers workflow files, eliminating the need to specify --file for uniquely named workflows. This developer experience improvement makes running workflows faster and more intuitive.

What's New​

Previously, running a workflow required explicitly specifying the workflow file:

# Before: Always needed --file flag
atmos workflow deploy --file workflows/deploy.yaml

Now, if your workflow name is unique across all workflow files, Atmos automatically finds it:

# After: Just specify the workflow name
atmos workflow deploy

Why This Matters​

Faster Workflow Execution​

Before: You had to remember which file contained each workflow:

# Which file was it in again?
atmos workflow deploy --file workflows/deploy.yaml
atmos workflow test --file workflows/ci.yaml
atmos workflow cleanup --file workflows/cleanup.yaml

After: Just run the workflow by name:

# Atmos finds it automatically
atmos workflow deploy
atmos workflow test
atmos workflow cleanup

Better Developer Experience​

The --file flag is now optional for most workflows. You only need it when:

  • Multiple workflow files contain a workflow with the same name
  • You want to explicitly specify which file to use

Consistent with Other Commands​

This brings workflow execution in line with other Atmos commands that auto-discover resources:

# Components auto-discovery (existing)
atmos terraform plan vpc -s prod

# Workflows auto-discovery (new)
atmos workflow deploy

How It Works​

When you run atmos workflow <name> without --file:

  1. Scans workflow directory - Atmos searches all YAML files in your configured workflows path
  2. Finds matching workflows - Looks for workflows with the specified name
  3. Auto-selects if unique - If only one file contains that workflow name, it runs automatically
  4. Prompts if multiple - If multiple files have the same workflow name, shows an interactive selector

Interactive Selection for Duplicates​

If multiple workflow files contain the same workflow name, Atmos presents an interactive selector:

Multiple workflows found with name 'deploy'. Please choose:
> production.yaml - Deploy to production environment
  staging.yaml - Deploy to staging environment
  development.yaml - Deploy to development environment

Press ctrl+c or esc to exit

You can still use --file to skip the prompt:

atmos workflow deploy --file workflows/production.yaml

Backward Compatibility​

All existing workflows continue to work exactly as before:

# Explicit --file flag still works
atmos workflow deploy --file workflows/deploy.yaml

# Auto-discovery is purely additive
atmos workflow deploy

Examples​

Basic Usage​

Run a workflow by name (auto-discovers the file):

$ atmos workflow deploy

With Additional Flags​

All workflow flags work with auto-discovery:

# Run with dry-run
$ atmos workflow deploy --dry-run

# Run for specific stack
$ atmos workflow deploy --stack prod

# Resume from a specific step
$ atmos workflow deploy --from-step validate

# Specify identity for authentication
$ atmos workflow deploy --identity prod-admin

Explicit File Selection​

When you need precise control:

# Explicitly specify which file
$ atmos workflow deploy --file workflows/production.yaml

# Useful in scripts or CI/CD
$ atmos workflow deploy \
    --file workflows/production.yaml \
    --stack prod \
    --identity prod-deployer

Interactive TUI Still Available​

Running atmos workflow without any arguments still launches the interactive TUI:

# Interactive workflow browser
$ atmos workflow

This shows all available workflows across all files, allowing you to browse and select interactively.

For usage and configuration, see Workflows.

Get Involved​

We're building Atmos in the open and welcome your feedback:

Related Documentation: