Workflow Triggering

Workflow Triggering (AEM 6.5 LTS)

All mechanisms to start a workflow on AEM 6.5 LTS — from UI, programmatic API, HTTP API, Manage Publication, and replication-linked triggers.

Variant Scope

• AEM 6.5 LTS only.
• Includes replication-linked triggering and legacy /etc-based workflow packages.

Triggering Mechanisms Summary

1. Manual via Timeline UI

1. Open a page or asset → Timeline (clock icon) → Start Workflow
2. Select model, optionally enter title and comment
3. Click Start

2. Manage Publication (Multi-Page)

1. Sites Console → select pages → Manage Publication
2. Check Include Workflow and select a model
3. Click Publish or Publish Later

AEM creates a cq:WorkflowContentPackage under /etc/workflow/packages/ containing all selected pages.

3. Programmatic (WorkflowSession API)

@Component(service = WorkflowStarterService.class)
public class WorkflowStarterService {

    @Reference
    private ResourceResolverFactory resolverFactory;

    public String startWorkflow(String payloadPath, String modelId) throws Exception {
        Map<String, Object> auth = Collections.singletonMap(
            ResourceResolverFactory.SUBSERVICE, "workflow-starter");
        try (ResourceResolver resolver = resolverFactory.getServiceResourceResolver(auth)) {
            WorkflowSession wfSession = resolver.adaptTo(WorkflowSession.class);
            WorkflowModel model = wfSession.getModel(modelId);
            WorkflowData data = wfSession.newWorkflowData("JCR_PATH", payloadPath);
            data.getMetaDataMap().put("workflowTitle", "Triggered by batch job");

            Workflow instance = wfSession.startWorkflow(model, data);
            return instance.getId();
        }
    }
}

Model ID format: /var/workflow/models/my-workflow (runtime path)

For /etc/workflow/models/ legacy models, the ID is /etc/workflow/models/my-workflow.

4. HTTP Workflow API

The API is rooted at /var/workflow/instances (the legacy /etc/workflow/instances path is still accepted on 6.5 LTS). Do not POST to /api/workflow/instances — no workflow API is mounted there, so the Sling default POST servlet silently writes stray JCR nodes and returns a misleading 2xx without starting any workflow (a GET on that path returns 404).

# Start — returns HTTP 201 with an HTML body linking to the new instance path
curl -u admin:admin -X POST \
  "http://localhost:4502/var/workflow/instances" \
  --data-urlencode "_charset_=utf-8" \
  --data-urlencode "model=/var/workflow/models/my-workflow" \
  --data-urlencode "payloadType=JCR_PATH" \
  --data-urlencode "payload=/content/my-site/en/home" \
  --data-urlencode "workflowTitle=My Test Run" \
  --data-urlencode "startComment=triggered via HTTP API"

# List instances — filter by state with a selector (.RUNNING.json, .COMPLETED.json, ...)
curl -u admin:admin "http://localhost:4502/var/workflow/instances.json"
curl -u admin:admin "http://localhost:4502/var/workflow/instances.RUNNING.json"

# Instance detail — the id is the path returned at start,
# e.g. /var/workflow/instances/server0/<date>/my-workflow_1
curl -u admin:admin \
  "http://localhost:4502/var/workflow/instances/server0/<date>/my-workflow_1.json"

# Terminate (abort) — POST state=ABORTED to the instance path, returns HTTP 200
curl -u admin:admin -X POST \
  "http://localhost:4502/var/workflow/instances/server0/<date>/my-workflow_1" \
  --data-urlencode "_charset_=utf-8" \
  --data-urlencode "state=ABORTED" \
  --data-urlencode "terminateComment=cleanup"

The start response is HTML, not JSON: parse the instance path from the returned link (<a id="Location" …> / "Modified Resource"). Instance and model listings (.json) and instance detail (<instanceId>.json) return JSON.

5. Replication-Linked Trigger (6.5 LTS Only)

Configure via Tools → Replication → Agents → default → check Default Agent properties to associate a workflow with replication events. Or use a Workflow Launcher targeting /var/audit/com.day.cq.replication/.

Guardrails

• Use a service user — never loginAdministrative().
• Model ID must be the /var/workflow/models/ runtime path.
• For multi-page batch triggering, prefer Manage Publication over programmatic creation of workflow packages.

References

• triggering-mechanisms.md — detailed guide for each mechanism
• programmatic-api.md — WorkflowSession API patterns, service user setup, and HTTP API
• api-reference.md
• jcr-paths-reference.md
• 65-lts-guardrails.md