A while ago, I needed a clean workflow orchestration solution for a Go project. Nothing massive—just a simple, reliable way to define steps, track execution, handle failures, and keep business processes organized.
I checked out several existing tools, but many felt too heavy or required infrastructure I didn’t want to introduce. So I built my own.
Today I’m open-sourcing go-workflow-engine!
Why Another Workflow Engine?
- Keep it lightweight and easy to integrate into existing Go apps
- Make persistence modular — no forced database
- Use an event-driven design so your application can react naturally
- Stay flexible instead of locking you into a big platform
The engine is meant to become part of your application, not a separate service.
What a Workflow Looks Like
Workflows are defined in simple JSON. Here’s a minimal example:
{"workflow_type":"approval","initial_step":"submit","initial_state":"Pending","steps":[{"name":"submit","title":"Submit Request","actions":[{"name":"SUBMIT","next_step":"review","new_state":"Submitted"}]},{"name":"review","title":"Review Request","actions":[{"name":"APPROVE","next_step":"done","new_state":"Approved"},{"name":"REJECT","next_step":"submit","new_state":"Rejected"}]},{"name":"done","title":"Completed","actions":[]}]}The engine takes care of running the workflow while you focus on your business logic.
Key Design Decisions
Every project is different — some teams use PostgreSQL, others MySQL or even custom storage. That’s why I made the persistence layer fully pluggable.
I also built in a clean event system. Workflows emit events at key moments so your application can listen and respond without tight coupling.
Built with AI-Assisted Development
Gemini, Cursor, and MiMo helped speed up research, experimentation, and coding, so I could focus more on architecture and design.
Current Features
- Simple JSON workflow definitions
- State tracking and orchestration
- Event-driven lifecycle handling
- Modular persistence (in-memory + GORM support)
- Extensible and lightweight
- Easy to embed in existing Go applications
Looking for Feedback
This started as a personal tool to solve a recurring need, but I believe other Go developers might find it useful too.
If you want a lightweight workflow engine that embeds nicely into your app without bringing a full platform along, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Feedback, suggestions, issues, and contributions are all welcome! Feel free to open an issue or PR in the repository.