AWS Step Functions

Consume the AWS Step Functions API

Actions8

Overview

This node integrates with AWS Step Functions, allowing users to interact programmatically with state machine executions. Specifically, the "Describe Execution" operation retrieves detailed information about a particular execution of a state machine using its Amazon Resource Name (ARN). This is useful for monitoring, debugging, or auditing workflows managed by AWS Step Functions.

Common scenarios include:

Checking the status and metadata of a running or completed execution.
Retrieving execution details to trigger conditional logic in an automation workflow.
Auditing execution history for compliance or troubleshooting purposes.

For example, after starting a state machine execution elsewhere in your workflow, you can use this node to fetch its current status and output data.

Properties

Name	Meaning
Execution ARN	The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the execution to describe. This uniquely identifies the specific execution within AWS Step Functions.

Output

The node outputs a JSON object containing all details returned by the AWS Step Functions describeExecution API call. This typically includes:

executionArn: The ARN of the execution.
stateMachineArn: The ARN of the associated state machine.
name: The name of the execution.
status: Current status of the execution (e.g., RUNNING, SUCCEEDED, FAILED).
startDate: Timestamp when the execution started.
stopDate: Timestamp when the execution stopped (if applicable).
input: The JSON input provided to the execution.
output: The JSON output produced by the execution (if completed).

No binary data is output by this node.

Dependencies

Requires valid AWS credentials with permissions to access AWS Step Functions.
The node uses the AWS SDK internally; no additional user setup beyond providing credentials and region is necessary.
Credentials must include an access key ID, secret access key, and AWS region.

Troubleshooting

Invalid ARN: If the provided execution ARN is malformed or does not exist, the node will throw an error. Verify the ARN format and ensure the execution exists.
Permission Denied: Insufficient AWS IAM permissions will cause authorization errors. Ensure the credentials have states:DescribeExecution permission.
Network Issues: Connectivity problems to AWS endpoints may cause timeouts or failures. Check network settings and AWS service availability.
Continue On Fail: If enabled, the node will continue processing other items even if one fails, attaching error details to the output.