What is DBFlow?

DBFlow is a model-first approval workflow engine for Laravel and Filament. It attaches approval workflows, tasks, audit logs, and reject paths to your Eloquent models.

Alpha notice: Pin exact alpha tags in production. dbflowlabs/filament-pro is Early Access / Preview.

The core idea

Approval logic often ends up scattered across controllers and ad hoc status columns. DBFlow offers a cleaner model: publish a JSON workflow definition, attach HasWorkflow, 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

Not a BPM platform, Zapier clone, or no-code process suite. DBFlow is a developer tool — JSON definitions versioned in your database, authored from PHP providers or admin tools.

Also not:

A form builder or AI workflow generator
A replacement for Laravel queues or event listeners
A fluent PHP node DSL

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

Good use cases

Use case	Why it fits
Refund dispute approvals	Tiered review, amount branching, audit trail
Purchase / procurement requests	Multi-level sign-off with budget conditions
Expense claims	Submitter → manager → finance chain
Vendor onboarding	Document review + compliance steps
High-value orders	Threshold-based manual review
Leave requests	Manager + HR approval chain

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

Layer	Package	Role
DBFlow Core	`dbflowlabs/core`	Runtime engine, JSON execution, hooks, logs (no admin UI)
DBFlow Filament Standard	`dbflowlabs/filament`	Optional: My Tasks, instances, timelines, workflow resource
DBFlow Pro	`dbflowlabs/filament-pro`	Visual canvas editor (Early Access / Preview); commercial entitlement is planned through Customer Portal

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 →