Pipelines
A pipeline runs steps in sequence with explicit boundaries.
Use it when you want composition without building a full orchestrator.
What pipelines are good for
- Clean, linear flow:
extract → verify → score - Explicit checkpoints between stages
- Clear audit trail between stages
What pipelines are not
- A graph engine
- A scheduler
- A replacement for your queue
Mental model
A pipeline is a list of stages. Each stage takes the current state and produces an output. The runner applies each output and moves on.
When to use what
| Use case | Use |
|---|---|
| Linear flow | Pipeline |
| Branching | Commands |
| Audit + identity | Workflow |
| One-off | Bare step |
If your flow is not linear, see Workflows first.
Design tips
- Keep stages small and deterministic
- Emit audit events per stage
- Capture artifacts at stage boundaries