Runs & results
A run is any execution Cofactor performs against your application. Every run captures the same kind of evidence — statuses, steps, assertions, screenshots, video, and timing — and feeds the same results layer of issues and triage. This page explains the run types, how to choose between them, and where their results go.
01Run types
| Type | What it is | Start it when |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow run | A single execution of one workflow. The atomic run record — everything else builds on it. | You want the result of one specific flow. |
| Test run | A grouped execution of many workflows at once (a test suite, a tag, or all published flows). | You want regression coverage across your suite. |
| Ad-hoc test | An agent-driven, one-off test from custom instructions — no saved workflow. | You want to explore or validate something without authoring a flow first. |
A test run is made of workflow runs: open a test run, drill into a row, and you land on the underlying workflow run with its full detail view. An ad-hoc test produces its own run record with the same evidence, but isn't tied to a reusable workflow.
02Run summary
Use the run summary to identify what executed and how it ended before opening individual steps. The summary includes:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Suite | The test suite associated with the run. Use it to confirm that you are reviewing the expected coverage. |
| Started by | The person who initiated the run. Use it to distinguish manual runs from runs started by another teammate. |
| Passed | The total number of steps or checks that passed. |
| Failed | The total number of steps or checks that failed. A nonzero total indicates that you need to review the failures. |
Hover over truncated names in the run summary to see the complete suite, workflow, or initiator name. Use the full name to distinguish similarly named items before you open a result.
03Run status
Every run moves through the same states, whatever its type:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Queued | Waiting to start. |
| Running | Execution in progress. |
| Waiting | Paused at a Wait node and ready to resume when the event or condition is met. A waiting run does not need to occupy an active execution slot while it is paused. |
| Success | Completed with no failing steps or assertions. |
| Failed | Ended with one or more execution-breaking failures. |
| Canceled | Stopped manually. |
A live run can remain in Waiting while it waits for an event or condition. Treat this as an active pause, not a failure: the run resumes automatically when the condition is met, or when its fallback deadline is reached. Refresh the run when you need the latest state, and review the final result after it resumes.
Within a run, each step (one workflow node) records its own status, timing, and assertion results. Assertions resolve to Pass, Warn (needs review, doesn't fail the run), or Fail (marks the step/run failed). See Workflow runs for how to read this evidence and investigate failures.
04Reviewing results
Open a completed run to review its summary, then drill into the steps that need attention. Use the pass and fail totals to quickly assess the result, and hover over shortened names whenever you need to confirm the full suite or workflow name.
Cached or converged executions can include a persisted, server-rendered report. Open the report from the run result to review the same summary and evidence later, even after the execution has finished or the result is served from cached workflow data.
If a run is still Queued, Running, or Waiting, wait for it to reach a terminal status before treating its totals as final. For a waiting run, return after the event, condition, or fallback deadline allows execution to continue.
05Where results go
Runs don't just pass or fail — they produce a results layer you act on:
- Issues — when a run surfaces a real defect, Cofactor files a deduplicated issue with the screenshot, steps, and evidence.
- Triage & diagnostics — when a test run has multiple failures, Cofactor clusters them by likely root cause and attaches per-failure diagnostics so you investigate causes, not symptoms.