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Using test mode

Test mode lets you inspect, debug, and validate workflows before running them in production. When enabled, OPAQUE provides detailed execution traces that show how data moves through each node and how decisions are made at runtime.

This guide explains when to use Test mode, how to run workflows in Test mode, and how to transition a tested workflow into production.

Note

If you haven’t yet built or launched a workflow, start with Get started guide. That tutorial walks through the workflow lifecycle—drafting, requesting approval, and launching—which Test mode builds on.

When to use Test mode

Use Test mode when you want to:

  • Verify that a workflow executes as expected end-to-end
  • Inspect intermediate node inputs and outputs
  • Debug agent behavior, tool invocation, or branching logic
  • Understand how data flows through complex or agentic workflows

Test mode is especially useful for:

  • Agent-based workflows, where behavior depends on prompts and tool selection
  • Tool-enabled workflows, where external systems are invoked dynamically
  • Retrieval-augmented pipelines, where intermediate context and retrieved data matter

In short, Test mode is designed for confidence-building and debugging, not for production traffic.

Enable Test mode

Test mode must be enabled while your workflow is in Draft, before requesting approval.

Callout of the Test mode toggle in the workflow builder’s menu bar.

Enable Test mode in the workflow builder’s menu bar.

To enable Test mode:

  1. Open your workflow in Draft.
  2. Toggle Test mode on.
  3. Request approval, just as you would for a standard workflow.

Once approved, the workflow is ready to be launched in Test mode.

Important

Because trace logs may expose sensitive data, use Test mode only in controlled environments. When running in test mode, you’ll see a banner at the top of your canvas, alerting you that workflows may expose data in trace logs.

Launch a workflow in Test mode

After approval:

  1. Click Launch workflow.
  2. The workflow status changes from Ready to launch to Starting to Testing.
  3. Switch to the Execution tab.

In Test mode, the Execution tab lets you:

  • Enter inputs to trigger the workflow
  • See a visual overview of the nodes and connections
  • Inspect execution details and trace logs for each run

The Execution tab in test mode.

The Execution tab in test mode.

Run and inspect a workflow

To trigger the workflow:

  1. Enter a prompt in the Prompt field.
  2. Click Run workflow.
  3. Refer to the Workflow overview and the Output and Trace tabs at the bottom for detailed execution information on what happened during execution

Inspect individual nodes

Click any node in the workflow overview to view:

  • Inputs received by that node
  • Outputs produced
  • Execution timing and status

This is useful for validating, for example, retrieved context, prompt construction, and tool inputs and results.

Screenshot of dialog box with execution details of the agent node.

Click any node in Workflow overview to inspect execution details of that node.

View outputs

The Output tab shows the final result returned by the workflow.

Partial view of the Output tab, which shows the return of your prompt.

The Output tab shows the return of your prompt.

Inspect trace logs

The Trace tab shows a structured execution log for the entire run, including:

  • Workflow-level metadata
  • Per-node execution details
  • Timing information
  • Intermediate states

Screenshot of the Trace tab, which shows a structured execution log for the entire run.

The Trace tab shows a structured execution log for the entire run.

Trace logs are ephemeral—they are cached temporarily for inspection but not saved across sessions.

Note

Each execution is independent and stateless. The workflow does not retain context between runs.

Interpreting trace logs

Trace logs are primarily intended to help you understand how data flows through your workflow—what inputs each node receives, what outputs it produces, and how those values change across steps.

Timing information (such as execution duration) is often less important for correctness, but it can be useful when comparing different configurations—for example, evaluating the performance impact of different LLM models or retriever settings.

Some execution details, such as individual tool calls made by an agent, may not yet be fully visible in the trace view. Trace logging continues to evolve, and future improvements will provide more granular insight into agent decision-making and tool invocation.

Iterating in Test mode

Testing is typically an iterative process:

  1. Run the workflow and inspect results.
  2. If changes are needed:
    • Click Actions → Stop workflow.
    • Select Actions → Return to draft.
  3. Modify the workflow on the canvas.
  4. Request approval again.
  5. Launch in Test mode and re-run.

For complex workflows—especially agentic or tool-driven ones—this cycle may repeat several times as you refine behavior and validate results.

Exit Test mode and prepare for production

When you are satisfied with the workflow:

  1. Click Actions → Stop workflow.
  2. Select Actions → Return to draft.
  3. Toggle Test mode off.
  4. Request approval again.
  5. Launch the workflow in standard execution mode.

At this point, the workflow behaves like a production service and no longer exposes trace logs by default.

What’s next

Test mode provides deep visibility into workflow execution, making it essential for debugging and validation—especially for agentic and tool-driven workflows.

To integrate workflows into applications, automate executions, or request attestation reports, you’ll use the OPAQUE SDK. For details, see Step 4 in Get started.