> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pflow.run/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# pflow guide

> Agent-oriented workflow building guidance

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
pflow guide                           # Same as pflow --help
pflow guide <topic...>                # Load specific topics
pflow guide ./workflow.pflow.md       # Auto-detect topics from a workflow
pflow guide ./workflow.pflow.md batch # Auto-detect + explicit topic
```

Without arguments, `pflow guide` shows the same entry content as `pflow --help` — a capability map with commands and available topics.

With topics, it returns tailored content for building workflows using those specific nodes or features. Topics and workflow references can mix freely.

## Topics

**Core:**

* `core` — Framework fundamentals: step order vs templates, input declaration, node selection, development loop

**Nodes:**

* `http` — HTTP requests to REST APIs
* `llm` — LLM inference with structured output
* `code` — Python data transformation
* `shell` — Shell commands and CLI tools
* `file` — File read/write
* `mcp` — MCP service integrations

**Features:**

* `batch` — Same operation on multiple items (parallel/concurrent)
* `branching` — Conditional paths via on-error or code routing
* `sub-workflows` — Reusable sub-workflow composition

## Workflow-scoped mode

When given a workflow file path or saved workflow name, `pflow guide` parses the workflow and auto-loads guide content for every node type and feature it uses:

```bash theme={null}
# Auto-detects: http + code topics (because the workflow uses those node types)
pflow guide ./my-api-pipeline.pflow.md

# Auto-detect + add batch topic explicitly
pflow guide ./my-api-pipeline.pflow.md batch
```

This is useful when handed an unfamiliar workflow — run `pflow guide ./it.pflow.md` to get exactly the content needed to understand it.

## Design

`core` is an explicit topic, not auto-included. Agents load it once at the start of a session, then load node/feature topics as needed without duplicating framework fundamentals.

Guide prose lives in static markdown files under `src/pflow/guide/`. Node topics additionally include a dynamic Parameters/Outputs section loaded from the registry at render time, keeping interface documentation in sync with actual node implementations.