Write and run a flow

A flow is a fixed list of steps that Silan runs the same way every time. It does not need an agent, and it gives you a report with a picture for each step. This guide writes a four-step flow against Apple’s Settings app.

Time: about 15 minutes.

You need:

• A device with the element list: an iPhone or iPad on the Developer way, a Silan simulator, or an Android emulator. Taps by text, waits and checks need the element list, so the Simple way cannot run them.
• Silan open on your Mac.

Steps

1. Click Flows in the sidebar, then New flow in the toolbar. A dialog asks you to write the steps. Click through and the editor opens with a Name box, line numbers and an empty file.

2. Type a name such as Open Display settings.

3. Paste this file into the editor:

   silan: 1
   name: "Open Display settings"
   roles:
     phone: { platform: ios }
   timeouts: { step: 30s, wait: 15s, scenario: 3m }
   tracks:
     phone:
       - launch: { app: com.apple.Preferences, fresh: true }
       - tap: { text: "Display & Brightness" }
       - wait: { text_visible: "Dark" }
       - check: { app_foreground: com.apple.Preferences, message: "Settings should still be in front" }

   The file has one role, phone, and one track of steps for it. launch opens Settings from a fresh start. tap finds the words on the screen. wait holds until the word Dark shows, for up to 15 seconds. check fails the run if Settings is no longer the front app.

4. Watch the gutter. Silan checks the file a moment after each change and marks a problem by its line. Fix anything it flags before you go on.

5. Press Save, or Command S. The flow’s page opens. It shows the steps, a Change steps button and, later, every run of this flow.

6. Click Run, or press Command R. A sheet asks for a device for the phone role. Pick your device and confirm. If the device is busy with another run, yours waits in line.

7. Watch the live run page. It shows the device’s picture, a timeline and the step list. Each step turns green as it passes. A Stop run button sits at the top.

8. Read the report when the run ends. It has a verdict, the timeline, the steps and any findings. Each step carries a picture taken as it ran. Share report… and Download report… give you an HTML file with the pictures inside it.

The flow editor with the steps file and the kinds of step.

The flow page with Run, Schedule and the step list.

9. Make the flow fail on purpose to see Run again from step. Click Change steps, change "Dark" to "Darkk", save and run again. The run fails at step 3 and the report says so.
10. On the failed run’s page, pick Run again from step 3. Silan runs steps 3 and 4 only. Fix the typo and run once more to see it pass.

To take the flow out of Silan, open the flow’s page and choose Export as a file. Silan saves <id>.silan.yaml, the same text you wrote. The JUnit guide shows what to do with that file next.

If something goes wrong

• The tap step fails with nothing found. The device has no element list. Check the device’s Info tab: on the Simple way or in view-only state, flows cannot tap by text. Use the Developer way or a Silan simulator.
• The editor flags a key. Only keys from the scenario schema are allowed. The steps are launch, tap, type, wait, check and a few more. A target is text, id, role, description or point.
• The wait times out. Raise wait in timeouts, or check the exact words on the screen. Text matches are exact unless you add match.
• The run waits in line. Another run or an agent task holds the device. Wait, or stop that run from its page.

Proof

Proved on an iPhone 11 (iOS 27) on a cable, 14 Oct 2026, by a Silan worker: run run_5hvm668trq passed with a report of 8 pictures, and run_16lucagv486 failed at step 2 and was run again from that step as run_lwovdq6ztr and run_qg6nbk8wwg. Source: verify-silan feature map, test-runs and flow-editor.