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Workflows are designed to be highly portable. The same workflow code can run locally during development, on Vercel with zero configuration, or on any infrastructure using Worlds — pluggable adapters that handle storage, queuing, and communication.

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Local Development

During local development, workflows automatically use the Local World — no configuration required. The Local World stores workflow data in a .workflow-data/ directory and processes steps synchronously, making it perfect for development and testing. 
# Just run your dev server - workflows work out of the box
npm run dev
You can inspect local workflow data using the CLI: 
npx workflow inspect runs
Learn more about the Local World configuration and internals.

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Deploying to Vercel

The easiest way to deploy workflows to production is on Vercel. When you deploy to Vercel, workflows automatically use the Vercel World — again, with zero configuration. The Vercel World provides:
  • Durable storage - Workflow state persists across function invocations
  • Managed queuing - Steps are processed reliably with automatic retries
  • Automatic scaling - Workflows scale with your application
  • Built-in observability - View workflow runs in the Vercel dashboard
Simply deploy your application: 
vercel deploy
Learn more about the Vercel World and its capabilities.

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Self-Hosting & Other Providers

For self-hosting or deploying to other cloud providers, you can use community-maintained Worlds or build your own.

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Using a Third-Party World

To use a different World implementation, set the WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD environment variable: 
export WORKFLOW_TARGET_WORLD=@workflow-worlds/postgres
# Plus any world-specific configuration
export DATABASE_URL=postgres://...
Each World may have its own configuration requirements — refer to the specific World’s documentation for details.

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Observability

The Observability tools work with any World backend. By default they connect to your local environment, but can be configured to inspect remote deployments: 
# Inspect local workflows
npx workflow inspect runs

# Inspect remote workflows
npx workflow inspect runs --backend @workflow-worlds/postgres
Learn more about Observability tools.

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