title: Relay App Vocabulary
description: Key terms and concepts used in the Relay.app workflow automation platform and its API.
version: 1.0.0
modified: '2026-05-02'
terms:
  - term: Workflow
    definition: >-
      An automated process defined in Relay.app consisting of a trigger, a sequence of
      steps (actions), and optional human-in-the-loop checkpoints.

  - term: Trigger
    definition: >-
      The event or condition that starts a workflow run. Types include webhook, scheduled,
      manual, app event, form submission, table row update, batch, and RSS.

  - term: Webhook
    definition: >-
      An HTTP endpoint unique to each workflow that, when called with a GET or POST
      request, immediately starts a new workflow run.

  - term: Run
    definition: >-
      A single execution instance of a workflow, tracking its status, timing, input
      data, and output results.

  - term: Human-in-the-Loop
    definition: >-
      A workflow pattern where execution pauses and waits for a human to review and
      approve (or reject/modify) before continuing to the next step.

  - term: Approval
    definition: >-
      The action of a human reviewer confirming that a paused workflow step should
      proceed, optionally providing input data for subsequent steps.

  - term: Step
    definition: >-
      An individual action within a workflow, such as sending an email, calling an API,
      creating a record, or requesting human approval.

  - term: Integration
    definition: >-
      A connected application that Relay.app can interact with via its pre-built app
      connectors. Relay.app supports 200+ integrations.

  - term: Deduplication Key
    definition: >-
      A unique identifier (relayDeduplicationKey) provided with a webhook trigger to
      prevent the same workflow from being run multiple times for the same event.

  - term: Custom HTTP Request
    definition: >-
      A workflow step that makes an arbitrary HTTP request to any external API,
      with configurable method, headers, URL, and JSON payload.

  - term: MCP Server
    definition: >-
      A Model Context Protocol server built in Relay.app that exposes workflow steps
      as tools accessible to AI systems like Claude and ChatGPT.

  - term: Table
    definition: >-
      A structured data store within Relay.app that workflows can read from and write
      to, enabling persistent state across automation runs.

  - term: Batch Trigger
    definition: >-
      A trigger type that starts multiple simultaneous workflow runs, each with
      different input data, from a single batch request.

  - term: Scheduled Trigger
    definition: >-
      A trigger that starts a workflow at specified times or intervals, such as
      every 15 minutes, daily, or on specific weekdays.

  - term: AI Action
    definition: >-
      A workflow step that calls an AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini,
      etc.) to process data, generate content, or make decisions.