# Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) process

> Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) process node for reusing a published process or automation as a step in a Flow workflow, with its configuration fields and output variables.

Invokes a Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) process that is already published in your organization — an agent or agentic automation built elsewhere — and returns its result. Use this node to reuse a published process as a step in your flow, rather than authoring an agent inline with the [Agent](node-agent.md) node.

## Before you start: publish a process

The BPMN process node has no process of its own. It surfaces the BPMN processes published in your organization, so **one must be published before it appears under the node.**

- The palette lists published processes under **BPMN process**, each as its own node.
- If nothing is published, the category appears but is empty.

## How it works

Published processes are loaded dynamically from your organization, the same way connector nodes and Extract models are. Adding one to the canvas creates a node bound to that specific process. When it runs, Flow invokes the process, waits for it to complete, and returns its result before continuing.

## Configuration

| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| **Process** | Yes | The published BPMN process to invoke. Chosen when you add the node from the palette. |
| **Input** | No | Values mapped to the process's input schema, bound to workflow data with expressions such as `$vars.start.output.request`. |

## Output variables

| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| `output` | The process's result, structured according to its output schema. Access fields with `$vars.<node>.output.<field>`. |
| `error` | Populated if the node fails. See [Error handling](flow-error-handling.md). |

## Agent vs BPMN process

| Use… | When you want to… |
|---|---|
| [Agent](node-agent.md) | Author the agent inline on the canvas — set its model, prompts, tools, and context here. |
| BPMN process | Reuse an agent or agentic automation that is already published in your organization. |

## Notes

- To test without invoking the real process, use **Mock output** on the node and supply a sample result.
- The BPMN process node supports an error handle — connect it to route failures instead of stopping the process.
- The list of processes reflects what is published in your organization at design time. Publish or republish a process, then reopen the palette to see it.