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Bring your own workflow

Price your actual process, not the closest template. Updated 12 Sep 2026.

The 78 benchmark workflows are generic starting points; your process is not generic. The estimator’s Custom button (advanced) lets you price your real workflow: open the closest template’s step graph, edit it, or have your own AI assistant write it for you from a plain-language description. Everything stays in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Three ways to build your graph

1. Edit the closest template. Pick the nearest workflow, click Custom, and the editor opens pre-filled with its full step graph. Rename steps, change who does them, add or delete steps, apply. 2. Ask your AI assistant. Click Copy AI prompt, paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot, describe your process where indicated, and paste the returned JSON back in. The validator explains any problems in plain English. 3. Import a file. Load a spec a colleague or consultant exported. Export works the same way, so a priced workflow is a file you can hand to a client.

The spec in one paragraph

A workflow is JSON: a title; lanes (swimlanes with a key, label and color); nodes, each with an id, lane, kind (start, task, gateway for decisions, end), a 1–2 line label, and an ownership type: A (AI agent), HA (human assisted by AI), H (human only), R (robot/system). Only A and HA steps consume tokens; mark task steps that call external systems tool: true and they price two model calls. Edges connect nodes (gateway exits carry branch yes/no), and a scenario records which branch each decision takes on the path you are pricing. Exactly one start, at least one end, no loops on the scenario path, 3 to 25 steps.

What custom mode does and does not do

It does: recalculate every figure for your graph (cost per outcome, chat multiplier, model comparison, failure-adjusted cost, business case, report), persist in your browser, and export/import as a file. It does not: publish anything, affect the published benchmarks, or claim benchmark status; the report stamps custom estimates “custom workflow: figures reflect your graph” so a screenshot cannot be mistaken for our published pages. Anonymous outcome contributions from custom workflows are tagged separately and never mix into the benchmark priors.

Open the estimator and click Custom →

Frequently asked questions

Can I price my own workflow instead of a template?

Yes. The estimator's Custom button (advanced) opens the current template's step graph as editable JSON. Change, add or remove steps, apply, and every figure recalculates for your graph: cost per outcome, model comparison, business case and report.

How do I generate a workflow spec with AI?

Click Copy AI prompt in the Custom editor, paste it into ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot, describe your process step by step where indicated, and paste the JSON it returns back into the editor. The estimator validates it and reports any problems in plain English.

Is my custom workflow uploaded anywhere?

No. Custom workflows are stored only in your browser's local storage. You can export them as a JSON file to share or archive, and import them on another machine. Nothing is sent to a server.

What step types does the spec support?

Four node kinds (start, task, gateway decision, end) and four ownership types: A for an AI agent step, HA for a human assisted by AI, H for human only, and R for a robot or deterministic system. Only A and HA steps consume tokens; task steps that call external systems are marked tool and make two model calls.

Related: What is AI tokenomics? · Copilot seat vs AI agent · The State of Agentic AI Costs 2026. Figures are illustrative estimates, not financial advice.