flippyheadF
Convex Community•3mo ago•
4 replies
flippyhead

TypeScript Type Error: Workflows Not Accessible via `internal` API

Issue

When trying to reference workflows defined with workflowManager.define() through the internal API, TypeScript throws an error saying the workflow property doesn't exist, even though the code works perfectly at runtime.

Code Example


// workflows/research/private.ts
import { workflowManager } from "@/src/convex/workflows";
import { internal } from "@/src/convex/_generated/api";

export const researchWorkflow = workflowManager.define({
  args: { problemId: v.id("problems") },
  handler: async (step, { problemId }) => {
    // ... workflow logic
  },
});

export const startWorkflow = internalAction({
  handler: async (ctx, { problemId }) => {
    // :x: TypeScript Error: Property 'researchWorkflow' does not exist
    const workflowId = await workflowManager.start(
      ctx,
      internal.workflows.research.private.researchWorkflow, // Error here
      { problemId }
    );
  },
});


Error Message

Property 'researchWorkflow' does not exist on type '{ startWorkflow: FunctionReference<...> }'.


Expected Behavior

TypeScript should recognize workflows defined with workflowManager.define() when accessed via internal.workflows.*.private.*, similar to how it recognizes queries, mutations, and actions.

Actual Behavior

- ✅ Code works at runtime
- ❌ TypeScript doesn't recognize workflows through the internal API
- The FilterApi type for internal only includes FunctionReference types, but workflows aren't FunctionReference types

Workaround

Currently using @ts-expect-error to suppress the type error:

const workflowId = await workflowManager.start(
  ctx,
  // @ts-expect-error - researchWorkflow exists at runtime but TypeScript doesn't see it
  internal.workflows.research.private.researchWorkflow,
  { problemId }
);


Question

Is this a known limitation, or is there a way to properly type workflows so they're recognized through the internal API? This seems like it could affect all workflows, not just this one.

Thanks!
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