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Components Overview

Components are the executable units in Stepflow workflows — each step invokes a component to do its work. Stepflow provides built-in components for common tasks, and you can create custom components using the Python SDK, the gRPC protocol directly, or MCP servers.

Types of Components​

1. Built-in Components​

Stepflow provides a variety of built-in components that handle common operations:

  • Data Storage: /put_blob, /get_blob for storing and retrieving data managed by the Stepflow runtime
  • AI Integration: /openai, /create_messages demonstrating interaction with AI APIs
  • File Operations: /load_file demonstrating interaction with the local file system
  • Workflow Control: /eval for executing nested workflows

Learn more about built-in components →

2. Worker Components​

Workers host custom components built with Stepflow SDKs:

  • Python SDK: Build components in Python with full async support
  • Any Language: Implement the Stepflow Protocol directly

Learn more about workers →

User-Defined Functions (UDFs)

Many of the SDKs also support user-defined functions (UDFs). These are typically implemented as a component provided by the SDK that takes code as an input and executes it. Learn more about user-defined functions →.

3. MCP Tool Components​

Use tools from Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers as components:

  • Access file systems, databases, and APIs through MCP
  • Leverage the growing ecosystem of MCP tools
  • No additional wrapping needed—MCP tools work directly as components

Learn more about MCP tools →.

Next Steps​