Design File, Instructions & Logs
Three supporting features appear alongside each workflow in VXL Live: design files (Excel templates), user instructions, and the Logs panel. All three help you prepare for and diagnose a workflow run.
Design files
A design file is an Excel template uploaded in Vince Platform's Workflow Excel Component by the workflow creator. It defines the expected column structure for a workflow's input, so you do not need to know the exact field names and data formats the workflow expects.
Adding a design file to your workbook
If a workflow has a design file, an Excel icon (Open Design File) appears next to the workflow name. Click it, and VXL Live adds the sheets of the design file to the end of the workbook you have open. VXL Live fetches the template from Vince Platform, but it does not save a file on your computer. Fill in your data on the new sheet, keep that sheet open, and run the workflow.
Open a new, empty workbook before you click the Excel icon if you want the template in a file of its own.
Some organisations block add-ins from inserting sheets through an Excel security setting. VXL Live then copies the sheets in compatibility mode instead, and keeps using that mode on your computer for a week. The Logs panel then says that it fell back to compatibility mode.
Always add the design file before filling in data for an unfamiliar workflow. It is pre-structured to match the workflow's input definition exactly — using a different column layout will cause the workflow to fail or produce incorrect results.
User instructions
Workflow creators can add written instructions to a workflow in Vince Platform to guide users through what the workflow does and how to use it correctly.
If instructions have been added, a book icon (View User Instructions) appears next to the workflow name. Click it to open a pop-up showing the instructions for that workflow.
Read the instructions before running an unfamiliar workflow — they may contain field guidance, expected data formats, or business-process context that is not obvious from the workflow name alone.
Logs
The Logs panel shows what VXL Live itself did during a workflow run, such as reading and writing the sheet. Open it with Logs at the bottom of VXL Live, after a run, to confirm success or investigate a failure. When a new problem is logged, a red warning icon flashes next to Logs for a few seconds.
The log is kept only in VXL Live while it is open. For the full log of the run in Vince Platform, click Logs in the result box below the Run button; see Reading the result.
The Logs panel has two tabs:
| Tab | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Output | A step-by-step trace of each action taken during the workflow run |
| Problems | Errors and connectivity issues encountered during the run. The tab shows how many there are |
Use Output to confirm the workflow completed as expected. Use Problems when the result shows Error or Warning — the error message here identifies the root cause.
Both tabs have a CLEAR button to remove the current log content. Close the Logs panel with the × icon.
If a workflow fails, check the Problems tab first. It typically contains a specific error message that pinpoints whether the issue is a data problem, a connection problem, or a configuration error in the workflow itself.
Further reading
- Running Workflows — execute a workflow and read its result
- Excel Component — how design files are uploaded in Vince Platform