Subscenarios

18 min
Subscenarios allow you to link multiple ﻿ together to form a scenario chain. When the first ﻿ in the ﻿ chain finishes, it triggers the next ﻿. This is useful in workflows with different stages or processes that need to run in a specific order. Creating a ﻿ chain with subscenarios brings in the following features:
Run in sequence: when the first ﻿ finishes, it automatically triggers the execution of the next ﻿. This ensures that tasks are carried out in the desired order without manual intervention.
Data transfer: The first ﻿ can send data to the second ﻿. This allows for using the result of the first ﻿ as an input for the second ﻿.
For example, you can send an order number to a ﻿ that updates the warehouse inventory and to another ﻿ that sets up tracking of the order delivery.
Modularity: You can split a complex ﻿ into multiple chained ﻿. By breaking down a complex workflow into smaller, manageable ﻿, it becomes easier to design, debug, and maintain. In addition, you can link the ﻿ with other ﻿ in the future, to avoid rebuilding the same logic.
For example, you can have multiple ﻿ to send customers notification emails and order invoices. Each of these ﻿ starts with a few modules retrieving user data. With ﻿ chaining, you can extract the repeating modules to a separate ﻿ and put it at the start of the ﻿ chain.
Types of scenarios in a scenario chain
There are three types of ﻿ in a ﻿ chain:
Parent ﻿ 
Starts the ﻿ chain.
Triggers bridge or child ﻿.
Can have multiple Run a scenario modules.
Bridge ﻿ 
Connects child ﻿ or other bridge ﻿ with parent ﻿ in the ﻿ chain.
Is triggered by a parent ﻿ or another bridge ﻿. In addition, the bridge ﻿ triggers another bridge ﻿ or a child ﻿.
Can have multiple Run a scenario modules.
Child ﻿ 
Ends the ﻿ chain.
Is triggered by parent or bridge ﻿.
Doesn't have any Run a scenario modules.
The following diagram shows the relation between parent, bridge, and child ﻿.
﻿
The ﻿ chains can even create branches, like this:
﻿
Create a scenario chain
To create a ﻿ chain, you need to create multiple scenarios. The following steps focus on a quick and simple showcase, where you don't need to build complicated ﻿ to try out ﻿ chaining. Keep in mind that ﻿ chaining brings the most benefits when you want to split a complex ﻿ into multiple parts.
Overview of the steps to create a ﻿ chain:
Create the parent ﻿.
Create the child ﻿.
Connect the ﻿ with Run a scenario modules to form a chain from the parent and child ﻿.
Set the scheduling for the ﻿ in the ﻿ chain.
The ﻿ chain can be visualized like this:
﻿
Create the parent scenario
In the parent ﻿, we will use the OpenWeather app to get weather data. We will use the Set multiple variables module to set the data we will be sending to the child ﻿.
1
In ﻿, click Create a new scenario.
2
In the ﻿ editor, click the big plus icon and search for the OpenWeather app.
3
Connect the Get current weather module with the Set mutliple variables module. In the Set multiple variables module, create new variables and map the data you want to send to the child ﻿.
For example, map the Temperature and Pressure pills from the Get current weather module to the london_temperature and london_pressure variables:
﻿
﻿
4
Connect the Get current weather module with the Set mutliple variables module. In the Set multiple variables module, create new variables and map the data you want to send to the child ﻿.
You created a starting piece of the parent ﻿ in the ﻿ chain.
Your ﻿ should look like this:
﻿
Create the child scenarios
In the following steps, we will create two child ﻿. Both child ﻿ will use scenario inputs﻿ to receive data from the parent ﻿.
1
Click Create a new scenario.
2
In the ﻿ editor, click the big plus icon and search for the Gmail app.
In search results, select the Send an email module.
3
Set up the inputs for the ﻿. The ﻿ will expect the london_temperature and london_pressure variables as its inputs.
﻿
4
Configure the Send an email module. Use the ﻿ inputs in the email message.
﻿
5
Confirm the module settings and save the ﻿.
6
Create another child ﻿.
For example, you can use another messaging app if you have created a connection for it, like the Slack app.
You have three new ﻿ in your Make team, but they are not connected yet. Let's fix that.
﻿
Connect the parent scenario with the child scenarios
The following steps describe how to use the Scenarios > Run a scenario modules to connect the parent scenario with the child scenarios.
1
Go to the first ﻿ with the Get current weather and Set multiple variables modules.
Add  the Scenarios > Run a scenario module to the ﻿.
2
In the Scenario field, select the ﻿ you want to trigger with the module. If you are following the example, select the ﻿ which sends the email notifications.
Note that the ﻿ are organized in ﻿ folders.
3
﻿﻿ retrieves the ﻿ inputs of the scenario you select. Map the london_temperature and london_pressure variables to the ﻿ input fields:
﻿
Note that at the top of the module settings, there's the Inactive label informing you that the child scenario is not active. There's also the child scenario ID, the scenario folder and name and a Preview link that opens a new tab with the child scenario open in the Scenario Builder.
4
Click OK to confirm the settings and save the parent ﻿.
5
Open the Run a scenario module settings again and click the Preview link to go to the child ﻿.
Set the child ﻿ scheduling to On demand. Enable the ﻿ and save.
6
Repeat the same steps for the second child ﻿.
When you connect both of the ﻿ with the parent ﻿, your list of ﻿ should look like this:
﻿
Note the second to last column in the ﻿ list. The column shows whether the ﻿ is a parent, bridge, or child ﻿ in a ﻿ chain. Users in organizations with the Teams and Enterprise pricing plans can see the column.
See Make pricing for more information.
Set the scheduling for scenarios in the scenario chain
In the previous section, we've set the ﻿ scheduling to on demand to have the ﻿ enabled for testing without running them in intervals.
The ﻿ in the ﻿ chain have independent scheduling. A child ﻿ can trigger with its own scheduling, in addition to being triggered by a parent or a bridge ﻿.
For example, if the child scenario in a scenario chain runs every two hours, but the parent (or bridge) scenario triggers it every hour, then the child scenario will run four times in three hours:
1st run: The child ﻿ is triggered by the parent ﻿ an hour after the start.
2nd run: The child ﻿ triggers by it's own scheduling two hours after the start.
3rd run: The child ﻿ is triggered by the ﻿ two hours after the start.
4th run: The child ﻿ is triggered by the parent s﻿ three hours after the start.
When setting ﻿ scheduling for ﻿ in the ﻿ chain, keep in mind that the scheduling of the linked ﻿ combines.
If you want to run ﻿ in a chain in a sequence, use on demand scheduling.
In the example, set scheduling for the parent ﻿, but keep the child ﻿ running on demand.
The child ﻿ use the ﻿ inputs from the parent ﻿ with no default values. If the child ﻿ would run with a schedule on their own, they wouldn't contain any values for the ﻿ inputs.
You can prevent running a ﻿ with empty ﻿ inputs by setting the ﻿ input field as Required and the scheduling to On Demand.
Migrate from using the Run a scenario module
The Run a scenario module from the ﻿ app enables you to trigger a ﻿ run from another ﻿. The Run a scenario module from the Scenarios app works similarly.
The major advantage of ﻿ chaining over triggering a ﻿ with the ﻿ app is the management utility and auditability of ﻿ chaining. You can view connected ﻿ in the relation tree tab and you can see chained ﻿ in the ﻿ list and history.
For a full comparison of the individual approaches to trigger a ﻿ from another ﻿, check the comparison section﻿.
To start using ﻿ chaining instead of the Run a scenario module from the Make app:
1
Go to the ﻿ that uses the Make > Run a scenario module.
2
Swap the Make > Run a scenario module for the Scenarios > Run a scenario module.
3
In the Scenario field, select the ﻿ you want to trigger.
4
Optional: If you transfer data between ﻿, map ﻿ inputs to the Run a scenario module.
5
Review the scheduling of the child ﻿. The child ﻿ can have its own scheduling in addition to being triggered from the ﻿ chain.
You can access the child ﻿ from the Preview link in the Run a scenario module settings.
Check the relation tree tab in the details of any of the ﻿. The relation tree tab is now showing two ﻿.
The parent ﻿ is the ﻿ that contains the Run a scenario module, and the child ﻿ is the ﻿ triggered by the module.
Migrate from using the HTTP and custom webhook apps
With the HTTP > Make a request module, you can send data to a Webhooks > Custom webhook module. The Scenarios > Run a scenario module works differently. Run a scenario module sends data to a ﻿ through ﻿ inputs, instead of using the HTTP app.
The major advantage of ﻿ chaining is the management utility and auditability of ﻿ chaining. You can view connected ﻿ in the relation tree tab and you can see chained ﻿ in the ﻿ list and history.
You can also use the ﻿ inputs to validate the data you send to the child ﻿ instead of checking the data after the webhook receives them.
For a full comparison of the individual approaches to trigger a ﻿ from another ﻿, check the comparison section﻿.
To start using ﻿ chaining instead of the HTTP and Custom webhook modules:
1
Go to the ﻿ with the HTTP > Make a request module.
2
Swap the HTTP > Make a request module for the Scenarios > Run a scenario module.
3
In the Scenario field, select the ﻿ you want to trigger.
4
Optional: Set up ﻿ inputs to transfer data from the parent ﻿ to the child ﻿. Make will evaluate the structure of the inputs before running the ﻿, which increases the reliability of the ﻿ chain.
5
Remove the Custom webhook module from the child ﻿.
6
Review the scheduling of the child ﻿. The child ﻿ can run on demand when triggered from the parent ﻿, or can have its own scheduling in addition to being triggered from the ﻿ chain.
Check the relation tree tab in the details of any of the ﻿. The relation tree tab is now showing two ﻿ .
The parent ﻿ is the ﻿ that contains the Run a scenario module, and the child ﻿ is the ﻿ triggered by the module.
Manage scenario chains
﻿﻿ chaining simplifies the management of ﻿ sequences, where one ﻿ triggers another. This approach eliminates the need for naming conventions or organizing sequences in folders. Instead, you can easily monitor and manage the ﻿ within a ﻿ chain from multiple places in Make:
The ﻿ relations, like:
the Relation tree tab
﻿﻿ relations in the list of ﻿ 
﻿﻿ relations in the ﻿ history
show only to users in organizations with the Teams and Enterprise pricing plans. Users in other organizations have to track ﻿ relations differently.
See Make pricing for more information.
﻿
Run a scenario module: When you select a ﻿ in the Scenarios > Run a scenario module, you can see at the top of the module settings information about the ﻿ triggered by the module:
﻿
You can see:
whether the ﻿ is enabled (Active) or disabled (Inactive)
﻿﻿ ID
the ﻿ folder name
the Preview link. Clicking the preview link opens a new browser tab with the linked scenario open in the Scenario Builder
Relation tree tab: Scenarios that are part of a scenario chain have the Relation tree tab:
﻿
The Relation tree tab shows ﻿ directly connected to the currently open ﻿ in the ﻿ chain.
The open ﻿ is outdented in the ﻿ relation tree.
A column in the relation tree shows the relation of the ﻿ in the ﻿ chain.
The scenario list also shows the ﻿ chain relations:
﻿
Bundles output by the Run a scenario module contain a link to the triggered ﻿ run.
﻿
Scenario history contains a link to the scenario that triggered the scenario run.
﻿
There is no link if the ﻿ in the ﻿ chain runs because of its own scheduling instead of being triggered by a parent or a bridge ﻿.
Add scenarios to a scenario chain
To add a ﻿ to an existing ﻿ chain:
1
Create the ﻿ you want to add to the chain.
2
Go to the ﻿ from which you want to trigger the new ﻿.
3
In the parent ﻿, add the Scenarios > Run a scenario module.
4
In the Scenario field, select the ﻿ you want to trigger (the ﻿ created in step 1).
You connected the ﻿ to a ﻿ chain. Check the Relation tree tab of the added ﻿ to see the ﻿ connected to the parent ﻿.
Make sure to review the ﻿ scheduling and enable the added ﻿.
Remove scenarios from a scenario chain
To remove a ﻿ from a ﻿ chain:
1
Go to the parent ﻿ which triggers the ﻿ you want to remove.
2
In the parent ﻿, remove the Scenarios > Run a scenario module.
You removed the ﻿ from a ﻿ chain. The removed ﻿ doesn't have a Relation tree tab anymore and Make doesn't highlight the ﻿ as a part of a ﻿ chain.
Scenario chaining comparison with other options to connect scenarios
If you are a power user of ﻿, you might know of other options on how to connect ﻿ into a sequence. The following table compares the other approaches with ﻿ chaining:
 
Scenario chaining
Make app: Run a scenario
Trigger a webhook with the HTTP app
﻿﻿ triggering
Scenarios > Run a scenario
Make > Run a scenario
HTTP > Make a request the follow-up ﻿ has to start with a webhook module
Setting next ﻿ 
Select from a list of ﻿, categorized in folders.
The ﻿ has to be in the same team.
Search ﻿ available through the Make app connection.
You can run ﻿ in any organization or team to which you have access.
You have to know the webhook URL.
You can trigger any webhook if you know its URL.
Sending data
Use scenario inputs﻿ to accept data from the previous ﻿.
Use scenario inputs﻿ to accept data from the previous ﻿.
Send the data in the HTTP request body or in the query parameters.
﻿﻿ sequence management
Each ﻿ in the chain has the relation tree overview.
In the ﻿ list, you can see which ﻿ is a parent, bridge, or child in a chain.
In the ﻿ execution history, you can distinguish between ﻿ runs triggered by another ﻿ in the chain.
The bundles generated by the Run a scenario module contain a link to the execution log of the next﻿ in the chain.
There are no dedicated management options.
You can put sequence ﻿ in a dedicated folder, use custom scenario properties﻿, or create your own naming convention.
There are no dedicated management options.
You can put sequence ﻿ in a dedicated folder, use custom scenario properties﻿, or create your own naming convention.
﻿﻿ running in parallel
You can trigger the next ﻿ in a chain before it finishes it's current run.
You can have multiple ﻿running in parallel.
You can have multiple ﻿ running in parallel.
You can run webhook-triggered ﻿ in parallel.
Scenario chaining limitations
﻿﻿ chaining has certain feature limitations to help you avoid creating complex or unmanageable chains that could result in infinite loops. These limitations are as follows:
You cannot use the Run a scenario module to trigger the current ﻿ itself.
You cannot form a circular ﻿ chain. If a ﻿ is already part of a ﻿ chain, you cannot add it again to the same chain.
You cannot connect ﻿ from different teams. You can only create a ﻿ chain from scenarios within the same team.
	Scenario chaining	Make app: Run a scenario	Trigger a webhook with the HTTP app
triggering	Scenarios > Run a scenario	Make > Run a scenario	HTTP > Make a request the follow-up has to start with a webhook module
Setting next	Select from a list of , categorized in folders. The has to be in the same team.	Search available through the Make app connection. You can run in any organization or team to which you have access.	You have to know the webhook URL. You can trigger any webhook if you know its URL.
Sending data	Use scenario inputs to accept data from the previous .	Use scenario inputs to accept data from the previous .	Send the data in the HTTP request body or in the query parameters.
sequence management	Each in the chain has the relation tree overview. In the list, you can see which is a parent, bridge, or child in a chain. In the execution history, you can distinguish between runs triggered by another in the chain. The bundles generated by the Run a scenario module contain a link to the execution log of the next in the chain.	There are no dedicated management options. You can put sequence in a dedicated folder, use custom scenario properties, or create your own naming convention.	There are no dedicated management options. You can put sequence in a dedicated folder, use custom scenario properties, or create your own naming convention.
running in parallel	You can trigger the next in a chain before it finishes it's current run. You can have multiple running in parallel.	You can have multiple running in parallel.	You can run webhook-triggered in parallel.