# Cloudflare Workflows can now be called through ctx.exports!

Hey everyone, it's Shii-chan! Today I found a small but really nice update around Cloudflare Workers Workflows!

## What was announced?

According to the Cloudflare Changelog, a Worker can now call the Workflows it defines through `ctx.exports`. Workflows declared in the `exports` field of your Wrangler configuration can now be called directly, without needing a `workflows` binding.

Here's what the code looks like.

```ts
export default {
  async fetch(request, env, ctx): Promise<Response> {
    const instance = await ctx.exports.MyWorkflow.create({
      params: { name: "World" },
    });
    return Response.json({ id: instance.id });
  },
} satisfies ExportedHandler<Env>;
```

Each Workflow is keyed by its class name and reachable through `ctx.exports`, and it has the same API you already know from a Workflow binding (like `create`).

## The story so far

Until now, even calling a Workflow that your own Worker defines meant writing a `workflows` binding in your configuration and going through that binding to reach it. Just the day before, the Changelog introduced the ability for a Worker to declare its own Workflows in the `exports` field of the Wrangler configuration. This release adds the missing piece: an actual way to call those exported Workflows, via `ctx.exports`.

## What changes

For Workflows that live entirely inside the same Worker, you no longer need to write a `workflows` binding in your configuration — you can just call `ctx.exports.ClassName` instead. That keeps your configuration file a bit simpler.

On top of that, a `workflows` binding and a workflow export that share the same name also share their instances. So if you're running a Workflow through a binding today and want to switch to the export style, you can migrate without losing any in-flight instances.

## Dive Deep

Workflows called through `ctx.exports` also work in local development, as long as you're on these versions:

- Wrangler 4.142.0 or above
- `@cloudflare/vite-plugin` 1.61.0 or above
- `@cloudflare/vitest-plugin` 1.3.0 or above

With those in place, `wrangler dev`, the Cloudflare Vite plugin, and the Workers Vitest integration all run Workflows through `ctx.exports` locally.

One limitation to know: Vitest's `introspectWorkflow()` and `introspectWorkflowInstance()` still require a Workflow binding. If you want to introspect a Workflow declared in `exports`, you'll need to add a test-only binding for it.

## Wrap-up

- A Worker can now call the Workflows it declares in `exports` directly through `ctx.exports.ClassName`
- No more need for a `workflows` binding just to call your own Workflow (simpler configuration)
- A binding and an export with the same name share instances, so migrating between them is safe
- Local development needs Wrangler 4.142.0, the Vite plugin 1.61.0, or the Vitest plugin 1.3.0 or above
- Vitest's introspection APIs still need a binding, so add a test-only one if you need to introspect
- A welcome update for anyone building with Workflows on Cloudflare Workers!