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Workflow Cancel Directions

How to cancel a workflow run — finding the run id, the reason argument, and how cancel relates to the automatic idle sweep.

When to use

User or agent wants to cancel, abort, or clean up a workflow run that is stuck, abandoned mid-run, or no longer wanted.

Slash command: /wb-workflow-cancel

  • context/workflow_cancel

Directions

Cancel a running workflow run — drop it from the conductor's in-memory active-runs map, mark its on-disk DAG cancelled (kept for audit), and revoke its workflow consent blanket.

When to use

  • An agent abandoned a workflow mid-run (stopped calling wb_advance) and the stale run is cluttering wb_status / the active-runs list.
  • A workflow is stuck or broke mid-run (e.g. the Obsidian bridge failed) and you want to clear it so a fresh run can start.
  • The user changed their mind about a workflow that is still in progress.

How

  1. Find the run id. In-flight runs are surfaced by wb_status and by the conductor's active-runs list as workflow_run_id values like wf_7040ee31.
  2. Cancel it:
`mcp__work-buddy__wb_run("workflow_cancel", {"workflow_run_id": "wf_...", "reason": "..."})`

reason is optional free text recorded for the audit trail; it defaults to user_requested.

Notes

  • Idempotent. Cancelling an already-cancelled run is a no-op; a run that has already completed is left untouched (nothing to cancel).
  • The run is not deleted — its DAG file on disk is marked cancelled, so the run's history stays auditable.
  • Orphaned runs are also reclaimed without you: an in-process sweep auto-cancels any run idle past the configured threshold (default 24h, reason idle_timeout). Manual cancel is for when you don't want to wait, or want a specific reason on the record.