Langflow

Langflow is an open-source, Python-based low-code platform that empowers developers and organizations to visually build, prototype and deploy AI workflows, agents and applications. Through its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Langflow removes the complexity of chaining together large language models (LLMs), data sources, vector databases, APIs and custom logic, making it accessible for both novice and expert users alike.

Whether you want to create Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, build chatbots, design multi-agent systems or orchestrate API-driven automations, Langflow offers a unified environment that dramatically accelerates iteration and deployment.

Key Features

• Visual Builder: Design AI workflows, chains and agents using a drag-and-drop GUI, reducing manual coding.
• Flow-Based Programming: Connect modular components (nodes) to process data, call models, manage memory or handle inputs/outputs. Each “flow” forms a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) representing the sequence of tasks.
• Multi-Agent Support: Easily create, manage and coordinate multiple AI agents with specific skills or data access.
• RAG and Data Integration: Seamlessly link LLMs, embedding models, vector databases (e.g., Pinecone, AstraDB, ChromaDB) and your own document stores for RAG workflows.
• Collaborative Tools: Share, export and iterate on flows with teammates through cloud or desktop environments.
• Extensive Integrations: Supports all major AI frameworks, LLMs and tool APIs. LangChain, LlamaIndex, OpenAI, HuggingFace, Google and more are natively compatible.

How Langflow Works

1. What is a “Flow”?

A flow in Langflow is a workflow composed of connected components (nodes), each performing a specific function such as running an LLM, retrieving from a database, applying custom logic or managing input/output. Flows are represented visually and executed according to their structure.

Example Components:

• LLM (e.g., GPT, Gemini, Claude)
• Vector store search
• Data loader (PDF, SQL, Web)
• Prompt handler
• Memory manager
• API connectors
• Input/output UIs

2. Drag-and-Drop Workflow Design

Users build flows by dragging components from a sidebar into a workspace and connecting them with arrows. Each node’s properties can be configured from the UI and advanced users can inspect or edit the underlying Python code directly.

• Workflows can range from simple (single prompt to LLM) to highly complex (multi-step processes, agent orchestration, conditional branching).
• Each node’s output can be fed as input to downstream nodes, defining the data and process dependencies.

3. Example Use Cases

• Chatbots: Link chat input, LLM and chat output components for customer support or tutoring.
• Multi-Agent Systems: Route tasks between specialized agents, with global memory, shared prompt libraries and tool access.
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Combine document loaders, embedding components and vector search with LLMs for data-grounded Q&A or summarization.
• Automated Workflows: Chain together APIs (email, calendar, database) with AI logic to automate business or research tasks.

Projects and MCP Integration

• Projects: Langflow organizes flows into Projects a space for modular workflows that encapsulate reusable logic, configurations and assets for a specific application or domain.
• MCP Support: Projects can be exposed as MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, enabling seamless interoperability with other LLM apps, tools and external APIs. Each flow inside a project can be registered as a callable “tool” or “action” for outside agents and platforms.

Advanced Features

Getting Started: Installation and Usage

1. Installation

You can install Langflow via pip:

pip install langflow

or via Anaconda with a new environment:

conda create -n langflow-env python=3.10 -y
conda activate langflow-env
pip install langflow

2. Running Langflow

Start the app locally:

langflow run

The platform runs at http://localhost:7860 by default, providing the full visual interface in your browser.

3. Building Your First Flow

• Drag nodes (e.g., Input, LLM, Output) onto the canvas.
• Connect them in your desired sequence.
• Configure each node (e.g., add API keys, prompt templates).
• Click “Run” to test and iterate.

4. Deployment

• Export and share flows as JSON or reusable templates.
• Deploy locally, on your own servers or use Langflow Cloud for instant production, scaling and collaboration.

Real-World Applications

• Enterprise AI Assistants: Customer support bots, process automation, internal Q&A
• Data-Centric Apps: Information extraction, document analysis and summarization
• Conversational Interfaces: Language tutors, creative writing tools, translation
• RAG Pipelines: Real-time chat with private data, knowledge management, legal or financial research