What is @aws-sdk/client-sfn?
@aws-sdk/client-sfn is an AWS SDK for JavaScript package that allows developers to interact with AWS Step Functions. AWS Step Functions is a service that lets you coordinate multiple AWS services into serverless workflows, making it easier to build and manage complex applications.
What are @aws-sdk/client-sfn's main functionalities?
Create State Machine
This feature allows you to create a new state machine in AWS Step Functions. The code sample demonstrates how to define a simple state machine and create it using the AWS SDK.
const { SFNClient, CreateStateMachineCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-sfn');
const client = new SFNClient({ region: 'us-west-2' });
const params = {
name: 'MyStateMachine',
definition: JSON.stringify({
Comment: 'A Hello World example of the Amazon States Language using a Pass state',
StartAt: 'HelloWorld',
States: {
HelloWorld: {
Type: 'Pass',
Result: 'Hello, World!',
End: true
}
}
}),
roleArn: 'arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/service-role/MyRole'
};
const run = async () => {
try {
const data = await client.send(new CreateStateMachineCommand(params));
console.log('State Machine ARN:', data.stateMachineArn);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
};
run();
Start Execution
This feature allows you to start an execution of a state machine. The code sample demonstrates how to start an execution with input parameters.
const { SFNClient, StartExecutionCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-sfn');
const client = new SFNClient({ region: 'us-west-2' });
const params = {
stateMachineArn: 'arn:aws:states:us-west-2:123456789012:stateMachine:MyStateMachine',
input: JSON.stringify({
key1: 'value1',
key2: 'value2'
})
};
const run = async () => {
try {
const data = await client.send(new StartExecutionCommand(params));
console.log('Execution ARN:', data.executionArn);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
};
run();
Describe Execution
This feature allows you to describe an execution of a state machine. The code sample demonstrates how to retrieve details of a specific execution.
const { SFNClient, DescribeExecutionCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-sfn');
const client = new SFNClient({ region: 'us-west-2' });
const params = {
executionArn: 'arn:aws:states:us-west-2:123456789012:execution:MyStateMachine:MyExecution'
};
const run = async () => {
try {
const data = await client.send(new DescribeExecutionCommand(params));
console.log('Execution Details:', data);
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
}
};
run();
Other packages similar to @aws-sdk/client-sfn
aws-sdk
The 'aws-sdk' package is the official AWS SDK for JavaScript, which includes support for all AWS services, including Step Functions. It is a more comprehensive package compared to @aws-sdk/client-sfn, which is specialized for Step Functions.
serverless-step-functions
The 'serverless-step-functions' package is a Serverless Framework plugin that simplifies the deployment and management of AWS Step Functions. It provides a higher-level abstraction compared to @aws-sdk/client-sfn, making it easier to define and deploy state machines using the Serverless Framework.
@aws-sdk/client-sfn

Description
AWS SDK for JavaScript SFN Client for Node.js, Browser and React Native.
AWS Step Functions
AWS Step Functions is a service that lets you coordinate the components of distributed applications
and microservices using visual workflows.
You can use Step Functions to build applications from individual components, each of which performs
a discrete function, or task, allowing you to scale and change
applications quickly. Step Functions provides a console that helps visualize the components of your
application as a series of steps. Step Functions automatically triggers and tracks each step, and
retries steps when there are errors, so your application executes predictably and in the right
order every time. Step Functions logs the state of each step, so you can quickly diagnose and debug any
issues.
Step Functions manages operations and underlying infrastructure to ensure your application is
available at any scale. You can run tasks on AWS, your own servers, or any system that has
access to AWS. You can access and use Step Functions using the console, the AWS SDKs, or an HTTP API.
For more information about Step Functions, see the
AWS Step Functions Developer Guide
.
Installing
To install the this package, simply type add or install @aws-sdk/client-sfn
using your favorite package manager:
npm install @aws-sdk/client-sfn
yarn add @aws-sdk/client-sfn
pnpm add @aws-sdk/client-sfn
Getting Started
Import
The AWS SDK is modulized by clients and commands.
To send a request, you only need to import the SFNClient
and
the commands you need, for example CreateActivityCommand
:
const { SFNClient, CreateActivityCommand } = require("@aws-sdk/client-sfn");
import { SFNClient, CreateActivityCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-sfn";
Usage
To send a request, you:
- Initiate client with configuration (e.g. credentials, region).
- Initiate command with input parameters.
- Call
send
operation on client with command object as input. - If you are using a custom http handler, you may call
destroy()
to close open connections.
const client = new SFNClient({ region: "REGION" });
const params = {
};
const command = new CreateActivityCommand(params);
Async/await
We recommend using await
operator to wait for the promise returned by send operation as follows:
try {
const data = await client.send(command);
} catch (error) {
} finally {
}
Async-await is clean, concise, intuitive, easy to debug and has better error handling
as compared to using Promise chains or callbacks.
Promises
You can also use Promise chaining
to execute send operation.
client.send(command).then(
(data) => {
},
(error) => {
}
);
Promises can also be called using .catch()
and .finally()
as follows:
client
.send(command)
.then((data) => {
})
.catch((error) => {
})
.finally(() => {
});
Callbacks
We do not recommend using callbacks because of callback hell,
but they are supported by the send operation.
client.send(command, (err, data) => {
});
v2 compatible style
The client can also send requests using v2 compatible style.
However, it results in a bigger bundle size and may be dropped in next major version. More details in the blog post
on modular packages in AWS SDK for JavaScript
import * as AWS from "@aws-sdk/client-sfn";
const client = new AWS.SFN({ region: "REGION" });
try {
const data = await client.createActivity(params);
} catch (error) {
}
client
.createActivity(params)
.then((data) => {
})
.catch((error) => {
});
client.createActivity(params, (err, data) => {
});
Troubleshooting
When the service returns an exception, the error will include the exception information,
as well as response metadata (e.g. request id).
try {
const data = await client.send(command);
} catch (error) {
const { requestId, cfId, extendedRequestId } = error.$metadata;
console.log({ requestId, cfId, extendedRequestId });
}
Getting Help
Please use these community resources for getting help.
We use the GitHub issues for tracking bugs and feature requests, but have limited bandwidth to address them.
To test your universal JavaScript code in Node.js, browser and react-native environments,
visit our code samples repo.
Contributing
This client code is generated automatically. Any modifications will be overwritten the next time the @aws-sdk/client-sfn
package is updated.
To contribute to client you can check our generate clients scripts.
License
This SDK is distributed under the
Apache License, Version 2.0,
see LICENSE for more information.