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# Include At Least One Step in Workflow

Every workflow must include at least one step execution with `context.run`. If no steps are defined, the workflow will throw a `Failed to authenticate Workflow request.` error.

<CodeGroup>

```typescript ❌ Missing steps - TypeScript
export const { POST } = serve<string>(async (context) => {
  const input = context.requestPayload
  
  // 👇 Problem: No context.run call
  console.log("Processing input:", input)
  
  // This workflow will fail with "Failed to authenticate Workflow request."
})
```

```typescript ✅ Correct - TypeScript
export const { POST } = serve<string>(async (context) => {
  const input = context.requestPayload
  
  // 👇 At least one step is required
  await context.run("dummy-step", async () => {
    return
  })
})
```

```python ❌ Missing steps - Python
@serve.post("/api/example")
async def example(context: AsyncWorkflowContext[str]) -> None:
    input = context.request_payload
    
    # 👇 Problem: No context.run call
    print("Processing input:", input)
    
    # This workflow will fail with "Failed to authenticate Workflow request."
```

```python ✅ Correct - Python
@serve.post("/api/example")
async def example(context: AsyncWorkflowContext[str]) -> None:
    input = context.request_payload
    
    # 👇 At least one step is required
    async def _dummy_step():
        return
        
    await context.run("dummy-step", _dummy_step)
```

</CodeGroup>

Even for the placeholder implementations, you must include one dummy step for the Workflow authentication mechanism to function properly.