| name | dbos-typescript |
| description | DBOS TypeScript SDK for building reliable, fault-tolerant applications with durable workflows. Use this skill when writing TypeScript code with DBOS, creating workflows and steps, using queues, using DBOSClient from external applications, or building applications that need to be resilient to failures. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"dbos","version":"1.0.0","organization":"DBOS","date":"January 2026","abstract":"Comprehensive guide for building fault-tolerant TypeScript applications with DBOS. Covers workflows, steps, queues, communication patterns, and best practices for durable execution."} |
DBOS TypeScript Best Practices
Guide for building reliable, fault-tolerant TypeScript applications with DBOS durable workflows.
When to Apply
Reference these guidelines when:
- Adding DBOS to existing TypeScript code
- Creating workflows and steps
- Using queues for concurrency control
- Implementing workflow communication (events, messages, streams)
- Configuring and launching DBOS applications
- Using DBOSClient from external applications
- Testing DBOS applications
Rule Categories by Priority
| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|---|
| 1 | Lifecycle | CRITICAL | lifecycle- |
| 2 | Workflow | CRITICAL | workflow- |
| 3 | Step | HIGH | step- |
| 4 | Queue | HIGH | queue- |
| 5 | Communication | MEDIUM | comm- |
| 6 | Pattern | MEDIUM | pattern- |
| 7 | Testing | LOW-MEDIUM | test- |
| 8 | Client | MEDIUM | client- |
| 9 | Advanced | LOW | advanced- |
Critical Rules
Installation
Always install the latest version of DBOS:
npm install @dbos-inc/dbos-sdk@latest
DBOS Configuration and Launch
A DBOS application MUST configure and launch DBOS before running any workflows:
import { DBOS } from "@dbos-inc/dbos-sdk";
async function main() {
DBOS.setConfig({
name: "my-app",
systemDatabaseUrl: process.env.DBOS_SYSTEM_DATABASE_URL,
});
await DBOS.launch();
await myWorkflow();
}
main().catch(console.log);
Workflow and Step Structure
Workflows are comprised of steps. Any function performing complex operations or accessing external services must be run as a step using DBOS.runStep:
import { DBOS } from "@dbos-inc/dbos-sdk";
async function fetchData() {
return await fetch("https://api.example.com").then(r => r.json());
}
async function myWorkflowFn() {
const result = await DBOS.runStep(fetchData, { name: "fetchData" });
return result;
}
const myWorkflow = DBOS.registerWorkflow(myWorkflowFn);
Key Constraints
- Do NOT call, start, or enqueue workflows from within steps
- Do NOT use threads or uncontrolled concurrency to start workflows - use
DBOS.startWorkflow or queues
- Workflows MUST be deterministic - non-deterministic operations go in steps
- Do NOT modify global variables from workflows or steps
How to Use
Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and examples:
references/lifecycle-config.md
references/workflow-determinism.md
references/queue-concurrency.md
References
