---
title: Step context
description: Access runtime information in Workflows steps using the WorkflowStepContext object, including step name and retry attempt.
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/dev-products-preview.png
---

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# Step context

Every `step.do` callback receives a **context object** (`WorkflowStepContext`) as its first argument. The context gives your step code runtime information about the step itself, the current retry attempt, and the resolved configuration for that step.

## WorkflowStepContext

TypeScript

```
type WorkflowStepContext = {  step: {    name: string;    count: number;  };  attempt: number;  config: WorkflowStepConfig;};
```

### Properties

| Property   | Type                                                                                                    | Description                                                                                                                                 |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| step.name  | string                                                                                                  | The name you passed to step.do.                                                                                                             |
| step.count | number                                                                                                  | How many times step.do has been called with this name so far in the current Workflow run. Starts at 1 for the first call with a given name. |
| attempt    | number                                                                                                  | The current attempt number (1-indexed). 1 on the first try, 2 on the first retry, and so on.                                                |
| config     | [WorkflowStepConfig](https://developers.cloudflare.com/workflows/build/workers-api/#workflowstepconfig) | The resolved retry and timeout configuration for this step, including any defaults applied by the runtime.                                  |

## Access the context

Pass a parameter to your `step.do` callback to receive the context object:

TypeScript

```
await step.do("my-step", async (ctx) => {  console.log(ctx.step.name); // "my-step"  console.log(ctx.step.count); // 1  console.log(ctx.attempt); // 1 on first try, 2 on first retry, etc.  console.log(ctx.config); // { retries: { limit: 5, ... }, timeout: "10 minutes" }});
```

The context is also available when you pass a custom `WorkflowStepConfig`:

TypeScript

```
await step.do(  "call an API",  {    retries: {      limit: 10,      delay: "10 seconds",      backoff: "exponential",    },    timeout: "30 minutes",  },  async (ctx) => {    console.log(ctx.config.retries.limit); // 10    console.log(ctx.config.timeout); // "30 minutes"  },);
```

## Examples

### Adjust behavior based on retry attempt

Use `ctx.attempt` to change how your step behaves on retries. For example, you might use a fallback endpoint after a certain number of retries:

TypeScript

```
await step.do(  "fetch data",  { retries: { limit: 5, delay: "5 seconds", backoff: "linear" } },  async (ctx) => {    const url =      ctx.attempt <= 3        ? "https://api.example.com/primary"        : "https://api.example.com/fallback";
    const response = await fetch(url);    if (!response.ok) {      throw new Error(`Request failed with status ${response.status}`);    }    return await response.json();  },);
```

### Log step metadata for observability

Use `ctx.step` to add structured metadata to your logs:

TypeScript

```
await step.do("process-order", async (ctx) => {  console.log(    JSON.stringify({      step: ctx.step.name,      stepCount: ctx.step.count,      attempt: ctx.attempt,      retryLimit: ctx.config.retries?.limit,    }),  );
  // Your step logic here});
```

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