Inbound Workloads
Inbound Workloads allow external applications to submit work to Simple Agent Designer through an API. This enables automation scenarios where documents, images, or data from outside Business Central are sent in for AI processing.
Overview
The inbound workload system works as follows:
- An external application sends a request to the Simple Agent Designer API
- The request contains a workload type, title, and optional file or description
- The request appears in the Inbound Request List inside Business Central
- You can review and process the request, which creates a standard workload and runs it through the agent pipeline
This is the same mechanism used by the Simple Agent Designer Mobile App.
The Inbound Request List
Open the Inbound Request List from:
- The Agent Based Accounting Role Center → Automation → Inbound Workloads
- The Ad Hoc Agent page → Automation → Inbound Workloads
- The Tell Me search bar → search for Inbound Request List
List Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | When the request was received |
| Title | The title provided by the external application |
| Type | The workload type code specified in the request |
| Workload | If a workload has been created from this request, shows the workload title. Click to open the workload card. |
| Status | The processing status of the linked workload (if created) |
Processing an Inbound Request
- Select a request in the list
- Choose Process from the action bar
- Confirm when prompted
The system creates a workload from the request data and immediately processes it through the orchestration engine. The request's Workload and Status columns update to reflect the results.
If the request has already been linked to a workload, processing reuses the existing workload.
API Endpoint
External applications submit inbound workloads through the Simple Agent Designer API:
POST /api/hougaard/simpleagentdesigner/v2.0/uploadWorkloadsRequest Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Code | The workload type code (must match a configured Workload Type) |
| Title | Text | A title for the workload |
| FileName | Text | Name of the attached file (optional) |
| Content | Text | Base64-encoded file content (optional) |
| WorkloadDescription | Text | Base64-encoded workload description text (optional) |
Service Actions
The API supports two actions:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| AddWorkload | Creates an inbound request and workload but does not start processing |
| AddWorkloadAndProcess | Creates the workload and immediately starts agent processing |
Example: Sending a Document for Processing
An external system captures an invoice image and sends it for processing:
- The invoice image is Base64-encoded
- A POST request is sent to the API with the workload type set to the appropriate invoice processing type
- The Title is set to a descriptive name
- The Content field contains the Base64-encoded image
- Inside Business Central, the request appears in the Inbound Request List
- Processing creates a workload and runs it through the configured agent
Common Use Cases
Document Processing Automation
External document capture systems (scanners, email processors) send documents to Business Central for AI analysis:
- Invoice images from a scanning system
- Purchase orders received by email
- Receipts captured by a mobile app
Data Integration
External systems send data for AI-assisted processing:
- Inventory counts from a warehouse system
- Customer feedback for analysis
- Financial data from external sources
Mobile App Integration
The Simple Agent Designer Mobile App uses the same inbound workload API to send photos, files, and text descriptions from mobile devices. See Mobile App Connection for setup details.
Tips and Best Practices
- Create dedicated workload types for each external integration scenario
- Use the AddWorkload action if you want to review requests before processing
- Use the AddWorkloadAndProcess action for fully automated pipelines
- Ensure the workload type code in the API request exactly matches a configured Workload Type
- Monitor the Inbound Request List regularly to catch failed or unprocessed requests
- Test your integration with a simple text workload before sending files