> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cassidyai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set fallback values

> Configure default values for Workflow actions so your automation continues running even when individual steps fail.

Some [Workflow](/workflows/overview) actions -- like scraping a webpage, looking up a LinkedIn profile, or calling an external API -- can fail due to bad data, network issues, or rate limits. Fallback values let you define a default output for these actions so the rest of your Workflow keeps running instead of stopping entirely.

## Configure a fallback value

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the action settings">
    In the [Workflow editor](/workflows/building), click the action you want to protect. The settings sidebar opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Expand Advanced Settings">
    Scroll down to the **Advanced Settings** section in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable continue on failure">
    Toggle on **Continue workflow if this action fails?**. This allows the Workflow to proceed to the next action even if this one encounters an error.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a fallback value">
    In the **Fallback Value** field that appears, type the default value that should be used when the action fails. Choose something descriptive that downstream steps can recognize:

    * `"No website found"` for a Scrape Webpage action
    * `"Profile unavailable"` for a LinkedIn lookup
    * `"API error - no data"` for an external API call

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cassidy/MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt/images/workflows/fallback-advanced-settings.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt&q=85&s=2b1092444f59b6978cb89336424c3e8c" alt="Advanced Settings section with Continue workflow if this action fails toggled on and Fallback Value field filled in" width="908" height="1014" data-path="images/workflows/fallback-advanced-settings.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Plan for fallback scenarios

Setting a fallback value is only half the solution -- you also need to account for it in your downstream steps.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check for the fallback in later actions">
    In actions that reference the fallback-protected step's output, adjust your prompts to handle the fallback gracefully. For example, instruct the AI: *"If the website data says 'No website found', skip the website analysis section."*

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cassidy/MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt/images/workflows/fallback-prompt-reference.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt&q=85&s=330e5bb22e11d8259a3416bc8f9120e6" alt="Action prompt referencing a fallback value with a conditional instruction" width="964" height="774" data-path="images/workflows/fallback-prompt-reference.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use Paths for conditional routing">
    For more sophisticated handling, add a [Paths](/workflows/building#add-conditional-logic-with-paths) action after the fallback-protected step. Create one path for successful results and another for fallback values.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/cassidy/MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt/images/workflows/fallback-paths-routing.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=MZZYXYVeCvthpwjt&q=85&s=4f42594f8440a3834ebe7240dc92ebdf" alt="Paths action with a No Website branch that routes when Scrape Webpage output equals the fallback value" width="964" height="774" data-path="images/workflows/fallback-paths-routing.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>Fallback values are useful for any action that depends on external data quality -- like web scraping, API calls, or profile lookups -- where the source may be unavailable or return unexpected results.</Tip>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build a Workflow" icon="hammer" href="/workflows/building">
    Learn about Paths, variables, and other Workflow building blocks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hide actions from results" icon="eye-slash" href="/workflows/advanced/hide-actions-from-results">
    Clean up your output by hiding intermediate steps from end users.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>