Camunda 8 manual: model, deploy and run your first process
A step-by-step sandbox workflow from BPMN modelling to a completed human task.
Prepared on 20 Oct 2026 for editorial review. Product specifications and company research results are not asserted unless verified.
1. Prepare the environment
Choose Camunda 8 SaaS or Self-Managed and confirm the documentation version matches your environment. Set up a non-production workspace with the permissions needed to model, deploy, inspect instances and work human tasks. Product naming, screens and features can vary by release.
2. Model a small BPMN process
Create an executable BPMN diagram in the supported web modelling environment or Desktop Modeler. Use a start event, a user task named Review request and an end event, connected by sequence flows. Set a stable process ID and confirm that the execution target is Camunda 8.
Define a sample request with a requestId, amount and approved flag. Configure the user-task form and assignment for a test user or group; confirm that the form binding and task implementation are supported in your installed version.
3. Validate and deploy
Resolve modelling validation errors and check the task properties. Select the intended test cluster and deploy the process and required forms. Record the deployment version so the test result can be traced to the exact model.
4. Start and complete the instance
Start an instance using your environment’s supported start action or API, providing the sample variables. In Tasklist, open the assigned review task, inspect the request and complete the form. In Operate, follow the instance through the task to the end event.
5. Test exceptions before expansion
Run an instance with missing or invalid values and verify the expected handling. Add explicit business rules and an escalation path before introducing external services. Do not use this sandbox exercise as evidence of production readiness.