> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.opencompany.sh/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How OpenCompany works > What happens when you run a workflow: nodes, connections, agents, and where your data lives OpenCompany turns instructions like "when someone messages my bot, have the AI answer" into a picture you can see and edit. That picture is called a workflow. This page explains the ideas behind it — no technical background needed. ## The big picture Diagram showing a trigger starting a workflow, an AI agent doing the work, and the result being delivered Something happens: a message arrives, or a timer fires. That event wakes up your workflow. The workflow passes the event through a chain of steps. The last step delivers a result — a reply, a file, a log entry. ## Workflows, nodes, and connections | Term | What it means | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Workflow | The whole automation, drawn as a diagram on the canvas | | Node | One box in the diagram — one job, like "receive a chat message" or "ask the AI" | | Connection | The line between two nodes — it carries the output of one node into the next | You build workflows by dragging nodes onto the canvas and drawing lines between them. No code required. ## Where the AI comes in **AI Agents** are the thinking nodes. Each agent has a built-in choice of AI provider and model. It takes whatever text flows into it and produces an answer. **Models** are the brains agents use — OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and others. OpenCompany supports 12 providers (11 dedicated model nodes, plus xAI through the OpenAI-compatible path), including free local options like Ollama. **Tools** are extra abilities you plug into an agent — web search, file access, code execution. The agent decides on its own when to use them. ## Everything runs on your computer OpenCompany is not a cloud service. The app, your workflows, and your API keys (the password-like codes that let OpenCompany use your AI account) all live on your machine. Keys are stored encrypted and are only ever sent to the AI provider you chose. No account or sign-up is required. You open `http://localhost:3000` in your browser, and everything you see is served from your own computer. ## What's next On your computer, on a cloud server, or from source. Two commands and about five minutes.