Save & Reuse

Save & Reuse is a CUGA feature that captures successful execution paths (plans, code, and trajectories) and reuses them for similar tasks. This dramatically reduces execution time for repeated or similar workflows.

Overview

Save & Reuse works by:

1. First Run: CUGA executes a task and captures the successful path
2. Approval: You review and approve saving the workflow
3. Generalization: You provide examples to help CUGA generalize the pattern
4. Subsequent Runs: CUGA recognizes similar tasks and reuses the saved workflow
5. Performance: Similar tasks execute in a fraction of the time

When to Use Save & Reuse

Save & Reuse is ideal for:

• Repetitive Tasks: Same task run multiple times
• Similar Tasks: Variations of the same underlying workflow
• Time-Sensitive Operations: When execution speed is critical
• Batch Processing: Running similar tasks on different data
• Consistent Workflows: Tasks with predictable patterns

Benefits

Setup

Step 1: Enable Save & Reuse Mode

Edit ./src/cuga/settings.toml:

[features]
cuga_mode = "save_reuse_fast"

Step 2: Start CUGA

cuga start demo

Save & Reuse is now active. CUGA will offer to save workflows after successful execution.

Demo Workflow

Here's a complete example of Save & Reuse in action:

Phase 1: First Run - Create Workflow

Task: get top account by revenue

What happens:

1. CUGA plans the workflow
2. CUGA executes the task successfully
3. Task completes and returns results
4. CUGA asks: "Save this workflow for reuse?"

Phase 2: Approval & Generalization

Action: Click "Save Workflow"

CUGA then asks:

To help me generalize this workflow, can you provide another example of a similar task?

Provide an example: get top 2 accounts by revenue

What happens:

1. CUGA analyzes the two examples
2. CUGA identifies the pattern: "Get top N accounts by revenue"
3. CUGA creates a generalized workflow
4. Workflow is saved to the workflow registry

Progress: You'll see logs in the terminal:

[INFO] Processing workflow for save...
[INFO] Analyzing execution patterns...
[INFO] Generating generalized workflow...
[INFO] Saving workflow to registry...
[✓] Workflow saved successfully

Workflow saving may take 30-60 seconds.

Phase 3: Verification - Reuse Workflow

Task: get top 4 accounts by revenue

What happens:

1. CUGA recognizes this matches the saved workflow pattern
2. CUGA reuses the saved workflow instead of replanning
3. Execution is 50-80% faster than the first run
4. Results are returned using the saved workflow

You should notice:

• Significantly faster execution
• Fewer planning steps
• Fewer intermediate reasoning steps
• More consistent results

Configuration

Enable Save & Reuse

[features]
cuga_mode = "save_reuse_fast"

HTML Visualization (Optional)

CUGA can generate HTML visualizations of saved flows:

[advanced_features]
save_reuse_generate_html = true  # Generate HTML visualization (disabled by default for performance)

When enabled, saved workflows are visualized as interactive HTML diagrams showing:

• Execution flow and steps
• Tool calls and API interactions
• Data transformations
• Decision points

Understanding Saved Workflows

What Gets Saved

A saved workflow includes:

1. Execution Plan: The sequence of steps CUGA decided to take
2. Tool Calls: Which APIs/tools were called and in what order
3. Code Generation: Python code generated for complex operations
4. Trajectory: The actual execution path taken
5. Parameters: Variable inputs and outputs

What's Reused

When CUGA recognizes a similar task:

1. Planning is skipped or minimized (huge speed gain)
2. Saved tool sequence is applied
3. Generated code is reused with new parameters
4. Trajectory guides decision-making
5. Full execution still happens (with established path)

Example Saved Workflow

Workflow: Get Top N Accounts by Revenue

Pattern Recognition:
- Task: "Get top [N] account[s] by revenue"
- Variables: N (number of accounts)

Execution Steps:
1. Query accounts API with sorting by revenue
2. Limit results to N accounts
3. Return formatted results

Generalized Call:
- get_top_n_accounts(n=N, sort_by="revenue")

Best Practices

Creating Effective Workflows

1. Start with a clear task: Ensure the first task is unambiguous
2. Complete execution: Let the task finish completely before saving
3. Provide diverse examples: Give 2-3 variations for generalization
4. Test before reusing: Try a slightly different version before relying on it

Naming and Organization

Save workflows for:

• Clearly defined patterns (not ad-hoc queries)
• Tasks you expect to repeat
• Time-sensitive operations
• Batch processing workflows

Avoid saving:

• One-off tasks
• Complex conditional workflows
• Tasks with highly variable patterns

Combining with Other Features

Save & Reuse works well with:

• Memory: Remember past approvals used with saved workflows
• HITL: Reuse approved workflows with consistent approvals
• Execution Modes: Use save_reuse_fast with accurate mode for balance

[features]
cuga_mode = "save_reuse_fast"  # Save & Reuse

[advanced_features]
# Optional: Combine with HITL for approved workflow reuse
api_planner_hitl = false  # Set to true for approval workflow

Troubleshooting

Workflow Not Saving

Problem: Save option doesn't appear after task completion

Solutions:

1. Verify cuga_mode = "save_reuse_fast" in settings.toml
2. Ensure task completed successfully (no errors)
3. Check that task is worth saving (not trivial queries)
4. Restart CUGA after changing settings

Workflow Not Recognized on Second Run

Problem: Second similar task doesn't use saved workflow

Solutions:

1. Verify workflow saved successfully in logs
2. Check that second task is sufficiently similar to first
3. Review workflow generalization (may need better examples)
4. Try exact same task again to verify saving worked

Reused Workflow Fails

Problem: Reused workflow fails where original succeeded

Solutions:

1. The saved pattern may not generalize to this case
2. Check that parameters are within expected ranges
3. Provide additional examples to improve generalization
4. Delete and recreate workflow if pattern changed

Performance Not Improving

Problem: Save & Reuse mode isn't faster

Solutions:

1. Check logs confirm workflow is being reused
2. Some tasks may have minimal planning overhead
3. Network latency may dominate execution time
4. Combine with other optimizations (batching, caching)

Workflow Storage/Management

Question: Where are workflows stored?

Workflows are stored in:

./cuga_workspace/saved_flows/

Each workflow is a JSON file containing:

• Execution plan
• Code templates
• Parameter mappings
• Generalization patterns

You can manually inspect or delete workflows if needed.

Advanced: Custom Workflow Tuning

Adjusting Generalization

If the workflow is too specific or too general:

1. Too specific: Provide more diverse examples
2. Too general: Provide more similar examples
3. Different patterns: Save separate workflows for different patterns

Combining Multiple Workflows

For complex operations:

1. Create separate workflows for sub-tasks
2. CUGA can chain them automatically
3. Each sub-task reuses its own workflow
4. Overall execution is highly optimized

Performance Metrics

Monitor workflow performance:

Workflow: get_top_n_accounts

First Run (Planning): 2.3 seconds
First Run (Execution): 1.8 seconds
Total: 4.1 seconds

Second Run (Reuse): 0.9 seconds
Improvement: 78% faster

Comparison with Other Optimization Approaches

Combine approaches for maximum benefit:

[features]
cuga_mode = "save_reuse_fast"
memory_provider = "mem0"

[advanced_features]
enable_memory = true
lite_mode = true

Next Steps

• Review Memory for complementary learning
• Check Execution Modes for other optimizations
• Explore HITL for approval integration
• See Settings Reference for all configuration options

Resources

• CUGA Settings Reference
• Execution Modes Guide
• Memory Feature Documentation
• Advanced Usage Guide