Airflow UI overview - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Airflow UI overview

Open Airflow UI in Browser

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View DAGs List

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Select a DAG

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Explore DAG Graph View

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Check DAG Tree View

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Review Task Instances & Logs

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Trigger or Pause DAG

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Monitor DAG Runs & Status

The Airflow UI lets you open the web page, see all workflows (DAGs), pick one, explore its tasks visually, check logs, and control runs.

Execution Sample

Apache Airflow

1. Open Airflow UI at http://localhost:8080
2. See list of DAGs
3. Click a DAG name
4. View DAG graph and tree
5. Click task for logs
6. Trigger or pause DAG

This sequence shows how a user interacts step-by-step with the Airflow UI to monitor and control workflows.

Process Table

Step	User Action	UI Response	Resulting State
1	Open Airflow UI in browser	Loads DAGs list page	Shows all available DAGs with status
2	Click on a DAG name	Displays DAG details page	Shows graph and tree views of tasks
3	Select Graph View tab	Renders DAG graph	Visual task dependencies appear
4	Select Tree View tab	Shows task execution tree	Task statuses over time visible
5	Click on a task instance	Opens logs panel	Logs for that task instance displayed
6	Click Trigger DAG button	Starts a new DAG run	DAG run status updates to running
7	Click Pause DAG toggle	Pauses or unpauses DAG	DAG scheduling enabled or disabled
8	Monitor DAG runs	Updates run status in UI	User sees success, failure, or running states
9	Exit	Close browser or navigate away	UI session ends

💡 User finishes monitoring or controlling DAGs and closes the UI

Status Tracker

UI Element	Initial State	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 5	After Step 6	Final State
DAGs List	Visible	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Visible
DAG Graph View	Hidden	Hidden	Visible	Visible	Visible	Hidden
DAG Tree View	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden
Task Logs Panel	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Visible	Visible	Hidden
DAG Run Status	Idle	Idle	Idle	Idle	Running	Updated

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the DAG graph view appear only after clicking a DAG name?

Because the UI first shows the list of DAGs. Only after selecting one does it load that DAG's detailed views like the graph (see execution_table step 2 and 3).

What happens when you click a task instance in the tree or graph view?

The UI opens the logs panel for that specific task instance so you can see detailed execution logs (see execution_table step 5).

How does pausing a DAG affect its scheduling?

Pausing disables automatic scheduling of the DAG, so no new runs start until unpaused (see execution_table step 7).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what UI element becomes visible at step 3?

A Task Logs Panel

B DAG Graph View

C DAGs List

D DAG Tree View

💡 Hint

Check the 'UI Response' and 'Resulting State' columns at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the DAG run status change to 'Running'?

A Step 4

B Step 7

C Step 6

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for the 'DAG Run Status' changes in the execution_table rows.

If you pause a DAG, what happens to its scheduling according to the execution table?

A Scheduling is disabled

B DAG is deleted

C Scheduling continues as normal

D DAG runs immediately

💡 Hint

Refer to step 7 in the execution_table about the pause toggle effect.

Concept Snapshot

Airflow UI lets you see all workflows (DAGs) in a list.
Click a DAG to view its graph and tree of tasks.
Click tasks to see logs.
Use buttons to trigger or pause DAG runs.
Monitor run status live in the UI.

Full Transcript

The Airflow UI is a web interface to manage and monitor workflows called DAGs. When you open the UI, you see a list of all DAGs with their current status. Clicking on a DAG name opens detailed views including a graph showing task dependencies and a tree view showing task execution over time. You can click on individual tasks to view their logs. The UI also provides buttons to trigger a new DAG run or pause the DAG to stop scheduling. The status of DAG runs updates live so you can monitor progress. This visual flow helps users control and understand their workflows easily.