# Switch Stage

Last Updated On: 15 Sep 2026

6 minutes read

The Switch stage is where a workflow makes a decision. It compares a value — free disk space, the last restart date, a user's answer — against conditions you set, and the workflow continues along whichever path matches.

Each decision is set up as a **case**: one condition to check, plus the path the workflow takes when that condition is true.

![Workflow canvas highlighting the Switch stage.](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/digital-employee-experience/help/dex/workflow-stages-switch-overview-sep2026-rev2.webp)

## What This Stage Solves

A workflow that does the same thing everywhere isn't much use. Most of the time the right action depends on what's actually happening on the device — how much space is left, how long since it restarted, or what the user just chose. Without a way to compare and branch, you'd need a separate workflow for every situation. The Switch stage makes that decision inside a single workflow.

| The problem | What Switch does about it |
|---|---|
| Cleanup would run on every device, including ones that don't need it | Checks free space first and only continues where it's low |
| A restart would be forced on devices that restarted yesterday | Compares the last restart date against your threshold |
| A user says no, but the workflow carries on anyway | Reads the user's answer and takes the matching path |
| Different device types need different handling | Branches on device properties such as network or OS |

## Example

**Managed Device Restart**

This workflow uses two Switch stages. The first checks the last restart date collected from the device — those over 5 days carry on, and the rest end there. The second reads the user's answer to the restart prompt and routes accordingly: restart now, wait 10 minutes, or do nothing.

![Managed device restart workflow showing branching Switch stages.](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/digital-employee-experience/help/dex/workflow-stages-switch-example-sep2026-rev2.webp)

**The first Switch branches on data collected from the device. The second branches on what a person chose — something only the Switch stage can do.**

## How to Configure

- Drag the **Switch** stage onto the canvas and connect it to the preceding stage.
- Enter a **Name** for the stage (required).
- Enter a **Description** (optional).

![Switch stage case configuration and field selection.](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/digital-employee-experience/help/dex/workflow-stages-switch-configuration-sep2026-rev2.webp)

- Set up the first case:
  - Click **Select a field** and choose the value to check.
  - Choose a **Criteria** — **e.g., equals, is greater than, contains.**
  - Enter the value to compare against.
- Click **+ Add Case** for each additional condition you want to check.
- A **Default** case is added automatically and cannot be removed — this path is taken when no other case matches.
- Connect each case to the stage that should run when that condition is met.

## What You Can Evaluate in a Case

**Click Select a field to choose the value a case should check. The dropdown groups the available values by where they come from.**

| Source | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Previous stage output | A value produced by an earlier stage in the workflow |
| Device properties | Details about the device, such as network information or OS version |
| Sensor fields | **Fields from your existing sensors; selecting one runs that sensor during the workflow to fetch its value.** |
| Engage response | The option the user selected in an Engage prompt |

**Note:** An Engage response appears under the **Previous Stage Output** group in the dropdown. If an Engage stage is used anywhere before this Switch in the workflow, its response is available here.

## Available Criteria

The criteria offered depend on the type of value you selected.

| Value type | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Numeric | is less than, is greater than, equals, does not equal, is less than or equal to, is greater than or equal to |
| Text | equals, does not equal, contains, does not contain |

**Note:** The Criteria shown depend on the value type of the field you select.

## Things to Know

- **Switch is the only stage that can read a user's Engage response — any Switch placed after an Engage can evaluate what the user selected**
- Every case, including Default, must lead to a path that ends at an **End** stage