External action
A change to a system, record, message, transaction, or other state outside the model response.
Definition
A change to a system, record, message, transaction, or other state outside the model response.
Practical test
Can the workflow change a record, message, transaction, permission, file, account, or other state beyond returning text to its operator?
Example
Drafting an email is not the send action; addressing and sending it, scheduling a post, or updating a CRM field are external actions.
What to record
For external action to be operational rather than a reassuring label, record the target system, operation, payload, permission, consequence, approval, and reversibility. If those facts cannot be observed or tested, do not treat the term itself as evidence that the workflow is safe.