Demo Retry

This demo demonstrates how to add a retry strategy to Argo Workflows using a flaky task that sometimes fails and sometimes succeeds. The example shows an entrypoint main with a single step that runs the unstable-step template. The container script generates a pseudo-random number (based on epoch seconds) and only succeeds when that number is zero (roughly a 33% chance on any attempt).

Workflow (no retries)

apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
  name: retry-workflow
  namespace: argo
spec:
  entrypoint: main
  templates:
  - name: main
    steps:
    - - name: flaky-task
        template: unstable-step
  - name: unstable-step
    container:
      image: alpine
      command: ["sh", "-c"]
      args:
      - |
        echo "Attempt {{retries}}"
        RANDOM_NUM=$(( $(date +%s) % 3 ))
        if [ $RANDOM_NUM -eq 0 ]; then
          echo "Success!"
          exit 0
        else
          echo "Failed, will retry..."
          exit 1
        fi

Explanation of the container script:

RANDOM_NUM is computed from the current epoch seconds modulo 3, producing 0, 1, or 2.
If RANDOM_NUM == 0 the script prints “Success!” and exits 0.
Otherwise the script prints “Failed, will retry…” and exits 1.
Because of this logic, each attempt has about a 33% chance to succeed.

By default, a failed step will not be retried automatically. To give the step more chances, add a retryStrategy to the template.

Workflow with retryStrategy (exponential backoff)

Below is the same workflow with a retry strategy that limits retries and uses exponential backoff:

apiVersion: argoproj.io/v1alpha1
kind: Workflow
metadata:
  name: retry-workflow
  namespace: argo
spec:
  entrypoint: main
  templates:
  - name: main
    steps:
    - - name: flaky-task
        template: unstable-step
  - name: unstable-step
    retryStrategy:
      limit: 3              # Retry up to 3 times
      retryPolicy: "Always" # Options: Always, OnFailure, OnError, OnTransientError
      backoff:
        duration: "5s"      # Initial wait before the first retry
        factor: 2           # Multiply wait by this factor for each subsequent retry
        maxDuration: "1m"   # Cap the wait time at this duration
    container:
      image: alpine
      command: ["sh", "-c"]
      args:
      - |
        echo "Attempt {{retries}}"
        RANDOM_NUM=$(( $(date +%s) % 3 ))
        if [ $RANDOM_NUM -eq 0 ]; then
          echo "Success!"
          exit 0
        else
          echo "Failed, will retry..."
          exit 1
        fi

retryStrategy fields — quick reference

Field	Purpose	Example / Notes
limit	Maximum number of retries (does not include the initial attempt)	`3`
retryPolicy	When to retry	`Always`, `OnFailure`, `OnError`, `OnTransientError`
backoff.duration	Initial wait time before the first retry	`"5s"`
backoff.factor	Multiplier applied to the wait each retry (exponential backoff)	`2`
backoff.maxDuration	Maximum cap on the backoff wait	`"1m"`

Details on retryPolicy options:

Always: retry on any non-zero exit (failures or errors).
OnFailure: retry only when the step exits with a failure code.
OnError: retry on internal engine errors.
OnTransientError: retry only for transient errors (for example, temporary network/TLS issues).

Argo template variables such as can be used in the container command/args to show which attempt is running.

Example log flow with retries

First attempt (Attempt 0) fails → workflow waits according to backoff → second attempt (Attempt 1) runs.
If Attempt 1 succeeds you will see:

Attempt 1
Success!

If subsequent attempts also fail, you will see additional “Attempt N” lines and the container’s output for each run until the retry limit is reached or the task succeeds.

When to use retries

Use retries for steps that are prone to transient or intermittent failures, such as:

Intermittent network issues when calling external APIs.
Temporary TLS or certificate handshake failures.
Short-lived service outages in dependent systems.

Retries with exponential backoff prevent immediately failing workflows and reduce pressure on external services by spacing retry attempts.

References

Argo Workflows — RetryStrategy: https://argoproj.github.io/argo-workflows/workflows/retries/
Argo Workflows Documentation: https://argoproj.github.io/argo-workflows/

Watch Video

Practice Lab

Demo Exit Handler

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Argo Workflow

Argo Rollouts

Argo Events

Introduction

Workflow (no retries)

Workflow with retryStrategy (exponential backoff)

retryStrategy fields — quick reference

Example log flow with retries

When to use retries

References

Watch Video

Practice Lab

​Workflow (no retries)

​Workflow with retryStrategy (exponential backoff)

​retryStrategy fields — quick reference

​Example log flow with retries

​When to use retries

​References

Watch Video

Practice Lab

Workflow (no retries)

Workflow with retryStrategy (exponential backoff)

retryStrategy fields — quick reference

Example log flow with retries

When to use retries

References