---
title: @workflow/serde
---

# @workflow/serde



Serialization symbols for custom class serialization in Workflow DevKit.

## Installation

<CodeBlockTabs defaultValue="npm">
  <CodeBlockTabsList>
    <CodeBlockTabsTrigger value="npm">
      npm
    </CodeBlockTabsTrigger>

    <CodeBlockTabsTrigger value="pnpm">
      pnpm
    </CodeBlockTabsTrigger>

    <CodeBlockTabsTrigger value="yarn">
      yarn
    </CodeBlockTabsTrigger>

    <CodeBlockTabsTrigger value="bun">
      bun
    </CodeBlockTabsTrigger>
  </CodeBlockTabsList>

  <CodeBlockTab value="npm">
    ```bash
    npm i @workflow/serde
    ```
  </CodeBlockTab>

  <CodeBlockTab value="pnpm">
    ```bash
    pnpm add @workflow/serde
    ```
  </CodeBlockTab>

  <CodeBlockTab value="yarn">
    ```bash
    yarn add @workflow/serde
    ```
  </CodeBlockTab>

  <CodeBlockTab value="bun">
    ```bash
    bun add @workflow/serde
    ```
  </CodeBlockTab>
</CodeBlockTabs>

## Overview

By default, Workflow DevKit can serialize standard JavaScript types like primitives, objects, arrays, `Date`, `Map`, `Set`, and more. However, custom class instances are not serializable by default because the serialization system doesn't know how to reconstruct them.

The `@workflow/serde` package provides two symbols that allow you to define custom serialization and deserialization logic for your classes, enabling them to be passed between workflow and step functions.

## Symbols

<Cards>
  <Card href="/docs/api-reference/workflow-serde/workflow-serialize" title="WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE">
    Symbol for defining how to serialize a class instance to plain data.
  </Card>

  <Card href="/docs/api-reference/workflow-serde/workflow-deserialize" title="WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE">
    Symbol for defining how to reconstruct a class instance from plain data.
  </Card>
</Cards>

## Quick Example

{/* @expect-error:2351 */}

```typescript lineNumbers
import { WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE, WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE } from "@workflow/serde";

class Point {
  constructor(public x: number, public y: number) {}

  static [WORKFLOW_SERIALIZE](instance: Point) {
    return { x: instance.x, y: instance.y };
  }

  static [WORKFLOW_DESERIALIZE](data: { x: number; y: number }) {
    return new Point(data.x, data.y);
  }
}
```

<Callout>
  For a complete guide on custom class serialization, see the [Serialization documentation](/docs/foundations/serialization#custom-class-serialization).
</Callout>


## Sitemap
[Overview of all docs pages](/sitemap.md)