# Standalone Activities Demo

> An interactive overview of Temporal Standalone Activities.

> **Public Preview** — Go, Python, Java, .NET, TypeScript, Ruby
> Available in [Temporal Cloud](/standalone-activity#temporal-cloud-support) and in the [Temporal CLI](/standalone-activity#temporal-cli-support) v1.7.0 or higher with Temporal Server v1.31.0 or higher. Java SDK support is in [Pre-release](/evaluate/development-production-features/release-stages#pre-release).

Standalone Activities let you run a single Activity straight from your application without
writing a Workflow. Your code uses the Temporal Client to send the request to the Server, the Server durably enqueues the request
for a Worker to pick up, and the result comes back through a handle that your code can wait on or
check later.

Try the demo below to walk through the full flow, tweak the retry and timeout settings, and watch
the SDK code and CLI command update as you go.

---

## How it works

When you call `client.execute_activity()` (or the equivalent in your applicable SDK) from your
application, the following happens:

1. **Connect**: Your application opens a connection to the Temporal Server using a Temporal Client
   configured with your namespace and credentials.
2. **Schedule**: The Server durably persists the Activity Task on the specified Task Queue so that
   the request survives Worker restarts and network interruptions.
3. **Poll**: A Worker that is polling that Task Queue picks up the Activity Task and prepares to
   execute it.
4. **Execute**: The Worker runs your Activity function with the provided arguments and reports the
   outcome back to the Server.
5. **Return**: The Server stores the result and returns it to the original caller, either directly
   or via a handle, depending on which SDK method you use.

### Standalone vs Workflow Activities

| | Workflow Activity | Standalone Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Orchestrated by | A Workflow Definition | Your application code (via the Temporal Client) |
| Started with | `workflow.execute_activity()` (or the equivalent in your applicable SDK) from inside a Workflow Definition | `client.execute_activity()` (or the equivalent in your applicable SDK) from your application code |
| Retry policy | Set when calling the Activity from inside a Workflow | Set when calling the Activity from your application |
| Visibility | Shown in the Workflow's Event History | Shown in the Standalone Activity list and count views |
| Use case | Multi-step orchestration with multiple Activities | Single, independent jobs like sending an email or processing a webhook |

The Activity function and Worker registration are **identical** for both approaches, and only the
execution path that triggers the Activity differs between them. If the Activity fails, the Server
automatically retries it according to the Retry Policy you configure.

---

## Next steps

For complete API reference and advanced usage, see the SDK-specific guides:

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