---
title: "Sagas"
description: "Sagas are multi step transactions with automatic compensation (rollback) on failure. Use them when you need all or nothing execution across multiple agents. Each step has a forward action and a compensation (undo) action"
resource: https://www.aiagents.nexus/docs/orchestration/sagas
generated: { by: "process:nexus-agent-assets", at: 2026-09-07T09:13:03Z }
status: stable
---

# Sagas

Sagas are multi-step transactions with automatic compensation (rollback) on failure. Use them when you need all-or-nothing execution across multiple agents.

## How Sagas Work

```
Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3 → Success
  ↓         ↓         ↓
Comp 1 ← Comp 2 ← Comp 3 ← Failure
```

Each step has a forward action and a compensation (undo) action. If any step fails, all previously completed steps are compensated in reverse order.

## Creating a Saga

```bash
# Create the saga
naos saga create order-process

# Add steps (each step maps to an agent)
naos saga add-step order-process validator
naos saga add-step order-process processor
naos saga add-step order-process notifier
```

## Running a Saga

```bash
naos saga run order-process
```

Output:

```
[saga] order-process starting
[step 1/3] validator    ✓ completed (1.2s)
[step 2/3] processor    ✓ completed (3.4s)
[step 3/3] notifier     ✓ completed (0.8s)
[saga] order-process completed successfully (5.4s)
```

## Saga Failure & Compensation

If step 2 fails:

```
[saga] order-process starting
[step 1/3] validator    ✓ completed (1.2s)
[step 2/3] processor    ✗ failed (2.1s)
[compensate] validator  ✓ rolled back
[saga] order-process failed, all steps compensated
```

## Viewing Saga History

```bash
naos saga history order-process
```

| Run | Status | Steps | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| #3 | completed | 3/3 | 5.4s |
| #2 | compensated | 1/3 | 3.3s |
| #1 | completed | 3/3 | 6.1s |