> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.smooth.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Understanding Simple Tasks vs Session Workflows

Smooth provides two ways to automate browser tasks, each suited for different use cases:

* **Simple Task** — Run a task with a single method call. No session management required.
* **Session Workflow** — Multi-step execution where you can orchestrate smaller tasks, navigate to URLs, and extract data within a persistent browser session.

## Simple Task

The simplest way to run a browser automation. Give Smooth a task, and the agent handles everything autonomously.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from smooth import SmoothClient

  client = SmoothClient()
  task = client.run("Find the cheapest flight from NYC to LA")
  print(task.result())
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Characteristics:**

* One-shot execution
* Agent handles navigation and actions autonomously
* Best for standalone tasks and quick automations

<Card title="Simple Task Reference" icon="bolt" href="/methods/simple-task">
  Full documentation for client.run()
</Card>

***

## Session Workflow

For complex workflows, create a browser session and orchestrate multiple steps. This gives you fine-grained control and higher reliability by breaking tasks into smaller, composable actions.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from smooth import SmoothClient

  client = SmoothClient()

  with client.session() as session:
      session.run_task("Search for flights from NYC to LA leaving tomorrow")
      results = session.extract(FlightSchema)
      session.run_task("Select the cheapest option")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

**Characteristics:**

* Break big tasks into smaller, reliable tasks
* Mix deterministic actions (goto) with agent tasks (run\_task)
* Extract structured data at any point in the workflow
* Best for complex workflows requiring higher reliability
* Great for multi-turn integrations in agents

<Card title="Session Workflow Reference" icon="browser" href="/methods/session">
  Full documentation for browser sessions
</Card>

***

<Tip>
  Under the hood, `client.run()` is a convenient shorthand that creates a session, runs a single task, and returns the result.
</Tip>