By nature, real-time workflows are very similar to regular workflows in Dynamics CRM. The process of their creation is identical to that of regular workflows. This type of workflow was introduced with Dynamics CRM 2013, and involves a change on the backend of how the information is processed. These processes are not queued, but just like plugins, they execute immediately or in response to a message.
Real-time workflows execute in the same stage as synchronous plugins. They can execute before, after, or during the main operation. They can also be ranked within a stage like plugins.
These workflows can run in the context of either the current user or the workflow owner. When a workflow runs manually, it only runs in the context of the current user.
A limitation of real-time workflows is that they cannot contain any delay or wait activities.