Short answer: Yes—with some nuance. In Prefect 3.x: - If you pass a string to

flow_run_name

, only flow parameters are available as template variables via Python’s

str.format(...)

. - If you need other runtime details (run id, run count, scheduled start time, tags, etc.), pass a zero-argument callable. Inside that callable, read context from

prefect.runtime.flow_run

. What’s supported 1) String templates (parameters only) - Uses

str.format(**parameters)

with your flow’s parameters (including defaults). - Other runtime info (run id, start time, etc.) is NOT available in the string template. Example:

from prefect import flow

@flow(flow_run_name="process-{dataset}-v{version}")
def analyze_data(dataset: str, version: int = 1):
    return f"Analyzed {dataset} v{version}"

analyze_data(dataset="sales")  # => flow run name: "process-sales-v1"

2) Callable (full runtime context) - Provide a zero-argument function that returns a string. - Access runtime details via `prefect.runtime.flow_run`: -

id

,

name

,

flow_name

,

flow_version

,

parameters

,

tags

,

run_count

,

scheduled_start_time

,

parent_flow_run_id

,

parent_deployment_id

,

root_flow_run_id

,

job_variables

,

api_url

,

ui_url

Examples:

from prefect import flow
from prefect.runtime import flow_run as flow_run_ctx

def name_with_retry_and_id():
    return f"{flow_run_ctx.flow_name}-{flow_run_ctx.id[:8]}-attempt-{flow_run_ctx.run_count}"

@flow(flow_run_name=name_with_retry_and_id, retries=3)
def my_flow():
    pass

from prefect import flow
from prefect.runtime import flow_run as flow_run_ctx

def env_aware_name():
    params = flow_run_ctx.parameters
    env = "prod" if params.get("is_production") else "dev"
    ts = flow_run_ctx.scheduled_start_time.strftime("%Y%m%d-%H%M%S") if flow_run_ctx.scheduled_start_time else "now"
    return f"{flow_run_ctx.flow_name}-{env}-{ts}"

@flow(flow_run_name=env_aware_name)
def deploy(is_production: bool = False):
    pass

When is it rendered? - The name is resolved after the flow run is created and the flow run context is established, but before your flow function body executes. It’s set once per run. Key notes - String templates: simple

{param}

placeholders only; no f-strings or runtime context. - Callables: must return a string; use

prefect.runtime.flow_run

for rich context. - Resolved once early in execution; UI will update from the initial name to your custom name. Helpful docs - Flows overview: Flows - Runtime context: Runtime - API reference for flow runtime context (module): prefect.runtime (see

flow_run

section) If you share a specific naming pattern you want (e.g., include param X, retry count, and a timestamp), I can sketch the exact

flow_run_name

function for it.