diff --git a/abp/graphstate.py b/abp/graphstate.py
index 25d1b09..6ef23d4 100755
--- a/abp/graphstate.py
+++ b/abp/graphstate.py
@@ -99,14 +99,14 @@ class GraphState(object):
     def act_circuit(self, circuit):
         """ Run many gates in one call.
 
-        :param circuit: An iterable containing tuples of the form ``(node, operation)``.  If ``operation`` is a name for a local operation (e.g. ``6``, ``hadamard``) then that operation is performed on ``node``.  If ``operation`` is ``cz`` then a CZ is performed on the two nodes in ``node``.
+        :param circuit: An iterable containing tuples of the form ``(operation, node)``.  If ``operation`` is a name for a local operation (e.g. ``6``, ``hadamard``) then that operation is performed on ``node``.  If ``operation`` is ``cz`` then a CZ is performed on the two nodes in ``node``.
 
         Example (makes a Bell pair)::
 
-            >>> g.act_circuit([(0, "hadamard"), (1, "hadamard"), ((0, 1), "cz")])
+            >>> g.act_circuit([("hadamard", 0), ("hadamard", 1), ("cz", (0, 1))])
 
         """
-        for node, operation in circuit:
+        for operation, node in circuit:
             if operation == "cz":
                 self.act_cz(*node)
             else:
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index b0ef553..4e3bfb2 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ This ought to pop open a browser window at ``http://localhost:5001/``. You can r
 
     >>> from abp import GraphState, VizClient
     >>> g = GraphState(10)
-    >>> g.act_circuit([(i, "hadamard") for i in range(10)])
-    >>> g.act_circuit([((i, i+1), "cz") for i in range(9)])
+    >>> g.act_circuit([("hadamard", i) for i in range(10)])
+    >>> g.act_circuit([("cz", (i, i+1)) for i in range(9)])
     >>> v = VizClient()
     >>> v.update(g)
 
diff --git a/tests/mock.py b/tests/mock.py
index 547edc4..642040c 100644
--- a/tests/mock.py
+++ b/tests/mock.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class AndersWrapper(graphsim.GraphRegister):
         return self.to_json() == other.to_json()
 
     def act_circuit(self, circuit):
-        for node, operation in circuit:
+        for operation, node in circuit:
             if operation == "cz":
                 self.act_cz(*node)
             else:
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ def named_node_graph():
     """ A graph with named nodes"""
     edges = (0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 0), (0, 3), (100, 200), (200, "named")
     g = ABPWrapper([0, 1, 2, 3, 100, 200, "named"])
-    g.act_circuit((i, "hadamard") for i in g.node)
-    g.act_circuit((edge, "cz") for edge in edges)
+    g.act_circuit(("hadamard", i) for i in g.node)
+    g.act_circuit(("cz", edge) for edge in edges)
     return g
 
 
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ def simple_graph():
     """ A simple graph to test with"""
     edges = (0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 0), (0, 3), (100, 200)
     g = ABPWrapper([0, 1, 2, 3, 100, 200])
-    g.act_circuit((i, "hadamard") for i in g.node)
-    g.act_circuit((edge, "cz") for edge in edges)
+    g.act_circuit(("hadamard", i) for i in g.node)
+    g.act_circuit(("cz", edge) for edge in edges)
     return g
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_graphstate.py b/tests/test_graphstate.py
index 9689321..f307d70 100644
--- a/tests/test_graphstate.py
+++ b/tests/test_graphstate.py
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ def test_local_complementation():
     """ Test that local complementation works okay """
     pairs = (0, 1), (0, 3), (1, 3), (1, 2), 
     psi = GraphState(range(4), vop="hadamard")
-    psi.act_circuit([(i, "hadamard") for i in psi.node])
-    psi.act_circuit([(pair, "cz") for pair in pairs])
+    psi.act_circuit([("hadamard", i) for i in psi.node])
+    psi.act_circuit([("cz", pair) for pair in pairs])
     old_edges = psi.edgelist()
     old_state = psi.to_state_vector()
     psi.local_complementation(1)
diff --git a/tests/test_mercedes.py b/tests/test_mercedes.py
index 3a4e81b..548193e 100644
--- a/tests/test_mercedes.py
+++ b/tests/test_mercedes.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ from mock import simple_graph
 
 def linear_cluster(n):
     g = GraphState(range(n), vop="hadamard")
-    g.act_circuit([(i, "hadamard") for i in range(n)])
-    g.act_circuit([((i, i+1), "cz") for i in range(n-1)])
+    g.act_circuit([("hadamard", i) for i in range(n)])
+    g.act_circuit([("cz", (i, i+1)) for i in range(n-1)])
     return g