Welcome to the Salesforce Flows tutorial. This guide will help you get started with Salesforce Flows from scratch and turn you into a Flow expert. Among the various automation tools available in Salesforce, none are quite as powerful as Salesforce Flow.
In this session, we will explore what Salesforce Flows are, the different types of flows, the components that make up a flow, and how to call flows in Salesforce. This will be your comprehensive guide to mastering Salesforce Flows.
What are Salesforce Flows?
Salesforce Flows are automation tools that enable you to build complex business solutions using clicks, not code. Flows allow you to perform various tasks such as:
- Sending emails
- Posting to Chatter
- Sending custom notifications
- Updating records
- Integrating with external systems
Flows are the most powerful automation tool provided by Salesforce, capable of handling complex business logic without the need for code. As an admin, mastering Flows will enable you to handle the majority of complex business requirements without the help of a developer.
Basic Flow Features in Salesforce
When working with Salesforce Flows, there are three main building blocks to understand:
1. Elements
Elements are the individual building blocks of the Flow. They perform logical actions such as assignments, decisions, or loops. There are also data elements that query the database or commit record changes.
2. Connectors
Connectors determine the path that the Flow takes by defining which element leads to which. They control the order of execution within the Flow.
3. Resources
Resources are containers that hold the data used throughout the Flow. These can be variables, collections, constants, formulas, or choices.
Types of Resources
- Variables: Store data to use in the Flow, such as text, numbers, records, dates, currency, boolean values, or picklist selections.
- Collections: A list of variables stored together, allowing you to process multiple records at once.
- Constants: Values that are set once and do not change, useful for values referenced multiple times.
- Formulas: Calculate values dynamically based on other data within the Flow.
- Choices: Used within Screen elements to display options to the user.
Manager Tab
The Manager tab in the Flow Builder contains all the Resources you’ve created for your Flow. Here, you can create and manage variables, collections, constants, formulas, and choices that your Flow will use.
Elements: Interaction, Logic, Data Elements
Interaction Elements
- Screen: Present screens to users to collect or display information (available only in Screen Flows).
- Action: Perform standard or custom actions such as sending emails or invoking Quick Actions.
- Subflow: Call another Flow from within your current Flow, promoting reusability.
Logic Elements
- Decision: Branch the Flow based on defined conditions.
- Assignment: Set or change the value of variables.
- Loop: Iterate over a collection of items.
Data Elements
- Create Records: Insert new records into Salesforce.
- Update Records: Modify existing records.
- Get Records: Retrieve records from Salesforce.
- Delete Records: Remove records from Salesforce.
How to Call a Flow in Salesforce
To ‘call’ a Flow means to trigger it to run. Flows can be initiated in several ways:
- Record Changes: Automatically triggered when a record is created, updated, or deleted.
- User Interaction: Launched by users via buttons, actions, or Lightning pages.
- Scheduled: Set to run at specified times and frequencies.
- Platform Events: Triggered by platform event messages.
- Apex Code: Invoked programmatically through Apex.
When creating a new Flow, you select the type that determines how it will be triggered.
Types of Flows in Salesforce
Currently, there are five main types of Flows in Salesforce:
1. Screen Flow
- Description: Allows you to create custom user interfaces to guide users through a business process.
- Usage: Launched from Lightning pages, Experience Cloud sites, quick actions, or the utility bar.
- Example Use Case: A wizard to help sales reps qualify leads.
2. Record-Triggered Flow
- Description: Automatically launches when a record is created, updated, or deleted.
- Usage: Can replace many use cases previously handled by Workflow Rules or Process Builder.
- Example Use Case: Automatically send an email when an opportunity is closed.
3. Scheduled-Triggered Flow
- Description: Runs at specified times and frequencies for each record in a batch.
- Usage: Perform routine tasks like updating records nightly.
- Example Use Case: Update all expired contracts at midnight.
4. Platform Event Flow
- Description: Initiated when a platform event message is received.
- Usage: Respond to events from external systems.
- Example Use Case: Update inventory levels when a shipment is received.
5. Autolaunched Flow
- Description: Runs automatically when invoked by Apex code, Process Builder, or another Flow.
- Usage: Perform background automation without user interaction.
- Example Use Case: Complex calculations that need to be executed upon certain conditions.
Salesforce Flow Components
| Category | Element |
|---|---|
| Interaction Elements | Screens |
| Actions | |
| Subflows | |
| Logic Elements | Decisions |
| Assignments | |
| Loops | |
| Data Elements | Create Records |
| Update Records | |
| Get Records | |
| Delete Records |
Salesforce Flows are built using various components, categorized into three main groups:
Salesforce Flow Limits and Considerations
When working with Salesforce Flows, it’s important to be aware of certain limits:
Per Flow Interview Limits
- Executed elements at runtime per Flow: 2,000
General Flow Limits
| Limit | Professional Edition | Other Editions |
|---|---|---|
| Versions per Flow | 50 | 50 |
| Active Flows per Flow Type | 5 | 2,000 |
| Total Flows per Flow Type | 5 | 4,000 |
Per-Transaction Flow Limits
- Total number of SOQL queries issued: 100
- Total number of records retrieved by SOQL queries: 50,000
- Total number of DML statements issued: 150
- Total number of records processed as a result of DML statements: 10,000
For more detailed information, refer to Salesforce’s Flow Limits and Considerations.
Salesforce Flows vs. Apex
Understanding when to use Salesforce Flows versus Apex code is crucial for optimizing your automation processes.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Salesforce Flow Builder | Apex |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Accessible to admins without coding | Requires development skills |
| Use Cases | Ideal for simple to complex automation | Used for very complex logic and integrations |
| Edition Limitations | Not limited based on edition | Not available in Essentials; limited in Professional |
| Testing | Limited testing capabilities with Flow Tests | Robust testing with Apex test classes |
| Integration | Can perform API callouts using Flow HTTP Callout | Preferred for enterprise-level integrations |
| Flexibility | Easier to modify and maintain | Requires code changes and deployments |
By learning and adopting Flow, you can bring value faster to your business without the need for extensive coding.
Can Flows Be the ‘One Tool to Rule Them All’?
Salesforce is moving towards making Flow the primary automation tool on the platform. With the announcement that Workflow Rules and Process Builder will eventually be retired, Flow will become the central tool for declarative automation.
Flow’s capabilities are expanding with every release, and it now offers functionality that previously required Apex code. By mastering Flows, you position yourself to handle a wider range of business requirements and reduce the dependency on developers.
FAQs
1. What are different Flow terms?
- Lightning Flow: Includes tools for building, managing, and running flows and processes.
- Flow Builder: A point-and-click tool used to build Flows.
- Flow: An application that automates business processes by collecting data and performing actions in Salesforce or external systems.
2. What are the basic Flow features?
- Elements: The individual building blocks of the Flow, performing actions like assignments and decisions.
- Connectors: Determine the path the Flow takes by connecting elements.
- Resources: Variables that store data used throughout the Flow.
3. What are the types of Salesforce Flows?
The five types of Salesforce Flows are:
- Screen Flow
- Record-Triggered Flow
- Scheduled-Triggered Flow
- Platform Event Flow
- Autolaunched Flow
Summary
Salesforce Flow is the future of automation within the Salesforce ecosystem. It empowers administrators and developers to automate complex business processes, reduce manual effort, and improve data consistency.
By mastering Salesforce Flows, you can significantly enhance your organization’s efficiency and take full advantage of Salesforce’s capabilities. With Salesforce moving towards making Flow the primary automation tool, learning Flows is more important than ever.
Start experimenting with Flows today to unlock their full potential in automating your business processes. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility—ensure you follow best practices to build efficient, maintainable, and scalable Flows.