Salesforce Flows are the platform's point-and-click automation tool. You build them in Flow Builder by dragging elements onto a canvas, and they can guide users through screens or run in the background when a record changes, on a schedule, or when an event arrives. Since Workflow Rules and Process Builder were retired, flows are where nearly all declarative automation in Salesforce now lives.
This guide was first published in 2021 as "Introduction to Salesforce Flow", back when many articles still called these "visual flows". It has been rewritten for 2026 with the current flow types, examples, the end of Workflow Rules and Process Builder, and flows as Agentforce actions.
What is a Salesforce flow?
A flow is automation you draw instead of code. A flow is a set of steps that Salesforce runs for you: collect information, make a decision, read or change records, send an email, call another system. Trailhead's triggered flows module sums up the idea as "If something happens, then do something else", and calls record-triggered flows "the most commonly used automation". Each time a flow runs is called a flow interview; error emails identify the failed interview so you can trace it.
What are the Salesforce flow types?
As of November 2026 there are six flow types: screen, autolaunched, record-triggered, schedule-triggered, platform event-triggered and Data Cloud-triggered. Trailhead's Flow Basics module lists six types:
| Flow type | Starts when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Screen flow | A user runs it, for example from a button or a record page | A guided form for logging a complaint or onboarding a customer |
| Autolaunched flow (no trigger) | A button, another flow, Apex, or an agent calls it | A reusable "create renewal opportunity" routine |
| Record-triggered flow | A record is created, updated or deleted | Assign a lead owner, update an account when a case closes |
| Schedule-triggered flow | At a time and frequency you set | Nightly clean-up of stale tasks |
| Platform event-triggered flow | A platform event message is received | React to an order event from an ERP |
| Data Cloud-triggered flow | Data changes in Data 360 (formerly Data Cloud) | Act when a unified customer profile changes |
How to create a flow in Flow Builder
Flow Builder lives in Setup: enter Flows in Quick Find, then click New Flow.
- Choose the flow type, for example Record-Triggered Flow, and set what starts it: the object, the trigger (created, updated or deleted) and entry conditions.
- Choose the timing: fast field updates or actions and related records.
- Add elements from the canvas: Decision, Get Records, Update Records and so on.
- Save with a clear label and a description of what the flow does and why.
- Debug and test it (see below), then click Activate.
Screen flows can be shown to users as a quick action on a record, a component on a Lightning page, or on an Experience Cloud site.
The building blocks of a flow
Every flow is made of three things, described in Trailhead's Meet Flow Builder unit:
- Elements are the steps on the canvas. Interaction elements (Screen, Action, Subflow) work with people or other systems; data elements (Get, Create, Update and Delete Records) work with Salesforce records; logic elements (Assignment, Decision, Loop and others) work inside the flow.
- Connectors are the lines between elements. They "tell the flow which element to execute next."
- Resources hold values the elements use, such as variables, constants and formulas. They don't appear on the canvas.
Record-triggered flows: before save, after save and other paths
Use before save (fast field updates) to change the same record, and after save for anything else. Record-triggered flows do most of the work in a typical org, so it pays to pick the right timing. The Trailhead module describes four options:
| Option | Runs | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Fast field updates (before save) | Before the triggering record is saved | Change fields on the same record, show custom errors |
| Actions and related records (after save) | After the record is saved | Create, update or delete other records, call subflows, send email alerts |
| Scheduled path | Later, based on a date or time | A reminder three days before Close Date |
| Run asynchronously | Straight after the save completes | Call external systems without slowing the user's save |
Before-save updates give "optimal performance because the database is minimally affected." Trailhead also says a record-triggered flow can update a record 10 times faster than a Process Builder process did.
Salesforce flow examples
These six examples cover the patterns most orgs need first.
- Default a field. Before-save flow on Opportunity: when Stage is set to Closed Won and Close Date is empty, set Close Date to today.
- Create a follow-up task. After-save flow on Case: when Status changes to Closed, create a task for the account owner to check satisfaction.
- Send a reminder. Record-triggered flow on Contract with a scheduled path seven days before End Date that emails the owner.
- Guide a user. Screen flow on the Account page that asks a few questions and creates a correctly filled-in service request.
- Clean up nightly. Schedule-triggered flow that closes open tasks older than 90 days.
- Give an AI agent a skill. An autolaunched flow that looks up an order's status, used as an Agentforce action.
How flows replaced Workflow Rules and Process Builder
Workflow Rules and Process Builder reached end of support on 31 December 2025, and Flow is their replacement. For years Salesforce had three automation tools side by side. That ended on 31 December 2025: Salesforce's end-of-support article says Workflow Rules and Process Builder no longer get support or bug fixes, existing rules keep running and can still be edited, and new automation should be built in Flow Builder. The Migrate to Flow tool converts existing rules and processes; test the results in a sandbox before you activate them, because larger orgs often have overlapping rules that behave differently once combined. Our Salesforce workflow guide covers the migration step by step.
How to debug and test a flow
Use the debugger while you build and flow tests before you activate. Debugging a record-triggered flow always runs in rollback mode, so database changes are undone when the run ends. Flow tests, described in Salesforce Help's flow test article, let you define a triggering record and assertions once and rerun them after every change, without touching org data. As of November 2026 they don't cover flows that run when a record is deleted, or asynchronous paths, so test those by hand in a sandbox.
Flows for Agentforce agents
Yes, a flow can be an Agentforce agent action, as long as it is an autolaunched flow with no trigger. Agentforce agents can run flows to do real work. According to Trailhead's agent-ready flows unit, agent actions support only the Autolaunched Flow (No Trigger) type, and the flow's description becomes an instruction for the agent, so write it as one. See our Agentforce page for what agents can take on.
Flow or Apex: which should you use?
Use Flow for most automation and Apex for high-volume, complex or transaction-sensitive logic. Salesforce's record-triggered automation guide recommends flows when an object has low automation density, flows calling invocable Apex in the middle, and Apex triggers for high-density automation and tight transaction control. It also advises one entry point per object. Our Apex trigger guide covers the code side, and the order of execution shows where flows and triggers run in a save.
Flow best practices
Fast, bulk-safe and documented flows follow the same few rules.
- Use before-save for same-record updates. It avoids an extra save.
- Add entry conditions. Run only when the fields you care about change, not on every edit.
- Keep data elements out of loops. Collect records in a loop, then create or update them once afterwards; flows share the same governor limits as Apex.
- Add fault paths. Tell users and admins what failed instead of showing a generic error.
- Use subflows for shared logic. One "create task" subflow beats the same steps in ten flows.
- Name and describe everything. Descriptions help the next admin, and agents read them.
- Build and test in a sandbox. Run the flow against realistic records before you activate it in production.
Getting help
Techila is a Salesforce Summit Partner. Our Salesforce consulting services team designs flow automation, migrates legacy Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes, and builds agent-ready flows. Talk to us about your automation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a flow in Salesforce?
A flow is an automation you build by point and click in Flow Builder. It can show screens to users, or run in the background when a record changes, on a schedule, when a platform event arrives, or when another process calls it, and it can read, create, update and delete records and call actions.
What are the types of Salesforce flows?
Trailhead lists six: screen flows, autolaunched flows, record-triggered flows, schedule-triggered flows, platform event-triggered flows and Data Cloud-triggered flows, which run when data changes in Data 360.
What is the difference between before-save and after-save flows?
A before-save record-triggered flow runs before the triggering record is saved and is the fastest way to change fields on that same record. An after-save flow runs once the record is saved and is used to create or update other records, call subflows and send actions such as email alerts.
Did Flow replace Workflow Rules and Process Builder?
Yes. Salesforce ended support for Workflow Rules and Process Builder on 31 December 2025. Existing rules keep running but get no bug fixes, new automation should be built in Flow Builder, and the Migrate to Flow tool converts existing rules and processes.
When should I use Apex instead of a flow?
Salesforce's architect guidance recommends record-triggered flows for objects with low automation density and Apex triggers for high-density automation, heavy bulk processing or fine-grained transaction control. Use one entry point per object rather than mixing flows and triggers.