Salesforce Flows have fundamentally transformed how admins automate business processes — enabling automation with clicks, not code. Many Salesforce admins are already aware that beloved tools like Workflow Rules and Process Builder have been officially retired. In their place, Flows offer dramatically increased power and flexibility, making them the standard for modern Salesforce administration.
Previously, admins used Workflow Rules (simple on/off triggers) and Process Builders (linear flowcharts) for automation. While effective for basic tasks, these tools were slow, couldn’t delete records, and lacked interactive user features. With the official transition to Flows, admins gain access to a complete suite that rivals developer capabilities — all without touching code.
Consider Flows as the operating system of your Salesforce automations: they handle complex logic, loops, and, notably, can present screens to collect user data directly inside the UI.
Let’s break down a basic but powerful use case: managing new contact data while avoiding duplicate entries. This example covers the four foundational elements in Salesforce Flow:
A Flow begins with a Screen element for user input. In Screen Flows, triggers don’t exist as they do in other types; instead, users initiate the process within the Salesforce UI. In our example, the flow’s screen gathers information like the contact’s name, account type, and includes a toggle switch for user decisions.
Once information is submitted, the Get Records element allows the flow to “search” Salesforce for data. For our contacts use-case, Get Records looks for existing contacts where both first and last names match the user input. Think of this as the Flow asking a direct question to your Salesforce database.
With the search results in hand, a Decision element allows the flow to branch logically: Should it update an existing contact, or create a new one? Criteria can include user input via the toggle switch (indicating intent to update) and confirming a matching record exists. This smart branching ensures no effort is duplicated and no records are unnecessarily overwritten.
Even a simple flow, like the one illustrated above, demonstrates the core mechanics that can powerfully automate your business process. Mastering screens for user input, Get Records for research, Decision elements for logic, and Action elements for data handling unlocks endless possibilities for automation. Once comfortable with these basics, you can deploy Flows to optimize virtually any scenario in Salesforce.
Whether you’re new to Flows or looking to reinforce your foundation, these four elements are critical building blocks on your automation journey!
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