Triggered Flow Patterns

This document describes the types of automation flows we detect in Salesforce and how they are organized and displayed in the flow graph.

Flow Structure

Salesforce flows follow a tree-like structure that we analyze to understand when and how automation runs:

Flow Start
  └─ Trigger Conditions (When does it run?)
      └─ Decision Points (What conditions are checked?)
          └─ Outcomes (What happens in each case?)
              └─ Actions (What tasks are created?)

Pattern 1: Simple Stage-Triggered Flow

What it does: Creates tasks automatically when a record reaches a specific stage.

Structure:

Flow starts when: Record reaches "Qualification" stage
  └─ Action: Create task "Send welcome email"

Example:

• When an Opportunity moves to "Qualification" stage

• Automatically creates a task: "Send welcome email"

How it appears: The flow shows under the "Qualification" stage with the task listed.

Pattern 2: Record Type Specific Flow

What it does: Runs different automation based on the type of record.

Structure:

Flow starts when: Record type is "Enterprise" AND stage is "Proposal"
  └─ Action: Create task "Schedule executive meeting"

Example:

• Only for "Enterprise" type Opportunities

• When they reach "Proposal" stage

• Creates task: "Schedule executive meeting"

How it appears: The flow only shows under "Proposal" stage for Enterprise record types.

Pattern 3: Decision-Based Multi-Stage Flow

What it does: Checks the current stage and creates different tasks for different stages.

Structure:

Flow starts when: Record stage changes
  └─ Decision: What is the current stage?
      ├─ If stage is "Needs Analysis"
      │   └─ Action: Create task "Review requirements"
      │
      ├─ If stage is "Proposal"
      │   └─ Action: Create task "Prepare proposal document"
      │
      └─ If stage is "Negotiation"
          └─ Action: Create task "Schedule negotiation call"

Example:

• Flow triggers on any stage change

• Checks which stage the record is in

• Creates stage-specific tasks:

  • "Needs Analysis" → "Review requirements"

  • "Proposal" → "Prepare proposal document"

  • "Negotiation" → "Schedule negotiation call"

How it appears:

• The flow appears under each of the three stages

• Each stage shows only its relevant task

• Other stages don't show this flow

Pattern 4: Complex Multi-Condition Flow

What it does: Combines record type and stage conditions with multiple decision points.

Structure:

Flow starts when: 
  - Record type is "Startup" 
  - AND stage is "Qualification"
  
  └─ Decision: Is the amount greater than $50,000?
      ├─ If Yes
      │   └─ Decision: What is the current stage?
      │       ├─ If "Qualification"
      │       │   └─ Action: Create task "Assign enterprise rep"
      │       │
      │       └─ If "Proposal"
      │           └─ Action: Create task "Fast-track approval"
      │
      └─ If No
          └─ Action: Create task "Standard process"

Example:

• Only for "Startup" record types

• Only when at "Qualification" stage

• If amount > $50,000:

  • At "Qualification" → "Assign enterprise rep"

  • At "Proposal" → "Fast-track approval"

• If amount ≤ $50,000:

  • Creates "Standard process" task

How it appears:

• Flow appears under "Qualification" and "Proposal" stages

• Only for Startup record types

• Shows relevant tasks for each stage

Pattern 5: Status-Based Lead Flow

What it does: Creates different tasks based on Lead status.

Structure:

Flow starts when: Lead status changes
  └─ Decision: What is the current status?
      ├─ If status is "Working - Contacted"
      │   └─ Action: Create task "Follow up call"
      │
      ├─ If status is "Working - Qualified"
      │   └─ Action: Create task "Schedule demo"
      │
      └─ If status is "Closed - Converted"
          └─ Action: Create task "Onboard new customer"

Example:

• When a Lead's status changes

• Creates status-specific tasks:

  • "Working - Contacted" → "Follow up call"

  • "Working - Qualified" → "Schedule demo"

  • "Closed - Converted" → "Onboard new customer"

How it appears:

• Flow appears under each of the three statuses

• Each status shows only its relevant task

Pattern 6: Platform Event Creation Flow

What it does: Creates platform events to trigger integrations or external systems.

Structure:

Flow starts when: Record reaches "Closed Won" stage
  └─ Action: Create platform event "Tasks_Created__e"

Example:

• When an Opportunity moves to "Closed Won" stage

• Automatically creates a platform event: "Tasks Created"

• This event can trigger external integrations, other systems, or real-time processes

How it appears:

• Flow appears under the trigger stage (e.g., "Closed Won")

• Platform events are displayed as separate items in the task list

• Platform events are identified with an event icon (📡) instead of a checkbox

• The platform event name is formatted for readability (e.g., "Tasks_Created__e" appears as "Tasks Created")

Visual Indicators:

• Platform events appear in the same task list as regular tasks

• They use an orange event icon to distinguish them from regular tasks

• The icon helps identify flows that integrate with external systems or trigger real-time processes

Use Cases:

• External Integrations: Trigger webhooks or API calls to external systems

• Real-time Processing: Enable event-driven architectures

• Cross-Object Automation: Trigger processes in other Salesforce orgs or systems

• Audit and Logging: Track important business events for analytics

How We Display Flows

Flows with Stage-Specific Tasks

When a flow creates different tasks for different stages:

• Each stage gets its own flow entry

• Only stages with tasks are shown

• Each entry shows only tasks for that stage

Example: If a flow creates tasks for "Needs Analysis" and "Proposal" stages:

• Flow appears under "Needs Analysis" with its task

• Flow appears under "Proposal" with its task

• Flow does NOT appear under other stages

Flows with General Tasks

When a flow creates the same tasks regardless of stage:

• Flow appears under the trigger stage(s)

• Shows all tasks in one list

Example: If a flow triggers on "Qualification" and creates two tasks:

• Flow appears under "Qualification" stage

• Shows both tasks together

Flows with Platform Events

When a flow creates platform events:

• Platform events appear in the task list alongside regular tasks

• Event icon (📡) distinguishes them from checkboxes

• Event names are formatted for readability (e.g., "Tasks_Created__e" → "Tasks Created")

• Events are listed as separate items (e.g., "Platform Event: Tasks Created")

Example: If a flow creates both a task and a platform event:

• Flow appears under the trigger stage

• Shows the regular task with a checkbox

• Shows the platform event with an event icon

• Both items are clearly labeled and distinguishable

Record Type Filtering

• Master flow view: Shows all flows for all record types

• Record type view: Shows only flows that apply to that record type

Common Flow Patterns

Pattern A: Stage Entry Automation

When: Record enters a specific stage
Action: Create welcome or setup tasks
Example: "When Opportunity reaches Qualification → Create 'Send welcome package' task"

Pattern B: Stage Progression Automation

When: Record moves between stages
Action: Create transition tasks
Example: "When Opportunity moves from Qualification to Proposal → Create 'Prepare proposal' task"

Pattern C: Conditional Stage Automation

When: Record reaches a stage AND meets conditions
Action: Create conditional tasks
Example: "When Opportunity reaches Proposal AND amount > $100k → Create 'Executive review' task"

Pattern D: Multi-Stage Workflow

When: Record can be in multiple stages
Action: Different tasks for each stage
Example: "Creates 'Review' task for Needs Analysis, 'Prepare' task for Proposal, 'Negotiate' task for Negotiation"

Pattern E: Event-Driven Integration

When: Record reaches a specific stage or meets conditions
Action: Create platform event to trigger external systems
Example: "When Opportunity reaches Closed Won → Create platform event 'Tasks Created' to trigger external task management system"

Understanding Your Flows

When viewing flows in the graph:

1. Look for the stage name - This shows which stage the flow applies to

2. Check the tasks listed - These are the actions the flow creates

3. Identify platform events - Look for the event icon (📡) to spot platform event creation

4. Note record type constraints - Some flows only apply to specific record types

5. See decision outcomes - Flows with decisions show different tasks for different conditions

Each flow node shows:

• Flow name: The name of the automation

• Trigger type: When it runs (Before Save, After Save)

• Record types: Which record types it applies to (if limited)

• Tasks: What actions it creates, organized by stage if applicable

• Platform Events: Any platform events created, clearly marked with event icons

Platform Event Detection

How We Detect Platform Events

We automatically detect when flows create platform events by:

1. Analyzing flow metadata for record creation actions

2. Extracting event names from the object API names

3. Formatting names for display (e.g., "Tasks_Created__e" → "Tasks Created")

Platform Event Display

Platform events are displayed with:

• Event icon (📡)

• Formatted name for readability

• Clear labeling as "Platform Event: [Event Name]"

This helps you quickly identify flows that integrate with external systems or trigger event-driven processes.

Support

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