What is Flow, and When to Use It
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:
- Explain what Flow is and where it fits among Salesforce's automation tools
- Decide when to use Flow versus writing Apex
Prerequisites: None — this is the first lesson in the course.
What Flow is
Flow Builder is a visual, drag-and-drop canvas for building automation — screens for user input, decisions that branch logic, actions that create, update, or query records — all configured by clicking, without writing code. It replaced the older Workflow Rules and Process Builder as Salesforce's single recommended automation tool.
Flow vs. Apex
Reach for Flow first for most business automation — updating fields, sending notifications, creating related records, simple approval-style logic. Reach for Apex when the logic is too complex for Flow's building blocks to express cleanly, when you need something Flow can't do, or when the logic needs fine-grained unit test coverage as part of a larger codebase. Well-designed orgs often mix both, calling Apex from a Flow's Action element when needed.
A formula used inside a Flow Decision
IF(Amount > 10000, "High Value", "Standard")Flow's Decision and Assignment elements often evaluate formula expressions like this one — the same formula syntax used in formula fields, validation rules, and Flow conditions throughout Salesforce.
Exercise
You need to update a custom field on 50 Contacts each time a batch import runs, with logic simple enough to express as an IF/ELSE. Would you build this in Flow or Apex? Explain your reasoning.
Show hint
Think about whether the logic is simple conditional field-setting, or something more complex.
What is Flow, and When to Use It — Quick Check
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Summary
Flow is Salesforce's point-and-click automation tool, built visually in Flow Builder — the first tool to reach for before writing Apex, since it covers the vast majority of everyday business automation without code.