### Summary of Salesforce Flow Best Practices Salesforce Flow is a powerful tool for automating processes in Salesforce. To make sure your flows work well and are easy to manage, here are some best practices to follow: 1. **Plan Before Building**: Document your process and decide if Flow is the right tool for your needs. 2. **Use Descriptive Naming**: Give clear names to flows and their components to make them understandable. 3. **Minimize Complexity**: Keep flows simple by avoiding unnecessary elements and consolidating actions. 4. **Bulkify Flows**: Design flows to handle multiple records at once to improve performance. 5. **Handle Errors Gracefully**: Include error-handling paths to manage issues and inform users. 6. **Optimize Queries**: Use specific filters and avoid querying inside loops to stay within limits. 7. **Leverage Subflows**: Create reusable subflows for common tasks to reduce redundancy. 8. **Avoid Hardcoding**: Use configurable values instead of hardcoded ones to make updates easier. 9. **Test Thoroughly**: Ensure all scenarios are tested to avoid unexpected behavior. 10. **Limit Triggered Flows**: Keep the number of flows per object minimal to prevent conflicts. 11. **Use Before-Save vs. After-Save Wisely**: Choose the right type of flow for the task to optimize performance. 12. **Monitor Performance**: Regularly check flow performance to avoid slowdowns. 13. **Version Control and Documentation**: Keep track of flow versions and document changes for clarity. 14. **Security Considerations**: Ensure flows respect user permissions and handle sensitive data securely. 15. **Deactivate Unused Flows**: Regularly audit and deactivate flows that are no longer in use. ### Example Application For instance, if you want to notify the owner when an Opportunity is closed, you would use a Record-Triggered flow, bulkify it to handle multiple Opportunities, and implement error handling. ### Additional Context These practices help ensure that your Salesforce Flows are efficient, maintainable, and scalable, aligning with Salesforce's recommendations. Following these guidelines can lead to better performance and easier management of automation processes. ### Hashtags for SEO #Salesforce #SalesforceFlow #Automation #BestPractices #SalesforceTips #SalesforceTraining #CRM #TechTips #FlowBuilder #SalesforceDevelopment
While I’m pretty comfortable with Salesforce Flow Best Practices, if you are not, you can safely ask your friendly AI tool for a reminder.
I asked Grok. The one that comes with x.com (the app formerly known as Twitter), and it did a pretty good job.
Why don’t you try your favorite AI tool?
I asked:
What are salesforce flow best practices
The response was pretty comprehensive:
Salesforce Flow is a powerful declarative automation tool, and following best practices ensures your flows are efficient, maintainable, and scalable. Below are some key best practices for designing and implementing Salesforce Flows:
1. Plan Before Building
Why: A clear plan prevents rework and ensures the flow meets business requirements.
How:
Document the process (e.g., using flowcharts or pseudocode).
Identify inputs, outputs, decision points, and error conditions before starting.
Determine whether Flow is the right tool (e.g., versus Apex for complex logic).
2. Use Descriptive Naming Conventions
Why: Clear names make flows easier to understand and maintain.
How:
Name flows with a consistent pattern (e.g., Object_Process_TriggerType, like Account_Update_Status_Screen).
Use meaningful names for variables, elements, and resources (e.g., accountId instead of var1).
Add descriptions to the flow and key elements.
3. Minimize Elements and Complexity
Why: Simpler flows perform better and are easier to debug.
How:
Avoid unnecessary loops or nested decisions.
Consolidate similar actions (e.g., use one Update Records element instead of multiple).
Break complex flows into subflows for modularity.
4. Bulkify Flows
Why: Flows triggered by record changes (e.g., Record-Triggered Flows) must handle multiple records efficiently to respect governor limits.
How:
Use “Get Records” to query all relevant records at once, not per record.
Leverage collections (e.g., loop over a list of records) and bulk DML operations (e.g., Update Records with a collection).
Example: Instead of updating one contact per account, collect all contacts in a loop and update them in a single action.
5. Handle Errors Gracefully
Why: Unhandled errors can confuse users or leave data inconsistent.
How:
Add Fault Paths for every Get, Create, Update, or Delete element to handle failures.
Use Screen elements or custom error messages to inform users (for Screen Flows).
Log errors (e.g., to a custom object) for debugging.
Example: If a “Create Records” element fails, route to a fault path displaying “Unable to create record. Contact your admin.”
6. Optimize Queries (Get Records)
Why: Excessive or inefficient queries can hit governor limits (e.g., 100 SOQL queries per transaction).
How:
Use specific filters to limit returned records (e.g., WHERE Active__c = true).
Avoid querying inside loops; fetch data once and store it in a collection.
Use “Limit” if only a few records are needed.
7. Leverage Subflows
Why: Reusable subflows reduce redundancy and simplify maintenance.
How:
Create subflows for common tasks (e.g., sending emails, updating related records).
Pass variables between the main flow and subflow using input/output variables.
Example: A subflow to notify users can be reused across multiple processes.
8. Avoid Hardcoding
Why: Hardcoded values make flows inflexible and hard to update.
How:
Use Custom Labels, Custom Settings, or Custom Metadata for configurable values (e.g., status picklists, email templates).
Store IDs or constants in variables or resources instead of embedding them in elements.
9. Test Thoroughly
Why: Untested flows can lead to unexpected behavior in production.
How:
Test all paths (success, failure, edge cases) using the Debug tool in Flow Builder.
Simulate bulk scenarios (e.g., 200 records for record-triggered flows).
Use test data with realistic scenarios (e.g., null values, invalid inputs).
10. Limit Triggered Flows per Object
Why: Multiple flows on the same object and trigger type (e.g., Before Update) can cause conflicts or performance issues.
How:
Consolidate logic into a single flow per object and trigger type when possible.
Use decision elements to branch logic within one flow instead of creating separate flows.
Define a clear order of execution if multiple flows are unavoidable (via Flow Trigger Order in Process Automation Settings).
11. Use Before-Save vs. After-Save Wisely
Why: Before-Save flows are faster and don’t consume DML limits, while After-Save flows are better for related object updates.
How:
Use Before-Save for same-record updates (e.g., setting a field value).
Use After-Save for cross-object updates or integrations (e.g., creating child records).
Example: Set Account.Status__c in a Before-Save flow; create a related Task in an After-Save flow.
12. Monitor Performance
Why: Complex flows can slow down user experience or hit governor limits.
How:
Avoid excessive loops or large data operations in real-time flows.
Use Schedule-Triggered or Asynchronous Paths for heavy processing.
Check “Paused and Failed Flow Interviews” for performance issues.
13. Version Control and Documentation
Why: Flows evolve over time, and lack of documentation can confuse future developers.
How:
Save versions with meaningful descriptions (e.g., “Added error handling for null values”).
Document the flow’s purpose, key logic, and dependencies in the Description field or external docs.
Use comments within the flow for complex sections.
14. Security Considerations
Why: Flows must respect user permissions and data security.
How:
Run flows in System Context with caution; prefer User Context when possible.
Validate user inputs in Screen Flows to prevent injection or invalid data.
Ensure sensitive data (e.g., SSN) is handled securely (e.g., masked or encrypted).
15. Deactivate Unused Flows
Why: Inactive flows clutter the system and can accidentally be reactivated.
How:
Regularly audit flows using Setup > Flows.
Deactivate and archive unused flows, keeping only the active version.
Example Scenario
Requirement: When an Opportunity is closed, update its Stage and notify the owner.
Best Practice Application:
Flow Type: Record-Triggered (After-Save).
Naming: Opportunity_ClosedWon_Notify_After.
Bulkification: Use a collection to handle multiple Opportunities.
Subflow: Call a reusable “Send Notification” subflow.
Error Handling: Add a fault path if the update fails.
Testing: Debug with 1 record and 200 records.
These best practices align with Salesforce’s recommendations and community standards.
I have to say, that’s a pretty impressive list. Try your favorite AI tool and see what it comes up with.
March 28, 2025 at 12:30PM Click here for more details...
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The original post is available in CertifyCRM by Daryl Moon
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