Workflow designer

Use the workflow designer to design your workflow and configure your workflow start event The connector and event for triggering the workflow to run, including required configuration. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. and actions A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows.. The workflow designer page includes the toolbar, actions toolbox, and designer canvas.

Jump to:

Configure the start event

The start event determines when the workflow starts and what information is gathered at that point.

Add, rename, and copy actions

Actions define the sub processes that occur when your workflow runs.

Adding actions from the actions toolbox is useful if you want to use your mouse or are still exploring actions available in the toolbox.

  1. On the left side of the workflow designer, in the actions toolbox, find the action.

    • To search for actions, click inside the Search text box above the action groups and begin typing characters that appear in the action name.

    • To browse actions, expand action groups.

      For example, Communication includes actions for sending email messages and related tasks while Salesforce includes actions for interacting with Salesforce.

  2. Drag the desired action onto a drop zone () on the designer canvas.

    Initially, the action is unconfigured (). For details on action configuration, see Action configuration panel.

Adding actions directly on the designer canvas drop zone is useful if you are more comfortable with using a keyboard or know exactly which action you want to add. You can more quickly design and build your workflows with this feature.

  1. Open the mini actions toolbox on the designer canvas:

    • Click on the drop zone on the designer canvas.

    • If you previously copied an action, click a drop zone () and select Add action.

  2. Select one of the five most common actions or search for and select the action that you want to add.

    Initially, the action is unconfigured (). For details on action configuration, see Action configuration panel.

  • Double-click the action name to open the action name for editing.

    You can also click to the right of the action and then select Rename.

  1. Click to the right of the action and then select Copy.
  2. Click a drop zone () and then select Paste.

Disable and delete actions

Disabled actions (including any child actions) appear greyed out on the designer canvas and are omitted when the workflow runs.

  • Click to the right of the action and then select the option you want.
  • Click to the right of the action and then select Delete.

Navigate large workflows

Compress the workflow design by collapsing container actions. Zoom in or out on your workflow design using the zoom selector.

  • Click or on the upper left border of the container action.

  • Drag and drop the actions, one by one, to a drop zone () within the container action's borders.

    The container action must be expanded to see the drop zone.

    Note: To summarize the actions contained in an Action Set container, click Action Set to open its configuration panel and then update the Description field.

  • Click (Collapse all) the upper left of the designer canvas to hide all container actions in the workflow designer.
  • Click (Expand all) the upper left of the designer canvas to display all container actions in the workflow designer.
  • Click the plus or minus sign on the zoom selector on the upper left of the designer canvas.
  • Click and drag on the designer canvas to navigate workflows, instead of using the vertical and horizontal scroll bars.

Action options menu

The action options menu contains options to manage an action in a workflow. It provides options such as copy, rename, disable or enable, and delete.

  • Click to the right of the action.

The following options are available:

Option Description
Add Branch Adds a branch to the action. (Displayed for actions allowing more than two branches.) 

Configure

Opens the action configuration panel.

Copy

Copies the action and its configuration settings for pasting to a drop zone on the design canvas.

Note: The options menu for a drop zone () includes the Paste option.

Delete

Removes the action from the workflow.

Disable

Omits the action (and any child actions) when the workflow runs.

Enable

Includes the action (and any child actions) when the workflow runs.

Rename

Displays the action name in editable form for you to customize. The custom name is displayed on the canvas; when the action is executed during the run of the workflow, the custom name is also displayed on the Instance details page.