sf-flow: Salesforce Flow Creation and Validation
Use this skill when the user needs Flow design or Flow XML work: record-triggered, screen, autolaunched, scheduled, or platform-event Flows, including validation, architecture choices, and safe deployment sequencing.
When This Skill Owns the Task
Use sf-flow when the work involves:
.flow-meta.xmlfiles- Flow Builder architecture and XML generation
- record-triggered, screen, scheduled, autolaunched, or platform-event flows
- Flow-specific bulk safety, fault paths, and subflow orchestration
Delegate elsewhere when the user is:
- writing Apex-first automation → sf-apex
- creating objects / fields first → sf-metadata
- deploying metadata → sf-deploy
- seeding post-deploy test data → sf-data
Required Context to Gather First
Ask for or infer:
- flow type
- trigger object / entry conditions
- core business goal
- whether this is new, refactor, or repair
- target org alias if deployment or validation is needed
- whether related objects / fields already exist
Recommended Workflow
1. Choose the right automation tool
Before building, confirm Flow is the right answer rather than:
- formula field
- validation rule
- roll-up summary
- Apex
2. Choose the right Flow type
| Need | Default flow type |
|---|---|
| same-record update before save | before-save record-triggered |
| related-record work / emails / callouts | after-save record-triggered |
| guided UI | screen flow |
| reusable background logic | autolaunched / subflow |
| scheduled processing | scheduled flow |
| event-driven declarative response | platform-event flow |
| AI-evaluated routing (sentiment, intent, tone) | autolaunched with AI Decision element |
3. Start from a template
Prefer the provided assets:
assets/record-triggered-before-save.xmlassets/record-triggered-after-save.xmlassets/screen-flow-template.xmlassets/autolaunched-flow-template.xmlassets/scheduled-flow-template.xmlassets/platform-event-flow-template.xmlassets/ai-decision-template.xmlassets/subflows/
4. Validate against Flow guardrails
Focus on:
- no DML in loops
- no Get Records inside loops
- proper fault paths
- correct trigger conditions
- safe subflow composition
- AI Decision elements not placed inside loops (credit cost per iteration)
- AI Decision prompts include merge field references for data context
5. Hand off deployment and testing
Use:
High-Signal Rules
Flow architecture
- before-save for same-record field updates
- after-save for related records, emails, and callouts
- do not loop over
$Record - use subflows when logic becomes wide or repetitive
Bulk safety
- no DML in loops
- no Get Records in loops
- test with 251+ records when bulk behavior matters
- prefer Transform when the job is shaping data, not per-record branching
Error handling
- every data-changing path should have fault handling
- avoid self-referencing fault connectors
- deploy Flows as Draft first when activation risk is non-trivial
Output Format
When finishing, report in this order:
- Flow type and goal
- Files created or updated
- Architecture choices
- Bulk/error-handling notes
- Deploy/testing next steps
Suggested shape:
Flow: <name>
Type: <flow type>
Files: <paths>
Design: <trigger choice, subflows, key decisions>
Risks: <bulk safety, fault paths, dependencies>
Next step: <dry-run deploy, activate, or test>Flow Testing (CLI)
Run Flow tests from the command line without VS Code:
# Run all flow tests
sf flow run test --target-org <alias> --json
# Run tests for a specific flow
sf flow run test --class-names MyFlow --target-org <alias> --json
# Get results for an asynchronous run
sf flow get test --test-run-id <id> --target-org <alias> --jsonFlow tests execute in the org and can take 1-5 minutes. sf flow run test returns a test run ID for asynchronous runs; use sf flow get test to retrieve results later. Always run with --json and use background execution for longer runs.
Cross-Skill Integration
| Need | Delegate to | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| create objects / fields first | sf-metadata | schema readiness |
| deploy / activate flow | sf-deploy | safe deployment sequence |
| create realistic bulk test data | sf-data | post-deploy verification |
| create Apex actions / invocables | sf-apex | imperative logic |
| embed LWC in a screen flow | sf-lwc | custom UI components |
| expose Flow to Agentforce | sf-ai-agentscript | agent action orchestration |
Reference Map
Start here
- references/flow-best-practices.md
- references/flow-quick-reference.md
- references/orchestration.md
- references/testing-guide.md
Design / orchestration
- references/subflow-library.md
- references/governance-checklist.md
- references/transform-vs-loop-guide.md
- references/orchestration-guide.md
- references/orchestration-parent-child.md
- references/orchestration-sequential.md
- references/orchestration-conditional.md
AI Decision
Screen / integration / troubleshooting
- references/form-building-guide.md
- references/integration-patterns.md
- references/lwc-integration-guide.md
- references/agentforce-flow-integration.md
- references/xml-gotchas.md
- references/testing-checklist.md
- references/wait-patterns.md
- assets/
Score Guide
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 88+ | production-ready Flow |
| 75–87 | good Flow with some review items |
| 60–74 | functional but needs stronger guardrails |
| < 60 | unsafe / incomplete for deployment |