In this blog, we will talk about Scheduled Triggered in Salesforce and how to use a Scheduled Trigger Flow to update records automatically on a set schedule.
Salesforce Schedule-Triggered Flows automate tasks at set times. You can schedule them to run once, daily or weekly on specific records. These flows save time and reduce errors by automating repetitive actions, such as updating data or performing other actions on a batch of records. They run in the background, minimizing user disruptions, and can be easily managed within Salesforce.
Which tasks can we automate with Scheduled Triggered Flows in Salesforce?
- Send email alerts to Account Managers for Accounts with low health scores.
- Clean up outdated Lead information.
- Send email reminders to the Account Manager.
- Send a notification to managers every Wednesday at 11:00 AM for opportunities worth over $50,000.
- Update opportunity records daily at 9:00 AM to change the delivery status from “Yet to Begin” to “In Progress.”
- Automatically archive closed cases that have been inactive for over a year; runs monthly on the last day of the month at 11:59 PM.
How can we implement Scheduled Triggered?
Let’s take the example of updating opportunity records daily at 9:00 AM to change the delivery status from “Yet to Begin” to “In Progress.” from the above list.
1. How to get Schedule Triggered.
- In Salesforce, go to Setup by clicking on the gear icon.
- In the Quick Find box, type “Flows” and select Flows.
- Click New Flow.
- Choose Schedule-Triggered Flow as the flow type.
2. Define Schedule
- Specify the date and time for the first flow execution.
- Select the frequency for the flow to run (e.g., Daily, Weekly, Monthly).
- Choose Object ”Opportunity”.
- Set “All Conditions Are Met (AND)” in Condition Requirements.
- Field –> DeliveryInstallationStatus__c, Operator –> Equal and Value –>Yet to begin.
- Add an Update Record element:
- Provide Lable and API name.
- Select “Use the opportunity $Record global variable” in “How to Find Records to Update and Set Their Values.”
- Select “None—Always Update Record” in ‘Set Filter Conditions’.
- Set Field Values for the Opportunity Record
Field –> DeliveryInstallationStatus__c & Value –> In progress.
Also Read – Salesforce Flow Interview Questions and Answers
3. Save and Activate the flow.
4. Debug the flow to test it.
5. Check the Debug details :
6. Check the updated records in Opportunity, the value in the ‘Delivery/Installation Status’ field should be updated as ‘In Progress’.
7. We can also check Schedule jobs in our org:
Setup -> Quick find box-> Jobs -> Scheduled Jobs
Points to keep in mind when building Schedule-triggered flows:
- The Start Time field value is based on the org’s default time zone, not your time zone, if yours is different from the org’s.
- If you delete a schedule-triggered flow from the Scheduled Jobs page, all future runs for this specific schedule-triggered flow are cancelled. To enable future runs, you must deactivate and reactivate the schedule-triggered flow.
- If you schedule a one-time flow for a past date and time, it will not run.
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FAQs
1. What is the limitation of scheduled triggered flow?
- A schedule-triggered flow runs automatically at the specified time and frequency and cannot be launched manually or by other means.
- The Start Time is determined based on your Salesforce org’s default time zone.
- To activate a schedule-triggered flow, the user must have the View All Data permission.
- If you delete a scheduled flow from the Scheduled Jobs page in Setup, all future occurrences are canceled. To enable future runs, deactivate and reactivate the flow.
- A flow scheduled for a past date and time will not execute.
2. Which runs first flow or triggers in Salesforce?
In Salesforce, Before Save Flows are executed first, followed by Apex Triggers and After Save Flows.
3. How to test scheduled trigger flow in Salesforce?
Set the start time of the scheduled flow a few minutes in advance to observe its execution in real-time. Once it runs successfully, you can adjust the schedule to align with the business requirements.
4. How do you add a delay in flow?
In Salesforce Flow, you can use the Pause element to add a delay. It can be configured to pause based on a specific time or until certain conditions are met for the flow to resume.
Conclusion
Scheduled Triggered Flows in Salesforce offer a seamless way to automate processes without requiring user input, making them a vital tool for efficient task management. This blog explored their capabilities, such as running on a defined schedule to update records, send emails or clean data. Through a step-by-step guide, it demonstrated how to create a Schedule-Triggered Flow to update Opportunity records. Additionally, it highlighted key limitations compared to Batch Apex and clarified the execution order between triggers and flows, helping you make informed choices in your automation strategy.
