What is Salesforce Workflow?

Salesforce Workflow is the original automation tool that laid the foundation for process automation in Salesforce. Think of it as your reliable assistant that handles repetitive tasks automatically when certain conditions are met. It's designed to save time and ensure consistency across your organization by automating standard internal procedures.

How Workflow Rules Work

Workflow rules operate on a simple principle: when something happens, take a corresponding action. Every workflow rule has two essential parts:

Criteria: This defines when the rule should trigger. You can set conditions based on field values, record types, or even complex formulas. For example, "when a lead's status changes to 'Qualified'" or "when an opportunity amount exceeds $10,000."

Actions: These are the automated tasks that happen when your criteria are met. Workflow supports four types of actions:

• Field Updates: Automatically change field values
• Email Alerts: Send notifications to users or external contacts
• Task Creation: Generate follow-up tasks for team members
• Outbound Messages: Send data to external systems

Key Features and Capabilities

Time-Based Actions: One of the workflow's most powerful features is the ability to schedule actions for the future. You can set up reminders, follow-ups, or field updates to happen days, weeks, or months after the initial trigger. This is perfect for creating renewal reminders or escalation processes.

Evaluation Criteria: Workflow rules can be configured to run:

• Only when records are created
• When records are created or edited
• When records are created or edited to subsequently meet criteria (useful for escalation scenarios)

Common Use Cases

Workflow rules excel in straightforward automation scenarios:

• Welcome emails for new customers
• Lead assignment based on territory
• Opportunity stage updates
• Task creation for follow-ups
• Manager notifications for high-value deals

Limitations to Consider

While workflow rules are powerful for basic automation, they have some constraints:

• Cannot create or delete records
• Work with only one object at a time
• Limited cross-object functionality
• No complex branching logic
• Cannot invoke other processes or flows