salesforce flow assignment

Salesforce Flowsome!

An Easy Flow Guide For Admins

Flow: How To Use “Assignment”

Assignment is the equal sign of flow (As you see in the icon). If you want to change the value of your variables, you will have to do it through Assignments.

Some important notes before we dive into the details of Assignments:

1. Assignment Cannot Update Data Directly

If you have read my introduction of flow , you should know that Assignment is a logic element, so it does not have direct impact of your records. If you want to interact with your records, make sure you use a data element (Get, Create, Update, Delete).

2. Sometimes Assignment Can Be Skipped

Assignment is usually used for more complex operations (ex. in a loop or as a switch). If you simply want to change record fields, an Update Records element should be sufficient.

There are three main fields – Variable, Operator, and Value.

Assignment Fields

Assignment Operators

Check Out How Assignment Can Be Used In Real Cases !

Flow: How To Use In / Not In Operators

Use Case: Connect Files to Multiple Records in Flow

Flow: How To De-duplicate Collection In 3 Ways

Use Case: Use Flow To Auto Close The Spam Case

Official Salesforce Help Article On Assignment

• ← Flow: How To Use Record Id
• Flow: How To Use “Delete Records” →

I am building out a record triggered task flow that uses a formula to update a field on the task. In the formula, I am using some lead record fields and used a get record element. I am trying to then populate that same value from the formula task to the lead. I came across your blog after trying to understand what I was doing wrong, currently I am using an assignment element to try to map the value from the formula to the lead field. Although, it works when I debug it doesn’t actually save the value on the record. Based on “1. Assignment Cannot Update Data Directly” on your blog I learned this is not possible, the introduction of flow link is not working for me, is that information available?

I want to assign a text variable to wo.serviceTerritory.SeriveResource. Can you please suggest me how can I do it with the Assignment component in flow ?Thanks

Hi, so is the field you want to update already exist in the Flow? If so, you can simply find that field and use the Equal operator. If not, you can use Update Records element to find the field and use Equal operator

Just want to say thank you so much Melody for putting these valuable information here, really easy to understand! There’s so much of effort that you’ve put into this blog. I really appreciate that you put the time and effort together to share your knowledge.

About 25 mins

Learning Objectives

Manipulate data with the assignment element, calculate changes automatically with formulas.

• Challenge +500 points

Calculate Values in Variables and Formulas

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Concatenate two text values in a flow.
• Add and subtract numerical and date values in a flow.
• Create a formula to calculate dynamic values in a flow.
• Explain why you might use a formula in a flow.

This badge is one stop along the way to Flow Builder proficiency. From start to finish, the Build Flows with Flow Builder trail guides you through learning all about Flow Builder. Follow this recommended sequence of badges to build strong process automation skills and become a Flow Builder expert.

The Assignment element can also change existing variable data instead of fully replacing it.

Combine Text

When the data type of a variable is text, you can select Add as the Assignment element’s operator. The Add operator lets you add text to the end of the current value.

The Set Shipping Address flow is working pretty well, but now Flo wants to know how current the shipping address is. In the Copy Address assignment element, let’s add a row that appends a note to the account’s Description field, indicating the date when the shipping address was added to the account. We don’t want to replace what’s already in the Description field, just add a note to the end. However, keep in mind that Salesforce can’t combine text variables with non-text resources, such as date variables or number fields. To add non-text data, create a formula that uses the TEXT() function to convert the non-text value to text.

First, let’s create a formula that contains the added text.

• Click New Resource .
• For Resource Type, select Formula .
• For API Name, enter frmChangeDateNote .
• For Data Type, select Text . (Even though we’re adding a date, the end result has to be the Text data type so we can add it to a text field.)
• Enter this text in the Formula field: " Shipping Address added on " & TEXT()
• Place the cursor within the parentheses ( ).
• In the Insert a resource… field, select $Flow > Current Date .

• Click Done .

Before we move on to the next step, let’s pause and take a look at a few things in that formula. 

" Shipping Address added on " & TEXT({!$Flow.CurrentDate})

• Notice the spaces at the beginning and end of the phrase in quotation marks. The spaces separate the new phrase from text that’s already in the Description field and from the date that follows. For example, without a space at the end, the flow would set the description to “Shipping Address added on03-02-2023 ” .
• The & tells the formula to combine the text before and after, similar to what we’re doing with the assignment’s Add operator.
• The TEXT() function converts what’s inside it to text so that it can be used in a text field.

Next, add the text addition line to the Copy Billing Address assignment.

• Click the Copy Billing Address element and select Edit Element .
• Click + Add Assignment .
• In the Variable field, select Account from Get_Account_Data , then select Description . We set the account variable’s Description field here because it’s the variable that’s changing.
• In the Operator field, select Add .

• Save the flow.

Now, when the Update Records element updates the account, the update includes the altered Description.

If you’re using an assignment just to combine two texts without any conversion, you don’t need a formula to add a space between the old and new text. You can manually add a space before the new text in the Value field. For example, with a variable named “Answer”, you can enter “  {!Answer} ” directly in the Value field.

Perform Simple Calculations

You can also use the Add operator to add to a variable with the number or currency data type. However, this performs actual math; if you combine the number values 4 and 2, you get 6, not 42. You can also use the Subtract operator to subtract from number and currency variable values.

For example, this Assignment element subtracts a discount from an opportunity’s amount. The opportunity variable’s Amount goes in the Variable field, because that’s the value that’s changing. The Operator is set to Subtract . Finally, the variable with the discount amount goes in the Value field.

But check out that second line: it’s adding to a date field. You can also use the Add and Subtract   operators to add or subtract days from a date value. This Assignment element adds 2 days to the opportunity’s close date.

When you created the frmChangeDateNote formula, the & symbol combined two texts, functioning the same way the Add operator works in an assignment. So why didn’t we use the & symbol to attach the date directly to the Description field? The & symbol works only in formulas, and Description is a long text field. In flow formulas, Salesforce doesn’t allow long text fields because they can easily exceed the calculation limit for a formula.

This restriction is an example of the limits and complications with formulas in flows. Flow formulas have limited calculation time and a limited number of characters, which makes complex formulas inherently risky. Plus, unlike variables, formulas can’t be changed mid-flow. So when is it a good idea to use a formula?

Think of formulas like those other screwdrivers that come with your toolkit, the ones with the tips in shapes you’ve never seen before. You may not use them much, but when you actually encounter a screw with one of those tips, you’re glad you have that special tool! In other words, as a general rule, you should use a formula when you’re in a situation that only a formula can resolve.

The frmChangeDateNote formula is a great example that follows that rule. We can’t use just an Assignment element to attach the date to the description because the date has to be converted to a text value first. We need the formula’s TEXT() function to do the conversion.

• Trailhead:  Formulas and Validations (Use Formula Fields)
• Salesforce Help:  Flow Formula Considerations
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Salesforce Flow Basics Pt. 1: Data Elements, Decision, and Assignment

Written by Jonathan Davis

The goal of this four-part series is to provide foundational knowledge on how to use Flows in Salesforce . Flows are a powerful tool for automating processes in Salesforce and are something that every Salesforce Administrator or Consultant should be familiar with.

At a high level, a flow involves a few basic concepts:

• Elements - The pieces used to build the flow. Each type of element performs a different function. 
• Resources - These are created and exist inside a specific flow (as opposed to records that exist in the database) to perform logic and store values when the flow runs.
• Trigger - The event that tells the flow to begin and usually provides the flow with some starting information, such as a Salesforce record. 
• Logic - The flow uses logic that you configure in the flow to decide what to do within the flow.
• Result - The flow does one or more actions, such as creating or updating a record in Salesforce, displaying information to a user, sending an email to a customer, or some combination of those actions, and then ends.

Salesforce Flows are declarative, which means they do not require writing code to set them up. This makes them readily accessible to Administrators and Consultants who have not learned how to write code. Salesforce continuously adds features to Flow Builder , so it can do many things that were once impossible without code. 

Flows are built with a series of elements connected to one another. When a flow is triggered to run, it works its way through the elements one at a time and performs different logic and actions based on which element is used and the way it is configured. 

In this series, we will discuss all of the elements available to work with in the Flow Builder.

Jump to a section:

• Data Elements (Create, Update, Get, and Delete) • Assignment Element • Decision Element • Tips and Tricks

Data Elements (Create, Update, Get, and Delete)

In Flow Builder, there are three groups of elements: Interaction, Logic, and Data . 

The Data Elements reach out from the flow instance and interact with Salesforce data, allowing the flow to retrieve information from or make changes to records in the database. 

Create Records

The Create Records element allows you to create new records in your Salesforce org’s database. It can be used to create one or multiple records. 

When creating one record, the simplest way is to select “Use separate resources, and literal values.” Choose the type of object you want to create a record for, and assign the field values you want the new record to have. 

Once the record is created this way, you also can reference the newly created Record ID in other flow elements. 

In this example, we created a new Account Record for Venn Technology:

You can also reference a record variable or collection of records used previously in the flow and create a new record using the values that were set previously. This is the only way to create multiple records with one Create Records element.

Update Records

The Update Records element is very similar to the Create Records element, except that it makes changes to existing records instead of creating new ones. 

It is also similar to the Get Records element in that you are able to filter for the records you want to update when you use the “Use separate resources, and literal values” option. When filtering records this way, be aware that the Update element will revise all records in the database that meet the criteria, so it’s a good idea to be as specific as possible with your filters.

Alternatively, you can select “Use the IDs and all fields from a record or record collection” to update a record that was previously stored in the flow, such as one from a Get Records element. In this case, to make changes to the values on that record, you should have done so previously in the flow using the Assignment element.

In this example, we use the Update Records element to update the MailingState field of all contacts in the system that have an AccountID field value of “0014T000008zal9QAA.” If we only wanted to update a single contact, we would need to add more filters, such as the Contact ID, or FirstName and LastName fields.

Get Records

The Get Records element is used to “get” one or more records from the database based on filter criteria set in the component. Getting a record stores its values within the flow, as well as the values of records it looks up to (such as a Contact record looking up to an Account record in its AccountID field), allowing you to reference it in other flow elements and resources. 

The filter criteria is based on values found on the specific record you’re getting, such as the ID or name of an account. Multiple criteria can be used, and the condition requirements can be set using “and,” “or,” or custom logic. When getting your criteria, the filter logic should be as specific as possible (such as an ID value), so that you only get the records you want to work with. 

Get Records can be set to retrieve either the first record that meets the criteria, or all of the records that meet the criteria. Multiple records are stored together in a collection.

In the example below, this Get Record is retrieving the first account with a value of “Venn Technology” in the Name field and storing it for use in the flow.

Delete Records

The Delete Records element is used to delete records from the database. Similar to the Update Records element, you can either delete records stored in variables defined earlier in the flow, or specify the object and filter criteria needed to find the records you wish to delete. Similar to the Update Records element, the Delete Records element will delete all records that meet the filter criteria—make sure to be specific.

In this example, we use the Delete Records element to delete an account with the Id of “0014T000008zal9QAA.” By using the Id field in the filter, we ensure that only this specific account record is deleted.

Assignment Element

The Assignment element is one of the Logic elements, which means that it does not directly affect the contents of the Salesforce database. Instead, it is used to interact with records and resources within the flow by changing, adding, or subtracting the values of variables and fields. This is very useful for setting or changing record values before creating or updating them, and for using variables to perform logical functions.

Below, we use the Assignment element to change the StageName field of an opportunity to Closed Won and set the CloseDate field to today’s date with {!$Flow.CurrentDate}. This does not update the Account field in the database yet, but does set the values in preparation for the Data elements.

Decision Element

The Decision element is one of the most important elements in the Flow Builder, as it allows for the creation of multiple paths based on various criteria, allowing a single flow to output different results based on decision criteria.

When creating a Decision element, set the name and criteria for one or more outcomes. If the criteria is met in the flow, then the flow will follow the path for that outcome. If none of the criteria for the created outcomes are met, the “Default Outcome” is followed.

In this example, we create a Decision element that checks if the Opportunity record’s StageName field value is Closed Won.

If the Opportunity is Closed Won, the flow follows the “Yes, Opportunity is Closed Won” path to Create Contract. If the Opportunity is not Closed Won, the flow follows the Default Outcome and sends an email to the sales representative.

Tips and Tricks

Now that you know how to use the Data, Assignment, and Decision elements, here are some tips and tricks when using them.

Using a Decision after a Get Element

The Get Records element will not error out if it does not find anything with the filter criteria provided, but if later elements in the flow attempt to reference the record when there is not one, those elements may cause an error. 

For this reason, unless you can ensure that your Get Records elements will find a record, it is a good idea to create a Decision element after your Get Records element to see if it found anything. Do this by checking if the variable from the Get Records element is not null, as shown below.

If the variable is null then the record was not found—the default path is followed and the flow ends. If records are found, the flow continues. 

In this example, the flow checks for Opportunity Products, updates them if the flow finds any, and if none are found, the flow ends:

There may also be times when the requirements of your automation may change depending on if there is an existing record or not and, in those cases, you may want to check if the record is present. If the record is not present, check to see if there is an existing contract for an account. Update the contract if there is one and, if there isn’t, choose “Create Contract” instead.

Using Decision results later in the flow

The outcome of a Decision element is stored in the flow as a boolean (true/false) value that can be referenced later on in the flow by other decisions or formula resources. 

This can be useful in various situations where a decision was made previously in the flow that you want to reference later.

Below you can see:

• The first decision checks the size of the account • The second decision determines if a new contract is needed • The third decision checks if a new contract was just created for a large account, thereby sending an email to a Sales Representative if it was

For more information on Salesforce Flows, check out our next blog post: Flow Element Basics Pt. 2 – Variables, Collections, and Formulas.

About the Author

Jonathan davis, subscribe for updates, filter by tags.

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Round Robin Assignment using Flow

Marie Sloan, a Salesforce Admin, is asked to build a Round Robin assignment tool to assign Survey records to Agent records following a Round Robin way, which means that  the total number of Survey records to assign should be divided by the number of Agents, and each Agent should be assigned an equal number of Survey records. For example, if we have 3 Agents and 36 Surveys, each Agent will be asigned exactly 12 Surveys. 

Object Model:

To tackle this requirement, let’s first explain the data model required to illustrate this example:

• Name : auto number field with display format: RR-{000}
• Number_of_Agents__c : Rollup-Summary field that counts the number of Agent__c records associated with this Round_Robin_Assigner__c record
• Number_of_Surveys__c : Rollup-Summary field that counts the number of Survey__c records associated with this Round_Robin_Assigner__c record
• Name : auto number field with display format: A-{000}
• User__c : lookup field to the User object
• Round_Robin_Assigner__c : Master-Details field to the Round_Robin_Assigner__c object.
• Name : auto number field with display format: S-{000}
• Tag__c : auto number field without any display format. This field simply represents the tag, or Id of eacj Survet record, it is automatically added to each survey, and no 2 surveys will have the same Tag number. This field will be used to calculate the Assignment_ID__c field below.
• Assignment_ID__c : formula field used to give the assignment ID to each Survey record, based on t he total number of Agents and the Tag on each Survey. More details to follow below.
• Round_Robin_Assigner__c : lookup field to the Round_Robin_Assigner__c object. This is the field that will be filled to assign an Agent to the Survey.

Here is the ERD:

To futher explain what’s going on,

• the main object (1) Round_Robin_Assigner__c is the parent of both:
• the object to assign, in this case (2) Survey__c
• the object to assign to, in this case (3) Agent__c .

In other words, if we want to assign Agent__c records to Survey__c records, first, we create a Round_Robin_Assigner__c record, second, we add to it all the Survey__c records that we want to assign, and third, we  add all the Agent__c records that should be assigned to Survey__c records. The Round_Robin_Assigner__c record will hav a button that will launch a flow to assign the Surveys to the Agents in a Round Robin fashion! Simple!

Now, let’s explain the fields on each object…

First, the Round_Robin_Assigner__c object has 2 Rollup-Summary fields that count the number of Agent__c and the number of Survey__c associated with it. The field names are Number_of_Agents__c and Number_of_Surveys__c . 

On the Survey__c object:

• The Tag__c field is simply an auto-number field that gives a unique number to the record. The first Survey__c record has Tag__c = 1, and so on.
• The Assignment_ID__c field is the field used to assign the Survey__c to the Agent__c. It is a Fomrula field with this Formula:

This MOD function will take the MOD of (1) the Tag number value of the Survey__c record – we uses the Value() function to take the number value of this auto-number field, and (2) the total number of Agent__c records associated with this Round_Robin_Assigner__c record. So, if we have 5 Agent__c records, and 100 Survey__c records,

• For example, the record wih tag 50 would have 1 + MOD(50,5) = 1 + 50 MOD 5 = 1 + 0 = 1,
• the next record would have 1 + MOD(51,5) = 1 + 51 MOD 5 = 1 + 1 = 2
• the next 1 + MOD(52,5) = 1 + 52 MOD 5 = 1 + 2 = 3
• the next 1 + MOD(53,5) = 1 + 53 MOD 5 = 1 + 3 = 4
• the next 1 + MOD(54,5) = 1 + 54 MOD 5 = 1 + 4 = 5
• the next 1 + MOD(55,5) = 1 + 55 MOD 5 = 1 + 0 = 1

This way, the Assignment_ID__c field will dictate which Survey record goes to which Agent, based on the above math.

Next, we will add a Flow to assign the Agent__c field to the Survey__c records. 

Create the Flow:

Create a new Screen Flow, and in it first, create the variable that will hold the Id of the Round_Robin_Assigner__c record that will have the button to launch the flow. Remember, the variable name should exactly be ‘ recordId ‘ with the letter ‘I’ in a capital case.

To start, let’s create 3 “Get Records” elements: 

• Get Assigner: to get the details of the 1 Round_Robin_Assigner__c record that has the Id recordId. Store the variable in the Record Variable sov_Assigner . 
• Get Agents: to get all Agent__c records that are children of the above Round_Robin_Assigner__c record. Store the variable in the Record Variable socv_Agents . 
• Get Sutveys: to get all Survey__c records that are children of the above Round_Robin_Assigner__c record. Store the variable in the Record Variable socv_Surveys . 
• I will only show the screenshots of the first and second “Get Records” elements above. 

Now, create 2 Number variables and an Assignment element to assign them values:

• v_Agent_Total_count = {! sov_Assigner . Number_of_Agents__c }. This is the rollup summary field that countsthe number of Agents related to this Round_Robin_Assigner__c record.  
• v_Agent_Counter = 1. This will set the counter to 1. 

Create the first loop:

• Purpose : loop through all the Agent__c records that are related to the Assigner__c record. For each agent, get all the Survey__c records with an Assignment Id equivalent to the Agent. 
• Name : Loop through Agents 
• Collection Variable : socv_Agents 
• Iteration Direction : First item to last item
• Loop Variable : socv_agents_single

Inside this loop, get the Survey__c records with an Assignment Id equivalent to the Agent. For that, we will use use variable v_Agent_Counter . All these syrveys will be stored in a Record Variable called socv_Specific Surveys . 

Create a second loop inside the first loop:

• Purpose : loop through all the Survey__c records with an Assignment Id equivalent to the Agent, and add these to a “Record Variable” to assign them at the end to the Agent. 
• Name : Loop through specific Surveys 
• Collection Variable : socv_Specific_Surveys 
• Loop Variable : socv_Specific_Surveys_single

Inside this second loop, assign the Agent Id to the Agent__c field of the Survey. Then add this Survey to a new Record Variable called socv_Surveys_to_Update . To do so, create the Record Variable, then create an Assignment element to add the single Survey__c record to the socv_Surveys_to_Update. 

After exiting the second loop, increase the Agent Counter variable by 1

Finally, update all the Survey__c records at once, using a Record Update element on the socv_Surveys_to_Update record variable. 

You can then add a Screen element with any information you want:

And this is the final Flow:

Now, activate the Flow, then add a New Action  that calls this Flow from within the Round_Robin_Assigner__c object. 

Let’s run thre Assigner! Here is a screen before clicking on the button, and then the result aft.er. Notice that each Survey ois now assigned to a specific Agent!

You can modify the objects based on your requirements, but the idea is the same! 

Thank you sir. very helpful.

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JORDAN NELSON

• Jul 27, 2020

Salesforce Flow Assignments

Updated: Dec 25, 2021

What Does This Post Cover?

- How to use the Assignment Element in Salesforce Flows

- Have you ever needed to assign a new value to an existing variable? YES?! Great - this use case was made just for you.

In this example:

We will be taking the assignment element and setting a new value (assigning) to an existing variable. Our made up business use case is the following: The account management team needs to be able to update the account with the client's favorite movie when needed. Create a solution that will allow the AM team to do this.

Since we have a video on this showing you step by step, this blog post will be primarily used to view the values we used in the video as a reference to rebuild.

#1 Account Button

#2 Assignment Flow

a. Get Records: "Find Account Info"

b. Screen: Screen1

c. Assignment: Assign New Values?

d.Update Records: Update Account

#3 Video Walkthrough

Check out the FULL video walkthrough to get more context here in the youtube video below 🎬🍿

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

Recent Posts

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Flow Element: Assignment

An Assignment is a Flow element that allows you to set the value of a selected resource.

Official Docs

• Flow Assignment Element
• Operators in Flow Assignment Elements
• Add Logic to Your Flow

Additional Resources

• How to use an Assignment (David Litton)
• Salesforce Flow Assignments (Jordan Nelson)
• Video: Wizard’s Apprentice Visual Workflow Episode 5: Loops, Assignments, and Fast Elements (Brian Kwong)
• Video: Salesforce Flows Assignments (Jordan Nelson)
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Automating Salesforce One Click at a Time

Work With Aggregate Functions in Salesforce Flow

Last Updated on September 15, 2022 by Rakesh Gupta

Big Idea or Enduring Question:

• How to work with the aggregate functions in Salesforce Flow?

Objectives:

After reading this blog, you’ll be able to:

• Find out the NUMBER (Count) of rows for query criteria.
• Find out the MAXIMUM value of a field for query criteria.
• Find out the MINIMUM value of a field for query criteria.
• Find out the AVERAGE value of a numeric field for query criteria.
• Find out the SUM of a numeric field for query criteria.
• And much more

What are A ggregate Functions? 

A SOQL aggregate function calculates the values of multiple rows grouped as input on specific criteria to form a single value. Various Aggregate Functions are: 

• COUNT – Returns the number of rows matching the query criteria.
• MAX  – Returns the maximum value of a field.
• MIN – Returns the minimum value of a field.
• AVG – Returns the average value of a numeric field.
• SUM – Returns the total sum of a numeric field.

As of the Winter’23 release, Salesforce Flow does not support aggregate functions like SOQL . At the same time, there are lots of situations where you just want to calculate the count of rows in the Record Collection Variable or find out the average amount of opportunities for an account – such scenarios can be fulfilled without using aggregate functions. 

Business Use case I (MAX Function)

Jason Herr  is a Solution Architect at Gurukul on Cloud (GoC) . He wants to understand how to find the opportunity with the maximum amount for a given account. 

Automation Champion Approach (I-do):

We will use a Get Records element to solve the above business requirement. It doesn’t matter what type of flow you are working on, but the logic is the same. 

Step 1: Define Flow Properties   

• Click Setup .
• In the Quick Find box, type Flows .
• Select Flows, then click on the New Flow .
• Object : Account
• Trigger the Flow When : A record is created or updated
• Condition Requirements: None
• Optimize the Flow For Fast Field Updates
• Click Done .

Step 2: Adding a Get Record Element to Find the Maximum Opportunity Amount

The next step is to use the  Get Records element to find the maximum opportunity amount on a given account. 

• On Flow Designer, click on the +icon and select the Get Records element.
• Enter a name in the Label  field; the  API Name will auto-populate.
• Select the Opportunity   object from the dropdown list.
• Select All Conditions Are Met (AND) . 
• Field : AccountId
• Operator : Equals
• Value : {!$Record.Id}
• Sort Order : Descending
• Sort By: Amount
• Select Only the first record
• Choose the option to Automatically store all fields . 

In the end, Jason’s   Flow   will look like the following screenshot:

Edge Communications account has four opportunities, and the Maximum value is $100,000 .

It’s time to Debug the flow and validate the outcomes:

Business Use case II (MIN Function)

Jason Herr  is a Solution Architect at Gurukul on Cloud (GoC) . He wants to understand how to find the opportunity with the minimum amount for a given account. 

Step 2: Adding a Get Record Element to Find the Minimum Opportunity Amount

The next step is to use the  Get Records element to find the minimum opportunity amount on a given account. 

• Sort Order : Ascending

Edge Communications account has four opportunities, and the Minimum value is $35,000 .

Business Use case III (Count Function)

Jason Herr  is a Solution Architect at Gurukul on Cloud (GoC) . He wants to understand how to count closed won Opportunity records for a given account. 

Step 2: Adding a Get Record Element to Find Out Closed Won Opportunity 

The next step is to use the  Get Records element to get all opportunity records where stageName=Closed Won. 

• Select the Opportunity  object from the dropdown list.
• Click Add Condition
• Field : StageName
• Value : Closed Won
• Select All record

Step 3: Adding an Assignment Element to Find Out the Number of Rows in Record Collection Variable 

The next step is to find out the record count in the record collection variable. For this, we will use an  Assignment element. 

• Click on the +icon and select the Assignment element on Flow Designer.
• Enter a name in the Label field; the API Name will auto-populate.
• Field: {! varN_Count }
• Operator: Equals Count
• Value: {!Find_Closed_Won_Opportunity}

Edge Communications account has three closed won opportunities.

Business Use case IV (SUM Function)

Jason Herr  is a Solution Architect at Gurukul on Cloud (GoC) . He wants to understand how to determine the sum of closed won opportunity amounts for a given account. 

We will keep using the flow we created for business use case III. Let’s add two more elements, Loop and Assignment, to calculate the summation. 

Step 1:  Add a Loop Element to Extract the Records from Record Collection Variable

• On Flow Designer, click on the +icon and select the  Loop element.
• For Collection Variable,   select {! Find_Closed_Won_Opportunity } .
• For Specify Direction for Iterating Over Collection,  select the option   First item to last item.

Step 2: Adding an Assignment Element to Calculate the Sum of Opportunity Amount

• Under For Each Node, click on the +icon and select the Assignment element on Flow Designer.
• Field: {!varC_SumOfAmount}
• Operator: Add
• Value:  {!Loop.Amount}

Edge Communications account has three closed won opportunities worth $225,000. 

Business Use case V (AVG Function)

Jason Herr  is a Solution Architect at Gurukul on Cloud (GoC) . He wants to understand how to determine the average amount of closed opportunities for a given account.  

We will keep building the flow we created for business use cases III & IV. Let’s add one formula field to calculate the average. 

Step 1: Formula to Calculate the Average

• Click New Resource to calculate the average amount of closed won opportunities. 
• Resource Type : Formula
• API Name : forC_AverageAmount
• Data Type : Currency
• Formula : {!varC_SumOfAmount}/{!varN_Count}

Edge Communications account has three closed won opportunities worth $225,000. The average amount is $75,000. 

If the above solution doesn’t work for you, I highly recommend using the Unofficialsf SOQL plug-in . 

Formative Assessment:

I want to hear from you!

What is one thing you learned from this post? How do you envision applying this new knowledge in the real world? Feel free to share in the comments below.

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8 thoughts on “ work with aggregate functions in salesforce flow ”.

HI Rakesh ji, what is wrong with operator “Equals Count” for Use Case 3 Step 3 for “Get Count” assignment step. I thought it is correct but you mentioned it is typo above. Thanks

I updated the blog a few weeks ago to correct a typo. Now everything looks good.

Hi, I am trying to get an aggregate of records based on group by. I am assuming that wouldn’t be possible with a flow? Please let me know.

Yes, you may need to use SOQL plugin. Check UnofficialSF

Hmmm… in step “Step 3: Adding an Assignment Element to Find Out the Number of Rows in Record Collection Variable” the operator should be “Equals Count”?

It was TYPO. Thanks for letting me know. You’re awesome!!!

I am funding the SUM function does not work and it just adds the number to an array.

Please send me the screenshots of your Flow.

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Round Robin Assignment Using Flow

Using Flow for Round Robin Assignment. Unfortunately, at this time, while lead and case assignment rules offer many options, there is no Salesforce native solution to assign records in a round-robin style. But no need to fret! Using two flows and a few custom objects, you can learn to build a free, scalable, and internal solution for all your assignment needs. This solution can be used on any object, takes into account users who may be out of the office, and lists of assignment group members can be easily managed by supervisors or users themselves as needed.

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Collection Assignment Operators in Flow

October 7, 2022 Yumi Ibrahimzade Automation , Flow 3

Variable is a place holder that stores a value of a specific data type, which can be used or changed throughout the flow. It can store a single value or it can be configured as a collection, which makes it an ordered list of a specific data type. The value that it stores can be easily changed using the assignment element. When using the assignment element, operators depend on the type of the variable. For instance, if it is a text variable, only "Equals" and "Add" operators are available. On the other hand, if it is a collection variable, you will see more operator options. There are many assignment operators that you can use with collection variables. Although "Equals" and "Add" operators are the most common ones, there are many useful collection assignment operators in Salesforce Flow.

Let's say that there are two text collection variables in a screen flow. The first one stores the names of the test accounts. The second one stores the names of the accounts that contain "Account".

Now, let's see how to use the collection assignment operators.

Equals operator replaces the value of the Variable. You have to select a collection of the same data type or object type. If you are working with a record collection, it is also possible to select a single record variable as the Value.

In this case, equals operator makes the FirstCollection equal to the SecondCollection.

As you can see, value of the FirstCollection is equal to the SecondCollection.

Add operator adds the Value as a new item at the end of the collection in Variable. Just like the Equals operator, you have to select a collection of the same data type or object type. If you are working with a record collection, you can also select a single record variable as the Value.

In this case, Add operator adds the SecondCollection to the end of the FirstCollection.

3- Remove First

Remove First operator removes the first instance of the Value from the selected collection in Variable. For the Value, you have to select a single variable of the same data type.

Let's assume that SingleAccountName is a text variable that stores "Test2". In this case, it removes this value from the FirstCollection.

As you can see, FirstCollection doesn't contain "Test2" anymore.

4- Remove Before First

Remove Before First operator finds the first instance of the Value in the selected collection. Then it removes all the items before that first instance. For the Value, just like the Remove First operator, you have to select a single variable of the same data type.

In this case, it removes all the values before "Test2".

As you can see, all the values before "Test2" are removed from the FirstCollection.

5- Remove After First

This is the opposite of the Remove Before First operator. It finds the first instance of the Value in the selected collection. Then it removes all the items after that first instance. For the Value, just like the Remove Before First operator, you have to select a single variable of the same data type.

In this case, it removes all the values after "Test2".

As you can see, all the values after "Test2" are removed from the FirstCollection.

6- Remove All

Remove All operator removes all instances of the Value from the selected collection in Variable. For the Value, you can select a collection of the same data type or object type. You can also select a variable of the same data type or record variable of the same object type.

Just for this example, let's double the values of the FirstCollection. As you can see, it contains "Test Account1" and "Test Account2" twice.

Now, let's remove all the values of the SecondCollection from the FirstCollection.

As you can see, "Test Account1" and "Test Account2" are removed from the FirstCollection.

7- Add At Start

Add At Start operator adds the Value as a new item at the beginning of the collection in Variable. It is just like the Add operator, but it adds the Value to the beginning. For the Value, you can select a collection of the same data type or object type. Or you can also select a variable of the same data type or record variable of the same object type.

In this case, it adds the values of the SecondCollection to the start of the FirstCollection.

8- Remove Uncommon

Remove Uncommon operator finds the items in the Value collection within the Variable collection. Then it keeps the found items, and removes all other items from the collection in Variable. For the Value, you have to select a collection of the same data type or object type.

Before doing this example, let's add "Yumi" to the SecondCollection. As you can see, "Test Account1" and "Test Account2" are the common values.

In this case, Remove Uncommon operator removes the rest of the values from the FirstCollection.

9- Remove Position

Collections store multiple values of the same data type or records of the same object in an ordered list. It means that each item in a collection has a position. You have to enter a number for the Value. It specifies a position in the collection. Remove Position operator removes the item at the position from the collection in Variable.

In our example, FirstCollection has 7 items and the 3rd one is "Test1".

As you can see, 3rd item ("Test1") is removed from the FirstCollection.

There is something that you have to pay attention here. If the collection has less items than the number that you entered, it cannot remove the item. In this case, flow fails.

For example, FirstCollection has 7 items. If you use the Remove Position operator and enter 10 for the Value, flow fails with this error:

Error element Collection_Assignment (FlowAssignment). The "Collection_Assignment" element can't remove the item in position 10 of the "FirstCollection" collection variable because the collection contains only 7 items.

There are many assignment operators that you can use for collections. Although "Add" and "Equals" operators are the ones that you need almost in any flow, the remaining operators can be very useful as well. It is important to understand how to use them. In some cases, they might make your flows less complicated and perform faster.

Very helpful. Thanks.

Can you use with record variables?

Yes, of course.

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Salesforce Flow Cheat Sheet & Examples [Infographic]

By Tim Combridge

In this post, we’ll cover everything Salesforce Flow – including the types of Flows, elements, and resources. Plus, a handy cheat sheet ( jump to the infographic ) that you can print out, save to your desktop, or even have framed on your wall (I’m so honored that you’d do that!) to remind you of the building blocks of Salesforce Flow.

Types of Flows

Screen flow.

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Collection Sort

Collection Filter

Transform (Beta)

Custom Error

Create Records

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Delete Records

Roll Back Records

Interaction

Text Template

Collection choice set, record choice set, picklist choice set, infographic.

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Home » Video » Increase Productivity by Creating Starter Flows Fast Using Einstein for Flow | Automate This!

• Increase Productivity by Creating Starter Flows Fast Using Einstein for Flow | Automate This!

Welcome to another “Automate This!” In this live-streamed video series, we cover all things automation, from use cases and best practices to showcasing solutions built by Awesome Admin Trailblazers like you. With automation, you can remove manual tasks, drive efficiency, and eliminate friction and redundancy. In this episode, learn how Eduardo Guzman enhanced productivity and ensured smooth operations using Einstein for Flow to build three essential flows: send emails using custom objects, automate task creation, and keep records up to date with automated updates.

Einstein for Flow streamlines processes and automates tasks

Pittman Industrial Marketing, Inc. is a manufacturers' representative firm in the southeast U.S. specializing in the metalworking industry. We sell, implement, and service a diverse portfolio of industrial tools and technologies, ensuring cost-effective solutions for our end users and distributors. Einstein for Flow is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that admins can use to quickly create starter flows, by describing the automation they want to create using natural language or prompts. We use Einstein for Flow to streamline our processes and improve productivity through automation. With this tool we can automate manual tasks, allowing us to focus more on our customers and less on administrative work.

The key to building great starter flows with Einstein for Flow is providing descriptive prompts. Clearly outline what should trigger the automation, the specific objects it will interact with, and the exact actions it needs to perform. A good prompt includes detailed instructions on when the flow should start, the criteria it should use, and the tasks it should complete. However, it’s essential to understand that the initial flows generated by Einstein for Flow are not ready for immediate activation. This is where some human touch is needed. Admins must thoroughly review and refine these flows, making necessary adjustments to ensure they meet the precise needs of the organization.

Here are three use cases we implemented to increase our efficiency across our departments.

Create a high-priority task when a new opportunity is created

Key business problem.

It can be challenging to manage new opportunities and ensure timely follow-up. Previously, assigning tasks for follow-up was a manual process, prone to delays and errors, and quite time consuming.

To ensure timely engagement with the customer, we created a flow using Einstein for Flow that automatically assigns a high-priority task to the opportunity owner whenever a new opportunity is created.

Here’s the prompt I used: " Create a screen flow that collects new Opportunity information. The information it should collect is the name of the opportunity, close date, the amount, and the progress state of the opportunity. The flow should then create an opportunity record. Then create a task for the account owner to follow up, the task priority should be set to high and must be due 3 days after it was created. "

Prompt tip: Ensure your prompt includes clear instructions on what type of flow it is, the criteria for the information to be captured for the task and opportunity, and the action to be taken. This ensures Einstein generates the flow as intended.

How Einstein created the solution for us:

• It created a screen flow for the Opportunity object that captures name, amount, close date, and stage.
• It added an element to create the new opportunity record with the information captured on the screen flow.
• It created a task with high priority assigned to the account owner.

Business results

This flow ensures no new opportunity goes without a timely follow-up, improving our customer engagement and increasing our chances of closing deals.

Automatically update contact ownership with Einstein for Flow

Updating contact ownership manually to match account ownership was time consuming and error prone.

We implemented a flow that updates the contact ownership automatically whenever a new contact is created or updated.

Here’s the prompt I used: " Create a flow that runs every time a new contact is created or updated. The flow must change the ownership of the contact to the same owner as the account ."

Prompt tip: Make sure to specify the object and fields accurately in your prompt. Clearly define the actions you want the flow to take, such as updating the ownership field.

• It created a record-triggered flow for the Contact object, triggered when "A record is created or updated".
• It added an action to update the contact record to set the contact owner to match the account owner.

This flow eliminates the manual step of updating contact ownership, ensuring accuracy and saving time.

Send emails using Einstein for Flow in custom objects

Communications between the field and office regarding service estimates could be improved.

To ensure timely and consistent communication between departments, we want to automate emails to the appropriate contacts when service estimates are created.

Here’s the prompt I used: " Create a flow that triggers every time a new Service Estimate is created. The flow should send an email to the owner to let him know that there is a new Service Estimate, the email must contain information about the record ."

" Create a flow that triggers when a Service Estimate is created. It should only trigger when Ready for Billing checkbox is true. Then send an email to the Bill To Contact to let him know his estimate is ready and a sales representative will be in touch shortly ."

Prompt tip: Include the criteria for when the flow should start and the details of the email content in your prompt. This ensures the emails sent are relevant and informative.

• It created a record-triggered flow for the Service Estimate object, triggered when "A record is created".
• It added an action to send an email to the Bill To Contact for the billing flow.
• It created a brief template of the email including Service Estimate information.

These flows ensure that all relevant parties are informed promptly about new service estimates, improving coordination and customer satisfaction.

Sales Efficiency:

• Task assignment automation for new opportunities reduces the risk of missed follow-ups and ensures timely customer engagement.
• Automated contact ownership updates reduce manual errors and administrative workload, allowing sales teams to focus more on selling.

Operational Communication:

• Email notifications for service estimates ensure that all relevant parties are kept in the loop, improving communication between the field and office.
• Consistent and timely notifications help in reducing delays and improving the accuracy of information shared.

Time savings and accuracy

By implementing these automations constantly month by month, we can save time that would otherwise be spent on manual administrative tasks. This not only increases our efficiency but also ensures that our data remains accurate and up to date, leading to better decision-making and reporting.

Scalability

As we continue to grow, these automated processes can easily scale with us. With Einstein for Flow, we can create new flows or, in the future when the feature is available (#ForwardLookingStatement), modify existing ones quickly using natural language, ensuring that our automation evolves with our business needs. Automating repetitive tasks with Einstein for Flow helps reduce operational costs as we keep finding use cases for them. Our team can redirect this time saved toward more strategic activities, adding value to our services and improving customer satisfaction.

Improve processes with Einstein for Flow

By leveraging Einstein for Flow, Pittman Industrial has automated repetitive tasks, ensuring timely follow-ups and updates. These automations not only save time but also reduce errors and improve overall efficiency. Implement these starter flows to see similar improvements in your processes.

Whether it's automating task assignments, updating records, or ensuring timely communication, Einstein for Flow makes automation easy and effective for everyone at Pittman Industrial—especially for me as an accidental admin and Flownatic.

• Salesforce Help: Options for Sending Emails from a Flow
• Salesforce Help: How to create a Flow to make a Task when a box is checked on an Opportunity
• External site: YouTube: Flow: Automatically change record owner to a specific user upon update

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Eduardo guzman.

Eduardo Guzman is a Customer Relationship Specialist at Pittman Industrial. With over a year at the company, Eduardo is a beginner in Salesforce automation, diving into the potential of Einstein for Flow. Passionate about making day-to-day tasks more efficient, he constantly seeks innovative ways to integrate automation into everyday processes.

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