Process Builder in Salesforce

A large number of the assignments you set, the emails you send, and other record modifications are essential components of your routine procedures. You can set up flows or processes to automate this repetitive task rather than doing it by hand.

In addition to helping you automate your business processes, Salesforce Process Builder allows you to create them visually. Read along to understand how it works.

What is Process Builder in Salesforce?

Salesforce Process Builder is an automation tool that allows business processes by creating workflows with a series of conditions and actions.

Process Builder supports three process types for your automation needs. The type determines what triggers the process. Such as:

• A record change process starts when a record is created or updated.
• An event process starts when a platform event message is received.
• An invocable process starts when another process invokes it.

Each process consists of criteria that determine when to execute an action group. An Action group consists of immediate or scheduled actions. Only record change processes support scheduled actions.

Note: With Process Builder being retired, Salesforce pushes users to use Record-Triggered Flows as a replacement. Flows offer better functionality with a visual builder interface and support complex logic and subflows.  

What are the Criteria in Process Builder? 

Setting criteria makes it easier to decide whether or not to carry out the actions. Several criteria nodes can be added to a process once it gets a single trigger. Every criterion node monitors and regulates whether the process will carry out the related activities.

Suppose the record does not fit the criteria. In that case, the process goes on to the following criteria node and skips the associated actions. Conversely, the related action is performed if the record meets the requirements. The criteria must be valid before the process can execute the associated actions.

Each criterion allows you to do the following:

• Set a filter to determine whether or not the actions should be executed.
• Give a customized formula.
• Consistently execute the associated actions by opting out of the process requirements.

What are Actions in Process Builder?

An action group can include both immediate and scheduled actions. Immediate actions are executed when evaluation criteria are met. Scheduled actions are executed at a specified time.

For example, Salesforce can automatically send an email reminder to the account team if a high-value opportunity is open ten days before the specified close date.

Here some actions in Process Builder that you can perform are:

1. Create a Record from a Process: Create a record by manually entering values or by using values from related records.
2. Invoke a Process from Another Process: Invoke a process from another process. You can reuse invocable processes so you don’t spend your time on repetitive work.
3. Create a Chatter Post from a Process: Post to a user’s feed, a Chatter group, or the record that started the process.
4. Use a Quick Action from a Process: To create, update, or log a call, using a Quick Action you or another admin created for your organization.
5. Work with Quip from a Process: Create documents, chat rooms, and folders when important events occur. Attach a document to a record so your users have information in context. Update your spreadsheets with the latest Salesforce data. Send a message or document to a chat room. Add new slides to a deck, copy documents, add members to a document or chat, and more. (Quip has been deprecated by Salesforce)
6. Launch a Flow from a Process: Start an auto-launched flow from your process to automate complex business processes. Create flows to perform logic and have events trigger them via processes, without writing code.
7. Send an Email from a Process: Easily send an email from a process using an email alert. Email alerts are configured outside the Process Builder and include the standard text, a list of recipients, and an email template.
8. Send a Custom Notification from a Process: Send customized notifications when important events occur. Alert an account owner if a new support case is logged while trying to close a deal or send a notification for a workflow built entirely with custom objects. Add recipients and content to your custom notification, then add it to your process.
9. Send a Survey Invitation from a Process: Send an email invitation containing the link to a particular survey question or to launch a survey.
10. Submit a Record for Approval from a Process: Submit the record that started the process for approval.
11. Update Records from a Process: Update one or more records related to the record that started the process, either by manually entering values or using values from related records.
12. Call Apex Code from a Process: Add customized functionality to your process by calling Apex from the process.

Difference Between Process Builder and Workflow in Salesforce

Process Builder and Workflows are Salesforce Automation Tools that streamline processes and improve efficiency. Workflows are rule-based and trigger specific actions when pre-defined criteria are met. They are ideal for straightforward automation needs, such as sending email alerts, creating tasks, or updating field values upon record creation or edits.

Process Builder offers a more visual, flowchart-like interface for building complex automation sequences. It allows you to define multiple criteria, set execution orders, and perform various actions based on conditions. 

Let’s see some of the critical differences between process builders in Salesforce and workflows: