sf-flow: Salesforce Flow Creation and Validation Skill

sf-flow: Salesforce Flow Creation and Validation

Expert Salesforce Flow Builder with deep knowledge of best practices, bulkification, and Winter '26 (API 62.0) metadata. Create production-ready, performant, secure, and maintainable flows.

📋 Quick Reference: Validation Script

Validate Flow XML before deployment:

# Path to validation script
python3 ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-flow-builder/hooks/scripts/validate_flow.py <flow-file.xml>

# Example
python3 ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-flow-builder/hooks/scripts/validate_flow.py \
  force-app/main/default/flows/Auto_Lead_Assignment.flow-meta.xml

Scoring: 110 points across 6 categories. Minimum 88 (80%) for deployment.

Core Responsibilities

Flow Generation: Create well-structured Flow metadata XML from requirements
Strict Validation: Enforce best practices with comprehensive checks and scoring
Safe Deployment: Integrate with sf-deploy skill for two-step validation and deployment
Testing Guidance: Provide type-specific testing checklists and verification steps

⚠️ CRITICAL: Orchestration Order

sf-metadata → sf-flow → sf-deploy → sf-data (you are here: sf-flow)

⚠️ Flow references custom object/fields? Create with sf-metadata FIRST. Deploy objects BEFORE flows.

1. sf-metadata  → Create objects/fields (local)
2. sf-flow      ◀── YOU ARE HERE (create flow locally)
3. sf-deploy    → Deploy all metadata (remote)
4. sf-data      → Create test data (remote - objects must exist!)

See docs/orchestration.md for extended orchestration patterns including Agentforce.

🔑 Key Insights

| Insight | Details | |---------|---------| | Before vs After Save | Before-Save: same-record updates (no DML), validation. After-Save: related records, emails, callouts | | Test with 251 | Batch boundary at 200. Test 251+ records for governor limits, N+1 patterns, bulk safety | | $Record context | Single-record, NOT a collection. Platform handles batching. Never loop over $Record | | Transform vs Loop | Transform: data mapping/shaping (30-50% faster). Loop: per-record decisions, counters, varying logic. See docs/transform-vs-loop-guide.md |

Workflow Design (5-Phase Pattern)

Phase 1: Requirements Gathering

Use AskUserQuestion to gather:

Flow type (Screen, Record-Triggered After/Before Save/Delete, Platform Event, Autolaunched, Scheduled)
Primary purpose (one sentence)
Trigger object/conditions (if record-triggered)
Target org alias

Then:

Check existing flows: Glob: pattern="**/*.flow-meta.xml"
Offer reusable subflows: Sub_LogError, Sub_SendEmailAlert, Sub_ValidateRecord, Sub_UpdateRelatedRecords, Sub_QueryRecordsWithRetry → See docs/subflow-library.md (in sf-flow folder)
If complex automation: Reference docs/governance-checklist.md (in sf-flow folder)
Create TodoWrite tasks: Gather requirements ✓, Select template, Generate XML, Validate, Deploy, Test

Phase 2: Flow Design & Template Selection

Select template: | Flow Type | Template File | |-----------|---------------| | Screen | screen-flow-template.xml | | Record-Triggered | record-triggered-*.xml | | Platform Event | platform-event-flow-template.xml | | Autolaunched | autolaunched-flow-template.xml | | Scheduled | scheduled-flow-template.xml | | Wait Elements | wait-template.xml |

Element Pattern Templates (templates/elements/): | Element | Template | Purpose | |---------|----------|---------| | Loop | loop-pattern.xml | Complete loop with nextValueConnector/noMoreValuesConnector | | Get Records | get-records-pattern.xml | All recordLookups options (filters, sort, limit) | | Delete Records | record-delete-pattern.xml | Filter-based and reference-based delete patterns |

Template Path Resolution (try in order):

Marketplace folder: ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-flow/templates/[template].xml
Project folder: [project-root]/sf-flow/templates/[template].xml

Example: Read: ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/sf-skills/sf-flow/templates/record-triggered-flow-template.xml

Naming Convention (Recommended Prefixes):

| Flow Type | Prefix | Example | |-----------|--------|---------| | Record-Triggered (After) | Auto_ | Auto_Lead_Assignment, Auto_Account_Update | | Record-Triggered (Before) | Before_ | Before_Lead_Validate, Before_Contact_Default | | Screen Flow | Screen_ | Screen_New_Customer, Screen_Case_Intake | | Scheduled | Sched_ | Sched_Daily_Cleanup, Sched_Weekly_Report | | Platform Event | Event_ | Event_Order_Completed | | Autolaunched | Sub_ or Util_ | Sub_Send_Email, Util_Validate_Address |

Format: [Prefix]_Object_Action using PascalCase (e.g., Auto_Lead_Priority_Assignment)

Screen Flow Button Config (CRITICAL): | Screen | allowBack | allowFinish | Result | |--------|-----------|-------------|--------| | First | false | true | "Next" only | | Middle | true | true | "Previous" + "Next" | | Last | true | true | "Finish" |

Rule: allowFinish="true" required on all screens. Connector present → "Next", absent → "Finish".

Orchestration: For complex flows (multiple objects/steps), suggest Parent-Child or Sequential pattern.

CRITICAL: Record-triggered flows CANNOT call subflows via XML deployment. Use inline orchestration instead. See docs/xml-gotchas.md (in sf-flow) and docs/orchestration-guide.md (in sf-flow)

Phase 3: Flow Generation & Validation

Create flow file:

mkdir -p force-app/main/default/flows
Write: force-app/main/default/flows/[FlowName].flow-meta.xml

Populate template: Replace placeholders, API version: 62.0

CRITICAL Requirements:

Alphabetical XML element ordering at root level
NO <bulkSupport> (removed API 60.0+)
Auto-Layout: all locationX/Y = 0
Fault paths on all DML operations

Run Enhanced Validation (automatic via plugin hooks): The plugin automatically validates Flow XML files when written. Manual validation:

python3 ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/scripts/validate_flow.py force-app/main/default/flows/[FlowName].flow-meta.xml

Validation (STRICT MODE):

BLOCK: XML invalid, missing required fields (apiVersion/label/processType/status), API <62.0, broken refs, DML in loops
WARN: Element ordering, deprecated elements, non-zero coords, missing fault paths, unused vars, naming violations

New v2.0.0 Validations:

storeOutputAutomatically detection (data leak prevention)
Same-object query anti-pattern (recommends $Record usage)
Complex formula in loops warning
Missing filters on Get Records
Null check after Get Records recommendation
Variable naming prefix validation (var_, col_, rec_, inp_, out_)

Run Simulation (REQUIRED for record-triggered/scheduled):

python3 ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/scripts/simulate_flow.py force-app/main/default/flows/[FlowName].flow-meta.xml --test-records 200

If simulation fails: STOP and fix before proceeding.

Validation Report Format (6-Category Scoring 0-110):

Score: 92/110 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good
├─ Design & Naming: 18/20 (90%)
├─ Logic & Structure: 20/20 (100%)
├─ Architecture: 12/15 (80%)
├─ Performance & Bulk Safety: 20/20 (100%)
├─ Error Handling: 15/20 (75%)
└─ Security: 15/15 (100%)

Strict Mode: If ANY errors/warnings → Block with options: (1) Apply auto-fixes, (2) Show manual fixes, (3) Generate corrected version. DO NOT PROCEED until 100% clean.

⛔ GENERATION GUARDRAILS (MANDATORY)

BEFORE generating ANY Flow XML, Claude MUST verify no anti-patterns are introduced.

If ANY of these patterns would be generated, STOP and ask the user:

"I noticed [pattern]. This will cause [problem]. Should I: A) Refactor to use [correct pattern] B) Proceed anyway (not recommended)"

| Anti-Pattern | Impact | Correct Pattern | |--------------|--------|-----------------| | After-Save updating same object without entry conditions | Infinite loop (critical) | MUST add entry conditions: "Only when [field] is changed" | | Get Records inside Loop | Governor limit failure (100 SOQL) | Query BEFORE loop, use collection variable | | Create/Update/Delete Records inside Loop | Governor limit failure (150 DML) | Collect in loop → single DML after loop | | Apex Action inside Loop | Callout limits | Pass collection to single Apex invocation | | DML without Fault Path | Silent failures | Add Fault connector → error handling element | | Get Records without null check | NullPointerException | Add Decision: "Records Found?" after query | | storeOutputAutomatically=true | Security risk (retrieves ALL fields) | Select only needed fields explicitly | | Query same object as trigger in Record-Triggered | Wasted SOQL | Use {!$Record.FieldName} directly | | Hardcoded Salesforce ID | Deployment failure across orgs | Use input variable or Custom Label | | Get Records without filters | Too many records returned | Always include WHERE conditions |

DO NOT generate anti-patterns even if explicitly requested. Ask user to confirm the exception with documented justification.

Phase 4: Deployment & Integration

Pattern:

Skill(skill="sf-deploy", args="Deploy flow [path] to [org] with --dry-run")
Review validation results
Skill(skill="sf-deploy", args="Proceed with actual deployment")
Edit <status>Draft</status> → Active, redeploy

For Agentforce Flows: Variable names must match Agent Script input/output names exactly.

For complex flows: docs/governance-checklist.md (in sf-flow)

Phase 5: Testing & Documentation

Type-specific testing: See docs/testing-guide.md | docs/testing-checklist.md | docs/wait-patterns.md (Wait element guidance)

Quick reference:

Screen: Setup → Flows → Run, test all paths/profiles
Record-Triggered: Create record, verify Debug Logs, bulk test 200+ records
Autolaunched: Apex test class, edge cases, bulkification
Scheduled: Verify schedule, manual Run first, monitor logs

Best Practices: See docs/flow-best-practices.md (in sf-flow) for:

Three-tier error handling strategy
Multi-step DML rollback patterns
Screen flow UX guidelines
Bypass mechanism for data loads

Security: Test with multiple profiles. System mode requires security review.

Completion Summary:

✓ Flow Creation Complete: [FlowName]
  Type: [type] | API: 62.0 | Status: [Draft/Active]
  Location: force-app/main/default/flows/[FlowName].flow-meta.xml
  Validation: PASSED (Score: XX/110)
  Deployment: Org=[target-org], Job=[job-id]

  Navigate: Setup → Process Automation → Flows → "[FlowName]"

Next Steps: Test (unit, bulk, security), Review docs, Activate if Draft, Monitor logs
Resources: `examples/`, `docs/subflow-library.md`, `docs/orchestration-guide.md`, `docs/governance-checklist.md` (in sf-flow folder)

Best Practices (Built-In Enforcement)

⛔ CRITICAL: Record-Triggered Flow Architecture

NEVER loop over triggered records. $Record = single record; platform handles batching.

| Pattern | OK? | Notes | |---------|-----|-------| | $Record.FieldName | ✅ | Direct access | | Loop over $Record__c | ❌ | Process Builder pattern, not Flow | | Loop over $Record | ❌ | $Record is single, not collection |

Loops for RELATED records only: Get Records → Loop collection → Assignment → DML after loop

⛔ CRITICAL: No Parent Traversal in Get Records

recordLookups cannot query Parent.Field (e.g., Manager.Name). Solution: Two Get Records - child first, then parent by Id.

recordLookups Best Practices

| Element | Recommendation | Why | |---------|----------------|-----| | getFirstRecordOnly | Set to true for single-record queries | Avoids collection overhead | | storeOutputAutomatically | Set to false, use outputReference | Prevents data leaks, explicit variable | | assignNullValuesIfNoRecordsFound | Set to false | Preserves previous variable value | | faultConnector | Always include | Handle query failures gracefully | | filterLogic | Use and for multiple filters | Clear filter behavior |

Critical Requirements

API 62.0: Latest features
No DML in Loops: Collect in loop → DML after loop (causes bulk failures otherwise)
Bulkify: For RELATED records only - platform handles triggered record batching
Fault Paths: All DML must have fault connectors
- ⚠️ Fault connectors CANNOT self-reference - Error: "element cannot be connected to itself"
- Route fault connectors to a DIFFERENT element (dedicated error handler)
Auto-Layout: All locationX/Y = 0 (cleaner git diffs)
- UI may show "Free-Form" dropdown, but locationX/Y = 0 IS Auto-Layout in XML
No Parent Traversal: Use separate Get Records for relationship field data

XML Element Ordering (CRITICAL)

All elements of the same type MUST be grouped together. Do NOT scatter elements across the file.

Complete alphabetical order:

apiVersion → assignments → constants → decisions → description → environments →
formulas → interviewLabel → label → loops → processMetadataValues → processType →
recordCreates → recordDeletes → recordLookups → recordUpdates → runInMode →
screens → start → status → subflows → textTemplates → variables → waits

Common Mistake: Adding an assignment near related logic (e.g., after a loop) when other assignments exist earlier.

Error: "Element assignments is duplicated at this location"
Fix: Move ALL assignments to the assignments section

Performance

Batch DML: Get Records → Assignment → Update Records pattern
Filters over loops: Use Get Records with filters instead of loops + decisions
Transform element: Powerful but complex XML - NOT recommended for hand-written flows

Design & Security

Variable Names (v2.0.0): Use prefixes for clarity:
- var_ Regular variables (e.g., var_AccountName)
- col_ Collections (e.g., col_ContactIds)
- rec_ Record variables (e.g., rec_Account)
- inp_ Input variables (e.g., inp_RecordId)
- out_ Output variables (e.g., out_IsSuccess)
Element Names: PascalCase_With_Underscores (e.g., Check_Account_Type)
Button Names (v2.0.0): Action_[Verb]_[Object] (e.g., Action_Save_Contact)
System vs User Mode: Understand implications, validate FLS for sensitive fields
No hardcoded data: Use variables/custom settings
See docs/flow-best-practices.md (in sf-flow) for comprehensive guidance

Common Error Patterns

DML in Loop: Collect records in collection variable → Single DML after loop Missing Fault Path: Add fault connector from DML → error handling → log/display Self-Referencing Fault: Error "element cannot be connected to itself" → Route fault connector to DIFFERENT element Element Duplicated: Error "Element X is duplicated" → Group ALL elements of same type together Field Not Found: Verify field exists, deploy field first if missing Insufficient Permissions: Check profile permissions, consider System mode

| Error Pattern | Fix | |---------------|-----| | $Record__Prior in Create-only | Only valid for Update/CreateAndUpdate triggers | | "Parent.Field doesn't exist" | Use TWO Get Records (child then parent) | | $Record__c loop fails | Use $Record directly (single context, not collection) |

XML Gotchas: See docs/xml-gotchas.md (in sf-flow)

Edge Cases

| Scenario | Solution | |----------|----------| | >200 records | Warn limits, suggest scheduled flow | | >5 branches | Use subflows | | Cross-object | Check circular deps, test recursion | | Production | Deploy Draft, activate explicitly | | Unknown org | Use standard objects (Account, Contact, etc.) |

Debug: Flow not visible → deploy report + permissions | Tests fail → Debug Logs + bulk test | Sandbox→Prod fails → FLS + dependencies

Cross-Skill Integration

| From Skill | To sf-flow | When | |------------|------------|------| | sf-ai-agentforce | → sf-flow | "Create Autolaunched Flow for agent action" | | sf-apex | → sf-flow | "Create Flow wrapper for Apex logic" | | sf-integration | → sf-flow | "Create HTTP Callout Flow" |

| From sf-flow | To Skill | When | |--------------|----------|------| | sf-flow | → sf-metadata | "Describe Invoice__c" (verify fields before flow) | | sf-flow | → sf-deploy | "Deploy flow with --dry-run" | | sf-flow | → sf-data | "Create 200 test Accounts" (after deploy) |

Deployment: See Phase 4 above.

LWC Integration (Screen Flows)

Embed custom Lightning Web Components in Flow Screens for rich, interactive UIs.

Templates

| Template | Purpose | |----------|---------| | templates/screen-flow-with-lwc.xml | Flow embedding LWC component | | templates/apex-action-template.xml | Flow calling Apex @InvocableMethod |

Flow XML Pattern

<screens>
    <fields>
        <extensionName>c:recordSelector</extensionName>
        <fieldType>ComponentInstance</fieldType>
        <inputParameters>
            <name>recordId</name>
            <value><elementReference>var_RecordId</elementReference></value>
        </inputParameters>
        <outputParameters>
            <assignToReference>var_SelectedId</assignToReference>
            <name>selectedRecordId</name>
        </outputParameters>
    </fields>
</screens>

Documentation

| Resource | Location | |----------|----------| | LWC Integration Guide | docs/lwc-integration-guide.md | | LWC Component Setup | sf-lwc/docs/flow-integration-guide.md | | Triangle Architecture | docs/triangle-pattern.md |

Apex Integration

Call Apex @InvocableMethod classes from Flow for complex business logic.

Flow XML Pattern

<actionCalls>
    <name>Process_Record</name>
    <actionName>RecordProcessor</actionName>
    <actionType>apex</actionType>
    <inputParameters>
        <name>recordId</name>
        <value><elementReference>var_RecordId</elementReference></value>
    </inputParameters>
    <outputParameters>
        <assignToReference>var_IsSuccess</assignToReference>
        <name>isSuccess</name>
    </outputParameters>
    <faultConnector>
        <targetReference>Handle_Error</targetReference>
    </faultConnector>
</actionCalls>

Documentation

| Resource | Location | |----------|----------| | Apex Action Template | templates/apex-action-template.xml | | Apex @InvocableMethod Guide | sf-apex/docs/flow-integration.md | | Triangle Architecture | docs/triangle-pattern.md |

⚠️ Flows for sf-ai-agentforce

When sf-ai-agentforce requests a Flow:

sf-ai-agentforce will invoke sf-flow (this skill) to create Flows
sf-flow creates the validated Flow XML
sf-deploy handles deployment to org
Only THEN can sf-ai-agentforce use flow://FlowName targets

Variable Name Matching: When creating Flows for Agentforce agents:

Agent Script input/output names MUST match Flow variable API names exactly
Use descriptive names (e.g., inp_AccountId, out_AccountName)
Mismatched names cause "Internal Error" during agent publish

| Direction | Pattern | |-----------|---------| | sf-flow → sf-metadata | "Describe Invoice__c" (verify fields before flow) | | sf-flow → sf-deploy | Deploy with validation | | sf-flow → sf-data | "Create 200 test Accounts" (test data after deploy) | | sf-ai-agentforce → sf-flow | "Create Autolaunched Flow for agent action" - sf-flow is MANDATORY |

Notes

Dependencies (optional): sf-deploy, sf-metadata, sf-data | API: 62.0 | Mode: Strict (warnings block) | Python validators recommended

Agent Skills: sf-flow: Salesforce Flow Creation and Validation

Skill Files