In 2026, Salesforce has five main flow types, plus some specialised variants like Field Service flows and Orchestration flows. Knowing the five core types — and when to pick each — is essential for any admin/developer interview.
The five flow types
| Type | Trigger | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Flow | A user opens it (button, URL, app page, community) | Multi-step wizards, intake forms, guided processes |
| Record-Triggered Flow | A record is created, updated, or deleted | Replaces Process Builder + most Workflow Rules |
| Schedule-Triggered Flow | A configured schedule (cron-like) | Nightly cleanups, weekly digests, scheduled data quality jobs |
| Platform Event-Triggered Flow | A platform event is published | Event-driven automation, integrations, decoupled internal events |
| Autolaunched Flow | Called by Apex, REST, a subflow, or a Quick Action | Reusable subroutines, callable from anywhere |
Picking the right type
Screen Flow
You need a user interface. Quick Action that pops a wizard, community self-service form, internal tool with multiple steps.
Record-Triggered Flow
A record changing should cause something to happen. Set a field, create a related record, send an email. Has two sub-modes:
- Before-save — runs inside the save transaction; fast same-record updates
- After-save — runs after the save; can do everything (related records, callouts via subflows, etc.)
Schedule-Triggered Flow
A clock should drive it. “Every Monday at 7am, find Cases over 14 days old and assign to backlog.” Cron-style scheduling with start time, end time, frequency.
Platform Event-Triggered Flow
Decouple integrations or internal events. An external system publishes a Stripe_Webhook__e event; your flow picks it up and updates a record.
Autolaunched Flow
A reusable building block called by other things. Has no trigger of its own — Apex, REST API, Quick Actions, Process Builder, other Flows, screen flows, even Workflow Rules (via “Launch a flow” action) can invoke it.
The “extra” types interviewers sometimes count
| Variant | What it is |
|---|---|
| Flow Orchestration | Multi-stage flow that spans steps and users — like a state machine |
| Field Service Flow | Specialised mobile flows for the Field Service product |
| Industries / Vlocity OmniScript flows | Industry-specific Cloud variants |
| Apex-Triggered Flow | Same as Autolaunched, just called from Apex specifically |
In a standard interview answer, focus on the five core types. Mention Orchestration if the interviewer presses for more.
What interviewers want
- The count: five core types
- All five names
- A one-line use case for each
- Bonus: the before-save vs after-save distinction inside Record-Triggered Flows
Verified against: Salesforce Help — Flow Types. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26 release.