How to Migrate Workflow Rules to Flow Without Causing Breaks

It’s the year we’ve all been waiting for. The year Salesforce admins have to say goodbye to our beloved Workflow Rules and Process Builders and say hello to Flows. 

“Why do we have to do this?” You may be asking… well, according to Salesforce, Flow is the most powerful declarative automation tool, and has all the functionality of Workflow Rules and Process Builder but better performance. They say the sunsetting of Workflow Rules and Process Builder are the next “logical step.” But to admins, it may just seem like more work. 

Agree or disagree, Workflow Rules and Process Builders are expected to be sunset by Winter ‘23. Whether or not Salesforce holds firm on this schedule is anyone’s guess but in order to avoid piles of tech debt and future headaches for your org, it’s best to get ahead of the change. 

Below, we’re covering how you can seamlessly transition your current Workflow Rules and Process Builders to Flows while avoiding unwanted bottlenecks or breaks along the way! 

Benefits of Migrating to Flow

Salesforce Flow is a no-code solution that allows admins to build complete business solutions. It can do everything Process Builders and Workflow Rules can do and more- plus, it has better performance overall. There are several reasons why you might want to consider migrating your Salesforce automations to Flow:

1. Enhanced functionality 

Flow offers more extensive functionality than workflow rules. Its robust features allow you to create more complex automation with more comprehensive decision-making capabilities.

2. Better user experience 

Flow can provide a better user experience than workflow rules because it includes custom screens and input forms, allowing users to provide input and interact with the automation. With Flow, admins can streamline high-volume automation with features like:

• Run Asynchronously
• Fast Field Updates
• Entry Conditions 

3. Increased flexibility

Flow offers more flexibility than workflow rules because they can be triggered by more events and conditions, and they can also perform more actions, including:

• Updating multiple records in a single flow.
• Extensibility with invocable actions and subflows. 
• Package up pieces of automation for reuse around your org to create building blocks to empower more admins and standardize common interactions.

4. Improved debugging 

Flows provide more comprehensive debugging options than workflow rules, making it easier to identify and troubleshoot any issues that arise. Here are a few examples of how Flow streamlines debugging:

• You can click straight from an error email into the flow and see the path that was run. 
• You can try different record-updates straight from the debugger in triggered flows.
• You can also see how your governor limits will be impacted while debugging.

5. Future-proofing 

While there is no hard deadline on when Workflow Rules and Process Builders will be sunset, Salesforce is continually evolving, so staying ahead of the new features is critical. By migrating to Flow now, you can ensure that your automation remains up-to-date and compatible with future releases of Salesforce.

How to Migrate Workflow Rules and Process Builders to Flow

Migrating Workflow Rules and Process Builder to Flows in Salesforce requires careful planning and execution to ensure that your automation remains stable and functional throughout the migration. Here are some steps to follow for a successful migration:

1. Start in sandbox

As with any change you are planning to make in Salesforce, you should be testing everything in Sandbox before moving into Production. This ensures you don’t lose any functionality during the migration process. 

2. Identify your existing automation 

The first step is to identify all of the Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes that you have in your Salesforce org. You can do this by going to Setup > Workflow Rules and Setup > Process Builder.

While reviewing your existing automations, take a step back and do some “housekeeping.” Some actions to consider include:

• Looking for duplicate or redundant automations. 
• Consolidating old Workflow Rules and Process Builders into a single flow per object .
• Remove instances that are obsolete or no longer used.

Consider this migration process an opportunity to consolidate similar automations and cleanup tech debt along the way. 

How Sonar helps you quickly identify existing automation

3. Map your Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes to Flow 

Once you have identified your Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes, you should map them to equivalent Flow. This means creating a flow that does the same thing as the Workflow Rules and Process Builder process. Utilizing the Salesforce Migrate to Flow tool can streamline this if your workflow rule contains only field updates. 

4. Create the Flow

Create the Flow in your Salesforce org using the Flow Builder. Be sure to include all the necessary elements in the flow, such as actions, criteria, and decisions.

5. Test the Flow 

Test the flows thoroughly in Sandbox before moving to Production to ensure that they are working as expected. You can use sample records to test the flows and make sure they are functioning correctly.

6. Deactivate the Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes

After testing your Flow, deactivate the workflow rules and process builder processes that you have mapped to Flow. This will prevent any conflicts or unexpected behavior that may arise from having both the workflow rule or process builder process and the flow active at the same time.

7. Activate the Flow

Once you have deactivated the Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes, activate the flows to replace them. This will ensure that your system continues to function as expected.

8. Monitor the system 

Now that you’ve perfected your Flows, don’t let an unintended change derail your hard work. Keep an eye on the system after the migration to ensure that everything is working as expected. You should also be prepared to make any necessary adjustments to Flow if any issues arise. 

Sonar’s Change Timelines enables smart leaders to monitor for changes that could impact Flows so you can proactively address breaks before they create chaos for your org.

9. Build new automations in Flow moving forward

Since Workflow Rules and Process Builder will soon be a thing of the past, it’s a good idea to go ahead and start building any new automation in Flow so you can get a feel of some of the features available.

For ease, start off simple, and build a basic flow. A good start would be one that updates a field on the contact record after a new contact is created. After you’re comfortable, try updating a field on the account associated with the contact after the contact is updated to have a certain field value. Continue to work on small flows until you’re at a level you feel comfortable. 

By following these steps, you can migrate your Workflow Rules and Process Builder processes to Flow in Salesforce. It’s essential to plan and test thoroughly to ensure a successful migration, and to ensure that your automation remains stable and functional throughout the process.

Conclusion: Manage the Migration to Flows in Salesforce With Ease

We know that making the transition from Salesforce Workflow Rules to Flow may seem daunting. But the benefit of Salesforce Flow is much more refined compared to Workflow Rules and Process Builder. With it being declarative code, almost anything is possible with Flows. 

As you begin your migration to Flow, ensure success with tools like Sonar. With our Data Dictionary feature, you can see all of your Workflow Rules and their criteria from a single user interface. From there, you can create a clean-up Initiative to keep organized during migration and track the progress of your future migration projects. 

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