Declarative Process Automation Features

Declarative Process Automation Features – Salesforce Platform Developer 1 Exam Guide

Why Declarative Process Automation Features Matter

Declarative process automation is one of the most heavily tested areas on the Salesforce Platform Developer 1 exam. Understanding these features is essential because Salesforce strongly favors a clicks-over-code philosophy. As a developer, you are expected to know when to use declarative tools instead of writing Apex code. Choosing the right automation tool reduces maintenance overhead, improves scalability, and keeps solutions within Salesforce best practices. On the exam, you will encounter scenario-based questions that require you to pick the most appropriate declarative automation tool for a given business requirement.

What Are Declarative Process Automation Features?

Declarative process automation features are point-and-click tools provided by Salesforce that allow administrators and developers to automate business processes without writing code. The primary declarative automation tools include:

1. Flow (Flow Builder)
Flow Builder is the most powerful and versatile declarative automation tool in Salesforce. It can handle complex logic, screen-based interactions, and behind-the-scenes automation. Key types of flows include:

• Screen Flows – Provide a guided, wizard-like user interface to collect information from users and perform actions.
• Record-Triggered Flows – Execute automatically when a record is created, updated, or deleted. These are the recommended replacement for Process Builder and Workflow Rules.
• Schedule-Triggered Flows – Run on a defined schedule (e.g., every day at midnight) to process batches of records.
• Platform Event-Triggered Flows – Fire when a platform event message is received.
• Autolaunched Flows (No Trigger) – Invoked by other processes, Apex code, or REST API calls.

2. Workflow Rules (Legacy)
Workflow Rules evaluate records when they are created or edited. They can perform a limited set of actions:
• Field Updates
• Email Alerts
• Outbound Messages
• Task Creation

Workflow Rules are considered legacy and Salesforce recommends migrating to Flow. However, they still appear on the exam.

3. Process Builder (Legacy)
Process Builder is more capable than Workflow Rules and can:
• Create records
• Update related records (not just the triggering record)
• Invoke Apex classes
• Launch Flows
• Post to Chatter
• Send email alerts

Like Workflow Rules, Process Builder is now considered legacy. Salesforce recommends Record-Triggered Flows instead. Still, know its capabilities for the exam.

4. Approval Processes
Approval Processes automate the approval of records. They define:
• Entry criteria (which records enter the approval process)
• Approval steps (who approves and in what order)
• Actions on submission, approval, rejection, and recall

Approval Processes are not being retired and remain an important declarative tool, especially for scenarios requiring multi-step human approvals.

How Declarative Process Automation Works

Order of Execution Context:
Understanding where declarative automation fits in Salesforce's order of execution is critical:

1. Record is loaded (or initialized for new records)
2. System validation rules run
3. Before triggers execute
4. Custom validation rules run
5. After triggers execute
6. Assignment rules, auto-response rules, workflow rules execute
7. Workflow field updates cause before/after triggers to re-fire
8. Process Builder and Record-Triggered Flows (before-save and after-save) execute
9. Escalation rules evaluate
10. Commit to database

Note: Record-Triggered Flows that run before save execute before the record is committed and do not require DML — making them extremely efficient for field updates on the triggering record. After-save Record-Triggered Flows run after the record is saved and can perform DML operations on related records.

Key Concepts to Understand:

• Before-Save vs. After-Save Flows: Before-save flows are faster because they don't require extra DML. Use them for updating fields on the same record. After-save flows are needed when you must create, update, or delete related records, or when you need the record ID of a newly created record.

• Flow Elements: Understand the difference between Elements (Screen, Decision, Assignment, Loop, Get Records, Create Records, Update Records, Delete Records), Resources (Variables, Constants, Formulas, Text Templates), and Connectors (which link elements together).

• Bulkification in Flows: Record-Triggered Flows are automatically bulkified. When processing multiple records (e.g., via Data Loader), the flow interviews are batched. However, be cautious with flows that contain DML or SOQL inside loops — this can cause governor limit issues.

• Invocable Actions and Apex: Flows can call Invocable Apex methods (annotated with @InvocableMethod) and Invocable Actions, bridging the gap between declarative and programmatic automation.

• Transaction Control: Declarative automation runs within the same transaction as triggers and other automation. If an unhandled fault occurs in a flow, the entire transaction is rolled back.

Comparison Table: When to Use What

• Simple field update on the same record: Before-Save Record-Triggered Flow
• Update or create related records automatically: After-Save Record-Triggered Flow
• Guided user interaction / wizard: Screen Flow
• Scheduled batch processing: Schedule-Triggered Flow
• Multi-step human approval: Approval Process
• Send outbound SOAP message: Workflow Rule (Outbound Message) — this is the only scenario where Workflow Rules still have unique value
• Complex logic with conditional branching: Flow Builder (using Decision elements)
• Need to call Apex from declarative tool: Flow with Invocable Apex Action

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Declarative Process Automation Features

Tip 1: Default to Flow. If a question asks which declarative tool to use and Flow is an option, it is almost always the correct answer — especially Record-Triggered Flows. Salesforce has positioned Flow Builder as the single, unified automation tool going forward.

Tip 2: Know when code is required. Some scenarios cannot be solved declaratively: complex rollback logic, callouts with custom error handling, operations requiring advanced governor limit management, or before-delete trigger logic. If the question says declarative, pick the declarative option. If it says best approach, consider whether Apex is truly needed.

Tip 3: Understand before-save vs. after-save. If the question involves updating a field on the same record that triggered the automation, the answer is a before-save Record-Triggered Flow. If the scenario involves creating or updating related records, the answer is an after-save Record-Triggered Flow.

Tip 4: Remember Approval Processes for human approvals. Whenever a question describes a scenario where a manager or specific user must approve a record before it moves to the next stage, the answer is an Approval Process — not a Flow (unless the question specifically mentions a custom approval screen).

Tip 5: Watch for outbound messages. Workflow Rules are the only declarative tool that natively supports outbound SOAP messages. If a question mentions sending an outbound message to an external system without code, Workflow Rule with Outbound Message is the answer.

Tip 6: Beware of trick answers involving Process Builder. Process Builder is legacy. The exam may list it as an option alongside Flow. Unless the question specifically asks about legacy tools or existing configurations, prefer Flow.

Tip 7: Know governor limits in flows. If a question describes a scenario with loops containing DML or SOQL, the answer likely involves restructuring the flow to use collection variables and performing DML outside the loop, or switching to Apex for complex bulk operations.

Tip 8: Understand how to debug flows. Know that Flow debug logs, the Debug button in Flow Builder, and fault paths are the primary tools for troubleshooting. Questions may ask how to handle errors — the answer involves adding Fault Connectors to elements that can fail.

Tip 9: Recognize platform event triggers. If a question involves asynchronous, event-driven processing (e.g., responding to an external system publishing an event), the answer is a Platform Event-Triggered Flow.

Tip 10: Read the question carefully. Pay attention to keywords like without code, declaratively, minimum effort, and recommended approach. These keywords guide you toward the declarative solution and often toward Flow specifically.

Summary

Declarative process automation is a cornerstone topic for the Salesforce Platform Developer 1 exam. Master Flow Builder (especially Record-Triggered Flows), understand Approval Processes, know the limitations of legacy tools (Workflow Rules and Process Builder), and always consider the order of execution. When in doubt, remember: Salesforce wants you to use Flow.