Salesforce DictionarySalesforce DictionarySalesforce DictionarySalesforce DictionaryRetired visual tool vs the strategic automation platform
Process Builder is a Salesforce declarative automation tool, released in 2015, that lets administrators define multi-step business processes through a visual canvas. It runs on record save events, evaluates a sequence of criteria nodes, and executes immediate or scheduled actions when criteria match. Process Builder replaced most workflow rule use cases and introduced cross-object updates, scheduled actions, and process chaining that workflow rules could not handle cleanly. Salesforce announced in 2021 that Process Builder would be retired alongside workflow rules, and the Setup UI removed the New button for processes in 2023. Existing processes continue to run and remain editable, but no net-new processes can be created through the standard UI. Like workflow rules, processes still live in tens of thousands of production orgs and are being migrated to Flow as part of automation modernization. The migration is rarely urgent but always on the long-term roadmap.
Flow is the current Salesforce declarative automation framework, used to build everything from screen-based wizards that guide users through data entry to background processes that fire on record save, scheduled time intervals, or external events. Salesforce introduced Flow in 2012, expanded it through the late 2010s, and made it the strategic automation tool when announcing the deprecation of workflow rules and Process Builder. As of 2026, Flow is the only automation framework where Salesforce accepts net-new declarative builds in production orgs. A flow is a sequence of elements (Decision, Assignment, Get Records, Create Records, Loop, Screen, Subflow, Call Apex, and several dozen others) connected on a visual canvas. Each flow has a trigger that defines when it runs: a record save, a user clicking a button, a scheduled time, an inbound platform event, or another flow. Flows handle bulk DML, governor limits, and complex branching that the older frameworks struggled with, and they expose every Apex-callable surface to declarative authors. Flow is now the centerpiece of any automation roadmap, and proficiency with it is a baseline expectation for Salesforce administrators and developers alike.
| Dimension | Process Builder | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Retired - no new processes since Spring '25 | Active - Salesforce's go-forward tool |
| Complexity | Sequential criteria and actions | Branching, loops, screens, sub-flows |
| Screen Support | No user-facing screens | Full screen flows for user input |
| Debugging | Limited troubleshooting | Built-in debug tool with detailed logs |
| Migration | Migrate to Flow tool available | Receives all migrated processes |
Only for maintaining existing processes until they are migrated to Flow.
All new automation - migrate existing Process Builder processes here.
Other side-by-side breakdowns you might find useful