Process Builder
Process Builder was a declarative automation tool in Salesforce Setup that allowed administrators to create automated business processes using a visual, point-and-click interface.
Definition
Process Builder was a declarative automation tool in Salesforce Setup that allowed administrators to create automated business processes using a visual, point-and-click interface. It was fully retired on December 31, 2025, and is no longer supported. Salesforce recommends migrating all Process Builder automations to Flow Builder, which provides equivalent and expanded functionality.
In plain English
“Process Builder was a declarative automation tool in Salesforce Setup that let admins build automation visually. It was fully retired on December 31, 2025, and is no longer supported. Salesforce wants you to migrate everything to Flow Builder, which has more capabilities anyway.”
Worked example
The admin at BrightPath Consulting views the existing Process Builder processes in Setup and finds 8 active processes. She uses the "Migrate to Flow" tool to convert each one to a Record-Triggered Flow, since Salesforce is retiring Process Builder. After migrating and testing each Flow, she deactivates the old Process Builder processes.
Why Process Builder matters
Process Builder was a declarative automation tool in Salesforce Setup that allowed administrators to create automated business processes using a visual, point-and-click interface. It was fully retired on December 31, 2025, and is no longer supported. Salesforce recommends migrating all Process Builder automations to Flow Builder, which provides equivalent and expanded functionality.
Process Builder represented a generation of Salesforce automation between Workflow Rules and modern Flow. It was popular while it lasted because it was more capable than Workflow Rules and easier to use than Flow at the time. With Flow becoming the unified declarative automation platform and gaining all the capabilities Process Builder had, the retirement consolidates Salesforce's automation tooling. Mature orgs have completed their Process Builder migration to Flow before the retirement deadline; any remaining Process Builders should be migrated immediately.
How to set up Process Builder
Process Builder is the visual automation tool that replaced Workflow Rules — and is itself being retired in favor of Flow Builder. New orgs don't allow new Process Builder processes; existing ones still run but should be migrated to Flow.
- Open Setup → Process Builder
Setup → Quick Find: Process Builder. In newer orgs the New button may be disabled.
- Click New (where available)
If the New button is gone, you must use Flow Builder. Run Setup → Migrate to Flow to convert existing processes.
- Set Process Name, API Name, Description
Naming convention: "<Object> - <what it does>".
- Pick the object the process starts on
Or pick "It's invoked by another process" / "A platform event occurs."
- Configure Start When
A record is created / created or edited. "Edited" fires on every edit unless you scope criteria; "Created" fires once at insert.
- Add Criteria nodes and Action Groups
Each criteria node is a branch. Actions: Create Record / Update Records / Submit for Approval / Apex / Email Alert / Post to Chatter.
- Save → Activate
A process must be activated to run. Only one version of a process is active at a time.
A record changes / Platform Event / invoked by another process.
Conditions are met / Formula evaluates to true / No criteria (always fire).
Create / Update / Submit for Approval / Apex / Email Alert / Post to Chatter / Quick Actions / Quip / Send Custom Notification.
You can save many versions of a process. Only one is active at a time. Activating a new version replaces the running version.
- Process Builder is being retired. Don't build new processes — use Flow Builder (record-triggered flows replace most Process Builder use cases).
- Process Builder DML is after-save, which means each Update action triggers another save — easy to hit Governor Limits or recursive flows on related objects. Flow before-save is faster and safer for same-record updates.
- Multiple processes on the same object run in alphabetical order by API name. There's no run-order setting — rename to control sequence, or migrate to Flow where Run Order is explicit.
How organizations use Process Builder
Helped clients migrate all Process Builder automations to Flow Builder before the retirement deadline.
Completed Process Builder migration as part of their automation modernization, with all new automation built directly in Flow.
Treats any remaining Process Builder references as urgent migration candidates.
Trust & references
This term has been renamed to Flow.
View current pageStraight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Process Builder.
- Process Builder End of LifeSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. Is Process Builder still supported?
Q2. What replaces Process Builder?
Q3. What should you do with existing Process Builders?
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