Workflow Email Alert
A Workflow Email Alert is an automated action that sends email notifications to specified recipients (users, roles, email addresses, or related contacts) when a workflow rule's or approval process's criteria are met.
Definition
A Workflow Email Alert is an automated action that sends email notifications to specified recipients (users, roles, email addresses, or related contacts) when a workflow rule's or approval process's criteria are met. It uses a predefined email template to generate the message. Email alerts are configured in Setup under Workflow Actions and continue to function even though Workflow Rules themselves have been retired in favor of Flow.
In plain English
“A Workflow Email Alert is an automated action that sends email notifications when a workflow rule or process triggers it. You specify recipients, an email template, and the alert sends automatically. It's legacy alongside Workflow Rules; Flow handles email actions now.”
Worked example
A legacy Workflow Rule at Brackenford Capital fires when a Case reaches Status = Escalated. One of its actions is a Workflow Email Alert - sending a templated email to the support VP using the "Case Escalation Notification" Email Template, with merge fields populated from the Case (Number, Subject, Account, Owner). The Email Alert continues to function in 2026 even though Workflow Rules have been retired in favor of Flow, because Salesforce continues to support existing Email Alerts. The team is gradually migrating each Workflow Email Alert into Flow's Send Email element.
Why Workflow Email Alert matters
A Workflow Email Alert is an automated action that sends email notifications to specified recipients (users, roles, email addresses, or related contacts) when a workflow rule, process builder, or flow triggers it. Email alerts use email templates for consistent, reusable message content.
Email alerts are one of the few workflow components that remain useful even in Flow-based automation because Flow can reference existing email alerts. However, Flow also has its own Send Email action. Mature automation uses whichever approach is appropriate for the context.
How to set up Workflow Email Alert
Workflow Email Alerts are the email-sending action in Workflow Rules, Process Builder, and Approval Processes — "send this Email Template to these recipients when this rule fires." They reuse Classic Email Templates and are the legacy way to wire automation to email.
- Open Setup → Email Alerts
Setup gear → Quick Find: Email Alerts → Email Alerts. (May appear under Workflow Email Alerts in some orgs.)
- Click New Email Alert
Top-right.
- Set Description and Unique Name
Both required. Description is human-readable; Unique Name is the API name.
- Pick the Object
What object the alert lives on. Drives available merge fields.
- Pick the Email Template
Required. Must be a Classic Email Template (Lightning Email Templates don't work here).
- Pick Recipient Type and Recipients
User / Role / Public Group / Email Field on the Record / etc. Multi-pick.
- Set From Email Address
Org-Wide Email Address / Current User. Org-Wide is recommended for consistent sender identity.
- Save → reference from Workflow Rule / Process / Flow
Email Alert exists. Now wire it from automation.
Classic only. Lightning Email Templates won't appear in the picker.
User / Role / Public Group / Email Field on the Record / Account Team / Owner.
Org-Wide Email Address (recommended) / Current User. Org-Wide is verified at the org level.
- Email Alerts only work with Classic Email Templates, not Lightning. Lightning templates are stored as records, not Setup metadata — and Email Alerts expect the latter.
- Recipient limits per Email Alert apply: 100 recipients per alert. Larger broadcasts need to split into multiple alerts or use a Mass Email approach.
- From Email Address Org-Wide requires that org-wide address to be verified (Setup → Organization-Wide Email Addresses). Unverified addresses cause silent send failure.
How organizations use Workflow Email Alert
References existing email alerts from Flow while building new automation.
Uses Flow's Send Email action for new notification needs.
Maintains existing email alerts that work well while building new ones in Flow.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Workflow Email Alert.
- Workflow Email AlertsSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is a Workflow Email Alert?
Q2. What defines the email content?
Q3. Can Flow use email alerts?
Discussion
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