7 essential terms you need to know to get started with Zoho Flow

1. Flow

In Zoho Flow, "flow" is a shorthand for "workflow," and it works similarly to platforms like Make.com or n8n. However, note that "flow" is a term that refers to both workflows and automation scenarios.

A flow enables you to connect two or more applications to perform preset automated actions. Therefore, a flow comprises one trigger and one or more actions.

For example, you can create a flow to automatically send an email via Gmail when a new customer is added in Zoho CRM or update the information of a specific customer.

2. Trigger

The trigger in Zoho Flow initiates a flow by activating the workflow when specific conditions are met.

For instance, a trigger might connect to Zoho CRM. Whenever a new customer is added to Zoho CRM, the trigger starts a flow to execute subsequent actions.

Unlike platforms like n8n or Latenode, Zoho Flow doesn't support multiple triggers. However, it offers various trigger options:

• App Trigger: Activates when an event occurs in an application.
• Schedule Trigger: Activates the flow once or repeats it on a customized schedule.
• Webhook Trigger: Allows you to fetch data from third-party applications (that support configurable webhooks) into Zoho Flow.

You can choose one of these triggers to begin your flow.

3. Action

An action is a task or job that a flow performs. Each step in the flow, such as waiting, sending emails, checking emails, or sending notifications, is considered an action.

For example, when a trigger starts a flow in Zoho Forms, subsequent actions might include:

1. Creating or updating a contact in Zoho CRM.
2. Sending a message on Slack to a designated channel.
3. Sending an email to a customer via Gmail.

The cost of Zoho Flow depends on the number of actions performed in a month. For instance, the standard plan starts at $29/month and is limited to 5,000 actions per month. If you need higher usage, you’ll need to invest in a more advanced plan.

4. Connection

A connection represents the link between Zoho Flow and external applications. For instance, you can connect Zoho Flow to your Trello account or your team’s Gmail account. Zoho Flow will save these settings as two connections, corresponding to the two applications.

To use an application in a flow, you need to set up a connection and name it for easy management. You can also delete or modify connection details anytime.

5. Dashboard

The dashboard is the management center in Zoho Flow, providing an overview of the status and performance of the flows you’ve created. From here, you can:

• Track the number of running flows and their status (successful, failed, or pending).
• Check the number of actions used in the month against your plan’s limit.
• Analyze the performance of individual flows to identify those that run frequently and impact your work the most.

6. Execution

Execution refers to a single run of a flow in Zoho Flow, covering all steps from the trigger to the actions.

Whenever a trigger occurs (e.g., a new customer is added to Zoho CRM), the flow executes and counts as one execution, regardless of success or failure.

Execution includes the status of each flow run (successful, failed, or in progress), displayed on the dashboard. If an error occurs in a flow step (e.g., a Slack connection fails), you can review the Execution History for details and troubleshoot.

7. Variables

Variables are temporary values in Zoho Flow used to store data generated during the flow execution. This data can be reused across different steps within the same flow.

For example, consider an automated flow:

1. Trigger: A new lead form is submitted via Zoho Forms.
2. Action 1: Retrieve the "Customer Name" from the form. This data is stored in a variable named customerName.
3. Action 2: Send a welcome email with content: "Hello [customerName], thank you for contacting us." The customerName variable is reused here and can also be used in subsequent actions.

Understanding these terms will make designing and managing workflows in Zoho Flow easier. Hopefully, this guide serves as a helpful reference as you get started and use Zoho Flow professionally.