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Flow Usage

Flows let you design customer engagement scenarios visually by dragging and dropping steps on the canvas — no code required.

Example of a simple Flow:

  1. A customer sends their first message → the system sends a welcome message.
  2. AI answers frequently asked questions.
  3. Wait for the customer to reply → end the conversation or hand off to staff.

Use Flows when you need a clear, step-by-step process instead of turning on generic AI replies.

How Flows differ from AI Agent and AI Assistant​

These three work together but serve different roles:

FlowsAI AgentAI Assistant
What it isAn automation scenario (when it runs + what happens next)An AI worker trained to respond in a defined wayAn Inbox feature that helps staff reply quickly
Best forWelcoming customers, waiting for replies, branching by situationAI that understands products, policies, and external integrationsStaff who need suggestions or automatic replies in Inbox
How they connectA Flow can call an AI Agent you already createdSelected in the Flow AI Agent stepComplements Flows; staff can still intervene manually when needed

Simple example: You create an AI Agent named Product Advisor. The Flow Zalo Welcome will: receive a new message → send a welcome → call that Agent to reply → wait for the customer to message again.

Before you start​

You should have:

  • Permission to open Flows in the left menu (if you do not see it, ask your administrator).
  • At least one chat channel connected (Zalo, Messenger, WhatsApp, and more) — see Channel Integration.
  • (Recommended) An AI Agent and Knowledge if the Flow will use AI or query documents.

Plan about 15–30 minutes for your first Flow.

Open the Flows screen​

  1. In the left menu, select Flows.
  2. Inside, there are two sections:
    • Flows — the list of scenarios you are designing.
    • Runs — versions deployed live to real customers.

Flows menu

Quick reference:

  • Flows = the draft on paper.
  • Runs = the draft posted on the wall and running with real customers.

Step 1 — Create a new Flow​

  1. On the Flows page, click Create a Flow...
  2. Fill in:
    • Title (required) — for example: Welcome and FAQ
    • Subtitle (optional) — a short description so teammates understand what this Flow does
  3. Choose Flow Mode:
    • Conversational — use when the Flow involves messages, chat, or Inbox. Most teams should choose this.
    • Worker — for background tasks with less direct chat interaction (more advanced).
  4. Click Create Flow.

You enter the Flow editor with the first version labeled v1 Draft.

Create Flow dialog

Step 2 — Design the scenario​

Two views on the toolbar​

ViewWhen to use it
FlowEdit steps in order — the most straightforward view
GraphSee the overall diagram — useful when the Flow has many branches

Set “When does this Flow run?”​

At the top of the Flow, under When this happens:

  1. Choose an event — most common: Message Received (a new message arrives).
    • Other groups: Conversation, Ticket, Contact — use these for internal workflows.
  2. (Optional) Choose a channel — run only on Zalo, Messenger, and so on.
  3. (Optional) Add conditions — for example, run only when the sender is a customer.

Flow trigger configuration

Add steps (drag from the palette)​

Action steps — used most often

Step on screenWhat it does
Send Text MessageSend a text message to the customer
AI AgentHave a pre-built AI Agent reply or process the request
Query KnowledgeSearch a document store (FAQ, policies, and more)
Wait for ReplyPause and wait for the customer (or staff) to reply

Control steps — for more complex Flows

Step on screenWhat it does
IfIf… then do A, otherwise do B
LoopRepeat a group of steps
WaitPause for a duration (for example 10 seconds)
EndEnd the Flow
CommentNotes for teammates — not sent to customers

Advanced steps such as HTTP Request and Sub Workflow are for teams that need external system integration. You can skip them at first.

Flow editor

Validate before saving​

If information is missing (no Agent selected, empty message text, incomplete If conditions, and so on), the screen shows errors on the relevant step. Open that step and complete the required fields before testing or publishing.

Step 3 — Save and publish​

Flows use versioning like software releases:

StatusMeaning
DraftStill being edited; not used with real customers yet
PublishedLocked snapshot ready to deploy

How to publish:

  1. Finish the draft (changes are usually saved automatically).
  2. Open the menu → select Publish...
  3. (Optional) Add a Version Message — for example: v1 — welcome + FAQ
  4. Click Publish.

To iterate: create a new draft from a published version, edit it, then Publish as v2, v3, and so on.

Publish Flow

Step 4 — Test the Flow before going live​

Always test first — avoid sending incorrect messages to customers.

  1. On the toolbar, switch to Test mode.

  2. The system validates the Flow; if it passes, the test panel opens on the right.

  3. In the panel:

    • Chat — send test messages (for message-based triggers).
    • Ticket — test ticket-related events.
    • Step list — see which steps ran and whether they succeeded or failed.

  4. If the result is not right, go back, edit the draft, and test again.

Flow test panel

Tip: If the Flow stops at Wait for Reply and you want to start over, click Stop test, then send a new test message.

Step 5 — Deploy a live Run​

A Run is a published Flow version running with real customers.

  1. Go to Flows → Runs, or from the editor choose Deploy a Run...
  2. Select the Flow and published version.
  3. Review the summary.
  4. Enter a Run title (for example: Zalo Welcome — June).
  5. Click Deploy.

After deployment, key actions:

ButtonWhen to use it
StartBegin — the Flow responds when matching events occur
Pause IntakeStop accepting new triggers; in-flight runs may finish
Upgrade / DowngradeMove to a newer (or older) published version
DeleteRemove the Run — the Flow no longer runs for customers

Deploy Run Deploy Run 1 Deploy Run 2

Step 6 — Monitor after deployment​

Open a Run under Runs to see:

  • Status — Running, Stopped, Starting, and so on
  • History — each time the Flow was triggered
  • Success rate, processing time, failure count
  • Force Stop — stop all in-progress Flow executions (including those waiting for a reply)

Click a specific execution to inspect each step in detail.

Run detail

Example Flows to follow​

1. Welcome + FAQ​

  1. Trigger: Message Received (all channels or Zalo only).
  2. Send Text Message: Hello! How can I help you today?
  3. AI Agent: select your FAQ Agent (latest published version).
  4. Wait for Reply (if you need continued conversation).
  5. End — finish.

2. Complaint → collect information​

  1. Trigger: Message Received + condition that the message contains “complaint” or “refund”.
  2. AI Agent: ask for order details and reason.
  3. Send Text Message: confirm the request was recorded and staff will follow up.
  4. (Optional) The Agent can create a Ticket if configured.

3. Document lookup only​

  1. Trigger: Message Received.
  2. Query Knowledge: select your product FAQ knowledge base.
  3. AI Agent or Send Text Message: reply based on the query result.

End-to-end example​

Suppose an electronics shop uses Zalo OA:

  1. An admin connects Zalo OA.
  2. Creates Knowledge from a product FAQ file.
  3. Creates an AI Agent named Product Advisor with that Knowledge.
  4. Creates Flow Zalo Welcome — triggered when a message arrives on Zalo.
  5. Test in the editor → Publish v1 → Deploy Run → Start.
  6. A customer messages on Zalo → receives welcome + AI reply → staff see it in Inbox.

Troubleshooting​

Flow does not run for real customers​

  • Did you click Start on the Run? Status must be Running, not Stopped.
  • Did you Publish and Deploy? Editing the draft alone does not change what customers see.
  • Does the trigger channel match? (for example, the Flow is Zalo-only but the customer messaged on Messenger).
  • Try again using Test mode in the editor.

Test works but real customers do not see it​

  • After publishing a new version, Upgrade the Run to that version (or deploy a new Run).
  • Confirm the Run is still Started.

Cannot publish or test​

  • Open each step with a warning and complete required fields: select Agent, write message content, choose Knowledge, set wait duration, and so on.

Flow is stuck waiting for a reply​

  • In Test: send a reply in the test chat, or Stop test and try again.
  • For real customers: the customer must send another message; verify the chat channel is still connected.

Cannot delete a Flow​

  • Stop or delete all Runs attached to that Flow first.

Best practices​

  • Start small: one welcome message + one AI Agent is enough for the first version.
  • Always test before deploying.
  • Use clear Flow names and version notes — your teammates will thank you later.
  • For customer chat → choose Conversational.
  • Update Flows by publishing new versions, then Upgrade the Run — do not only edit the draft and forget to deploy.

Screenshot checklist (for content team)​

File nameWhat to capture
open-flows.pngFlows menu + Flows / Runs sections
dialog-create-flows.pngCreate New Flow dialog
flows-trigger.pngMessage Received trigger + channel
flows-editor.pngEditor with several steps
flows-publish.pngPublish dialog
flows-test-panel.pngTest mode with chat and step list
flows-deploy-run.pngDeploy a Run dialog
flows-deploy-run-1.pngDeploy Run — additional step
flows-deploy-run-2.pngDeploy Run — confirmation
flows-run-detail.pngRun detail page while running