Flow View shows the Inbox Workflows you have turned on for a support channel, in the order they run. You can also test a customer message to see which workflows would run and what they would do. Nothing is sent to anyone.
Here's how to open Flow View
- Go to [Settings] > [Inbox Setup] > [Inbox Workflows].
- Click the [Flow View] tab (it has a [New] tag).
- At the top, select a support channel. Flow View shows one channel at a time.
- Use the switch on the right to choose [Flowchart] or [List]. Flow View opens on the view you picked last time.
Flow View is read-only. You cannot change a workflow here. To edit a workflow, use the edit link on its card. It opens the workflow in a new tab.
Flow View shows only workflows that are turned on and apply to the selected channel. Workflows that are off, and workflows for other channels, are not shown.
How to read the flowchart
The flowchart has two starting points. [New chat] is the customer's first message, or their first reply to a broadcast when they had no open chat yet. [Message in an existing chat] is any later message, including a message in a closed chat that reopens.
Under each starting point, workflows are checked from top to bottom, with the highest priority first. Each workflow card has a number, a name, and its IF and THEN. A card marked "stops here" ends the checking. A card marked "keeps checking" lets the workflows below it run as well.
To find a workflow, type in the [Find a workflow] box. Use the up and down arrows to move between matches. On the flowchart, use the zoom buttons or [Fit] to see the whole chart.
Find problems in your workflows
The flowchart has an issues panel at the top right. Click an item to jump to that workflow. The panel has two groups.
[Issues] are problems to fix: a button that no workflow answers, a workflow that assigns chats to a deleted agent, a workflow that assigns chats to a team that no longer exists, and a workflow that never runs because an earlier workflow catches every message and stops.
[Worth a look] are things that may be a mistake: two workflows that do the same actions, a workflow with a test-like name, a workflow that answers a button that no menu on the channel sends, and a workflow whose keywords are mostly caught first by another workflow.
How to test a message
- Select a channel that has at least one workflow turned on.
- Click [Test a message]. A test panel opens. It says "Nothing is sent".
- Under [Chat type], select [New chat] or [Message in an existing chat].
- Type the customer's message and click [Send]. On an email channel, enter a [Subject] and a [Message].
- Read the result. The panel lists each workflow that ran for the message and what it did, for example "Sent", "Assigns to", "Tagged" or "Closes the ticket". It also shows whether the workflow "Stops here" or "Keeps checking", and the ticket status and assignee after the message.
- To keep going, type a reply under [Customer replies] and click [Send]. If a workflow sent buttons, you can click a button under the result, like a customer would.
- Click [Start over] to begin a new test. Close the panel with the X when you are done.
Some conditions cannot be known in a test. When your workflows depend on them, the panel shows [Things the test can't know] with a [Yes] or [No] choice for each one, for example [It's during business hours] or [The order has a tracking link]. Change an answer to see how the result changes.
Frequently asked questions
Does Flow View or the test change my workflows or message my customers?
No. Flow View is read-only, and the test sends nothing to anyone.
Why do I not see the [Test a message] button?
The button shows only when the selected channel has at least one workflow that is turned on. Turn on a workflow in the [Settings] tab, then come back to Flow View.
Why is one of my workflows missing from Flow View?
Flow View shows only workflows that are turned on and apply to the selected channel. Check that the workflow is on and that this channel is selected in its "When" setting.
Does the test check which agents are online?
No. The test does not simulate online status. For a workflow that assigns a ticket, it shows who the ticket would go to, but it does not check who is online.
Where did Automation Rules go?
The page is now called Inbox Workflows. You find it at [Settings] > [Inbox Setup] > [Inbox Workflows].
