Automation — Salesforce Platform Administrator practice questions

Which kind of flow runs in the background without user interaction when a record changes?

1. A screen flow, which presents a guided series of screens to a user in session
2. A flow launched only by a user clicking a button placed on the record page
3. A flow embedded in a Lightning page purely to render read-only information
4. A record-triggered flow, or an autolaunched flow invoked by another process
5. A trigger written in code, which is a developer artefact rather than a flow

Answer: D — A record-triggered flow, or an autolaunched flow invoked by another process

D) Record-triggered flows run on create, update or delete, before or after save, with no interface; autolaunched flows run headless when something else invokes them. A) Screen flows require a user. B) A button-launched flow still needs a person to act, which is why it tempts. C) Flows are not read-only display components. E) A trigger is code, not a flow. Scheduled flows cover time-based runs.

Which tool should an admin use to build a new declarative automation in Salesforce today?

1. Workflow Rules, which are past end of support and cannot be newly created
2. Process Builder, which is past end of support and cannot be newly created
3. Flow Builder, the go-forward declarative automation tool for all new work
4. Triggers written in code, which sit outside the administrator's remit entirely
5. Macros, which replay a fixed set of console clicks for an agent on demand

Answer: C — Flow Builder, the go-forward declarative automation tool for all new work

C) Flow Builder is the single go-forward declarative automation tool, spanning record-triggered, scheduled, screen and autolaunched flows. A) and B) reached end of support on 31 December 2025: no new ones can be created and no fixes are issued, though existing active rules and processes keep running until they are moved with the Migrate to Flow tool. D) Code is developer work. E) Macros automate console keystrokes, not record logic.

Before activating a record-triggered flow, an admin wants to step through it against a real record and inspect variable values without permanently changing data. The BEST option is:

1. Activate it in production and monitor the paused interviews list afterwards
2. Use the debug option in Flow Builder with the setting that rolls back changes
3. Export the flow metadata and read the XML to trace the element order
4. Add temporary screen elements to display variables during the run

Answer: B — Use the debug option in Flow Builder with the setting that rolls back changes

B) Correct — Flow Builder's debug tool runs the flow against a chosen record, shows the path taken and the variable values, and can roll back the resulting changes. A) tests on live data, which is precisely what the admin wants to avoid. C) shows the definition but not runtime values or the path actually taken. D) is impossible for a record-triggered flow, which has no user interface, and would pollute the design.

Which statement is TRUE about debugging flows?

1. Flows cannot be debugged, so admins must add screen elements temporarily to display variable values
2. Flow Builder's debug tool runs an interview with sample data, showing variable values and the path taken
3. Only code can be debugged, so declarative automation gives no visibility into the values it worked from
4. Debug logs exclude flow activity, so the only record of a run is the email sent on an unhandled fault error

Answer: B — Flow Builder's debug tool runs an interview with sample data, showing variable values and the path taken

B) Correct. Debug in Flow Builder runs the interview with inputs you supply and reports each element visited along with variable values, and rollback mode is available for record-triggered flows. A) The debug tool is built in. C) Flows are debuggable. D) Debug logs do capture flow and workflow events.

Which tool is Salesforce's go-forward declarative automation tool for new work?

1. Code-based triggers, which sit outside the declarative toolset and belong to the developer skill set
2. Validation rules, which stop a save when data is invalid but perform no actions after the record saves
3. Flow Builder, covering record-triggered, screen, scheduled, and autolaunched flows in one design tool
4. Approval processes, which route a submitted record for sign-off rather than replace general automation

Answer: C — Flow Builder, covering record-triggered, screen, scheduled, and autolaunched flows in one design tool

C) Correct. Flow Builder is the single declarative automation tool going forward. Workflow rules and Process Builder reached end of support on 31 December 2025, meaning no new ones and no fixes, and the Migrate to Flow tool is the official conversion path. A) Triggers are code and off-credential. B) Validation rules only block saves. D) Approvals handle sign-off routing.

When an Opportunity reaches Closed Won, a related onboarding Task must be created and the parent Account updated. The correct flow configuration is:

1. A before-save record-triggered flow, since it fires earliest in the save
2. A screen flow embedded on the Opportunity record page for the owner
3. A scheduled-triggered flow that checks Opportunity stages every hour
4. An after-save record-triggered flow, since related records are involved

Answer: D — An after-save record-triggered flow, since related records are involved

D) Correct — creating or updating other records requires the after-save context, where the triggering record has an Id and related-record operations are supported. A) is tempting because before-save is faster, but that context is limited to setting fields on the triggering record. B) requires user interaction, so the automation would not fire reliably on every stage change. C) delays the outcome and does unnecessary work scanning unchanged records.

A flow must read several child records, evaluate each one, and update only those meeting a condition. The MOST efficient design is:

1. Place an update element inside the loop so each record is saved as it is evaluated
2. Use a separate get and update element for each child record found
3. Loop, assign qualifying records to a collection, then update once after the loop
4. Use a schedule-triggered flow so each child record is handled in its own run

Answer: C — Loop, assign qualifying records to a collection, then update once after the loop

C) Correct — gathering qualifying records into a collection and performing a single update after the loop is the standard efficient pattern. A) is the classic anti-pattern, performing a separate save on every iteration. B) multiplies operations further and does not scale as the number of children grows. D) changes the timing and still does not address how records are updated within the flow.

What is the current status of workflow rules and Process Builder in a Salesforce org?

1. They remain a recommended option for building new automation alongside Flow Builder in current releases
2. They reached end of support, so no new ones should be built, while existing active ones keep running
3. They were replaced by code triggers, so remaining declarative automation must be rewritten by a developer
4. They outperform flows, so admins should keep building new record automation on them wherever possible

Answer: B — They reached end of support, so no new ones should be built, while existing active ones keep running

B) Correct. Workflow rules and Process Builder reached end of support on 31 December 2025: no new ones and no bug fixes. Existing active rules and processes continue to execute, and the Migrate to Flow tool converts them. A) New work belongs in Flow Builder. C) Migration is declarative, not a developer rewrite. D) Before-save flows are the faster option.

Which Flow type runs in response to a record insert/update without user interaction?

1. Screen Flow
2. Record-Triggered Flow
3. Scheduled Flow
4. Platform Event-Triggered Flow

Answer: B — Record-Triggered Flow

B) Correct. Record-Triggered Flow runs on DML; can be Before Save (fast field updates) or After Save (related records, async). A) Requires UI. C) Time-based. D) Triggered by platform events.

An admin wants a custom button that launches a screen flow from a record. What is the best approach?

1. A JavaScript button, which Lightning Experience will not execute at all
2. A web service callout that starts the flow from an external system
3. A crafted URL that passes record parameters into the flow's start element
4. A flow action or quick action on the layout that launches the screen flow

Answer: D — A flow action or quick action on the layout that launches the screen flow

D) Right. A flow-type quick action, or the flow added as an action on the record page, is the supported declarative way to launch a screen flow in context and pass the record ID. A) JavaScript buttons do not run in Lightning Experience. C) URL manipulation is unsupported and brittle. B) An external callout is unnecessary for an in-app flow.

Compare assignment rules and escalation rules.

Assignment rules route a newly created lead or case to a user or queue based on criteria, using the first matching rule entry; only one assignment rule per object can be active. Escalation rules act on cases that remain open past an age threshold, reassigning them and/or sending notification, and can be limited to business hours.

When use record-triggered flow?

Run automation when record created/updated/deleted. Replaces workflow rules + process builder.

What does the 'only when a record is updated to meet the condition requirements' entry option do?

It makes the flow run only on the transition into the criteria — the record must not have met the conditions before the update but must meet them after. Without it, the flow runs on every save where the conditions are currently true, which is the usual cause of repeated firing.

What is the exact current status of Workflow Rules and Process Builder?

Workflow Rules and Process Builder reached end of support on 31 December 2025. Existing rules and processes still run — they were not switched off — but no new ones can be created and there are no bug fixes. Flow Builder is the go-forward declarative automation tool and Migrate to Flow is the official migration path.