---
title: "Understanding Flow Automation Nodes in Zixflow"
description: "In-depth Overview of Flow Automation Nodes"
url: https://help.zixflow.com/en/articles/97-understanding-flow-automation-nodes-in-zixflow
collection: "Workflow Automation"
updated: 2025-08-06
language: en
---

# Understanding Flow Automation Nodes in Zixflow

In-depth Overview of Flow Automation Nodes

Zixflow’s **Flow Automation** helps you build automated journeys by connecting different systems, forms, marketing tools, and CRMs. Below is a complete guide to all available **Triggers** and **Actions** in the automation builder.

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## 🚀 TRIGGERS

These are starting points for automation flows. A trigger is an event that initiates the flow.

### 🔹 **Collection Records**

-   **Record Created**: Starts the flow when a new record is added to a collection.
    
-   **Record Updated**: Triggers when any existing record in a collection is updated.
    
-   **Manual Record Flow**: Starts a flow manually for specific records.
    

### 🔹 **List Entries (Business Stack Only)**

-   **Entry Added**: Flow begins when a new entry is added to a list.
    
-   **Entry Updated**: Triggered when a list entry is modified.
    
-   **Manual Entry Flow**: Allows you to run the flow manually for list entries.
    

### 🔹 **Task (Business Stack Only)**

-   **Task Created**: Triggers the flow when a new task is generated.
    

### 🔹 **Forms (Business Stack Only)**

-   **Form Submitted**: Starts the flow once a user submits a form.
    

### 🔹 **Marketing**

-   **Incoming WhatsApp Conversation Started**: Triggered when a user initiates a WhatsApp conversation.
    
-   **Incoming RCS Conversation Started**: Similar to WhatsApp, starts when an RCS chat begins.
    

### 🔹 **Shortlink**

-   **Tracked Number Event**: Initiates a flow when a tracked shortlink event occurs (e.g., link clicked).
    

### 🔹 **Utilities**

-   **Manual Flow**: Lets users manually trigger an automation flow.
    
-   **Webhook**: Starts the flow when a webhook is received from an external service.
    

### 🔹 **E-commerce**

-   **Shopify**: Flow begins when specific Shopify events (like new order or customer) occur.
    

### 🔹 **Integrations**

-   **Facebook Leads**: Triggered when a new lead form is submitted via Facebook Ads.
    
-   **Webflow**: Starts a flow when new data is submitted from Webflow forms.
    
-   **Typeform**: Triggered by new form submissions from Typeform.
    
-   **Jotform**: Triggers flows from Jotform submissions.
    
-   **Framer**: Flow begins when a Framer form is submitted.
    
-   **Paperform**: Starts when there’s a form submission on Paperform.
    
-   **Zoho Forms**: Initiates flow from a Zoho form submission.
    
-   **Tally Forms**: Triggered by new entries on Tally.
    

* * *

## ⚙ ACTIONS

These are the tasks performed automatically once a flow is triggered.

### 🔹 **Collection Records**

-   **Create or Update Record**: Adds a new record or updates an existing one.
    
-   **Update Record**: Modifies specific attribute fields of a record.
    
-   **Delete Record**: Removes a record from the collection.
    

### 🔹 **List Entries (Business Stack Only)**

-   **Add Record to List**: Inserts a record into a specific list.
    
-   **Update List Entry**: Changes values inside an existing list entry.
    
-   **Delete List Entry**: Removes an item from the list.
    

### 🔹 **Task (Business Stack Only)**

-   **Create Task**: Automatically creates a new task for your team.
    
-   **Complete Task**: Marks an existing task as done.
    

### 🔹 **Marketing**

-   **Send WhatsApp**: Sends a WhatsApp message using a predefined template or a direct Message (Available only if conversation is open).
    
-   **Send RCS**: Sends an RCS message to users (where supported).
    
-   **Send SMS**: Sends an SMS through your linked setup.
    
-   **Send Email**: Dispatches a personalized or templated email.
    

### 🔹 **Calculations**

-   **Adjust Time**: Adds or subtracts time (used in time-based calculations or delays).
    
-   **Formula**: Performs math or logic using dynamic variables.
    
-   **Random Number**: Generates a random number (e.g., for A/B testing or gamification).
    

### 🔹 **Conditions**

-   **If/Else**: Branches the flow based on conditions (e.g., field value, user action).
    
    -   **What it does**:  
        The **If/Else** condition in Zixflow lets you split your automation flow based on a **single condition**—essentially a Yes/No or True/False logic.
        
        **How you can use it in Zixflow**:
        
        -   **Example 1**: If a lead’s status is “Hot”, send a WhatsApp alert to your sales team; else, move the lead to a nurturing sequence.
            
        -   **Example 2**: If the custom field “Demo Booked” is **true**, send a follow-up email. If not, trigger a reminder WhatsApp message.
            
        
        **How it works**:
        
        -   You choose a field (e.g., Lead Score, Country, Deal Stage, Custom Fields).
            
        -   You define a condition (e.g., “Lead Score ≥ 80”).
            
        -   The flow splits into:
            
            -   **Yes branch** – if the condition is met
                
            -   **No branch** – if the condition is not met
                
        
        **When to use**:  
        ✅ Simple logic  
        ✅ Two possible outcomes  
        ✅ Ideal for quick decisions in flows
        
-   **Switch**: Advanced branching based on multiple values or cases.
    
    -   **What it does**:  
        The **Switch** condition allows you to split the flow into **multiple paths** based on a field’s value.
        
        **What you can do in Zixflow**:
        
        -   Create different flows for leads based on dropdown or status field values
            
        -   **Example**:
            
            -   Field: “Selected Plan”
                
                -   If **Starter**, send onboarding email A
                    
                -   If **Pro**, send onboarding email B
                    
                -   If **Enterprise**, notify your customer success team
                    
                -   If none match, use a default fallback action
                    
        
        **Best used when**:
        
        -   You’re working with dropdowns, tags, or status fields
            
        -   You need to branch the flow into multiple defined scenarios
            

### 🔹 **Delays**

-   **Delay**: Waits for a set duration before continuing the flow.
    
-   **Delay Until**: Pauses the flow until a specific date/time or condition is met.
    

### 🔹 **Utilities**

-   **Send HTTP Request**: Makes API calls to external services.
    
-   **Jump to Node**: Allows you to jump to a different point in the flow.
    
-   **AI Wizard**: Uses AI to make decisions or generate content in the flow.
    
-   **Subscribe to Cadence**: Automatically subscribes a contact or lead to a cadence campaign. (Business Stack Only)
    

### 🔹 **Apps**

-   **Validate Email**: Checks if an email address is valid and deliverable.
    
-   **Email Finder**: Finds a business email based on the person’s name and domain.