End of an Era: Why It’s Time to Migrate from Workflow Rules and Process Builder to Salesforce Flow

Salesforce has announced a major change to its automation tools: Workflow Rules and Process Builder will be officially retired by December 31, 2025. If your Salesforce instance still relies on these legacy automation tools, it’s time to start planning your migration to Salesforce Flow. Flow is the unified, future-proof solution that will replace Workflow Rules and Process Builder, offering enhanced automation capabilities, better performance, and scalability. In this blog, we’ll discuss why Salesforce is shifting its focus to Flow, what this change means for your business, and how to smoothly transition from the older tools to Salesforce Flow—ensuring your processes stay optimized and future-ready.

The Retirement Timeline: What’s Changing and When?

Key Dates You Need to Know

As of Spring ’25 (Early 2025): You will no longer be able to create new Workflow Rules or Process Builders.
December 31, 2025: The official end of support for Workflow Rules and Process Builder. After this date, they will continue to function but will no longer receive customer support or bug fixes.

What “End of Support” Really Means

While existing Workflow Rules and Process Builders may still run after the support deadline, Salesforce will not provide bug fixes, support, or updates. As the platform evolves, these tools may become increasingly unreliable, leaving you with no recourse if issues arise and no ability to update or enhance the existing automation logic.

Why Salesforce Is Retiring Workflow Rules and Process Builder

The Limitations of Workflow Rules

Workflow Rules were one of the first automation tools in Salesforce, but their capabilities have always been limited. They follow a simple “if-this-then-that” logic, making them ideal for straightforward automation but impractical for complex business processes. For example, Workflow Rules lack:

Error handling—when a Workflow Rule fails, it does so quietly. It can log an error in a debug log if one is active, but an admin would need to go looking for it, and it’s in an area users don’t have access to.
Debugging capabilities—problems with workflow rules are difficult to troubleshoot.
Support for decision branches—that means you can’t have different actions happen based on additional field criteria for highly contextual situations.
Loops—no ability to act on multiple related records in the same run.
The ability to integrate with external systems—Flows can make API calls to update the other tools you use daily.
Advanced performance for high-volume operations—Flows can be set up to run “before save”, allowing them to make lightning-fast updates to the record that launched the automation.

Process Builder Improvements—and Its Own Constraints

Process Builder brought many improvements over Workflow Rules, including the ability to handle more complex logic, such as multiple actions within a single process. However, it still has several key limitations:

Performance issues for high-volume operations—Processes take twice as long as an “after-save” Flow (the slowest kind of Flow).
Difficulty in debugging and managing complex Flows—Processes have no built-in debug tool. You have to use a combination of the debug log, Apex exceptions, error emails, and paused Flow interviews.
Limited flexibility when working with external systems or large datasets—No REST calls, Microsoft Graph API calls, Slack/Teams/Webhook integrations, or external API posts.

Enter Salesforce Flow: The Future of Automation

Since Flows were introduced a few years ago, Salesforce has worked tirelessly to improve them. They now offer everything Workflow Rules and Process Builder do—and more. With Salesforce’s increasing focus on Flow, the decision to retire these legacy tools and consolidate automation into Flow was inevitable. Flow provides a unified, future-proof platform for all automation needs, complete with robust debugging tools and built-in support for test runss.

Built for Scale, Speed, and Sophistication

Unlike its predecessors, Salesforce Flow is designed to handle everything from simple to highly complex automation with ease. Key features include:

Screen-based interactions: Build guided user processes with user-friendly interfaces.
Scheduled triggers: Automate tasks on a scheduled basis without manual intervention.
Granular error handling: Better manage errors and ensure reliable automation.
Built-in debugging tool & test-runs: Fixing an issue with a Flow is a whole lot easier with tools built into the UI that help an admin pinpoint the exact point of failure.

Highlights from Recent and Upcoming Flow Releases

Salesforce is continuously improving Flow with each new release, making it more powerful and user-friendly. Key updates include:

Enhanced UI: A modernized Flow builder for easier navigation and faster development.
More control over Flow layout: Tailor guided user experiences with a variety of screen components, including custom fields, help text, and the recently added table component.
AI integration: Einstein for Flow will help you create Flows using natural language prompts, accelerating the development process.

What This Means for Your Organization

Risks of Staying on Legacy Automation

Relying on Workflow Rules and Process Builder after the retirement date introduces several risks:

Reduced reliability: Without updates and bug fixes, legacy automation tools may fail as Salesforce evolves.
Missed opportunities: Staying on old tools means missing out on the advanced capabilities of Flow.
Increased maintenance overhead: Legacy tools require more time to manage, troubleshoot, & maintain; and after retirement there will be no ability to update the field criteria or actions within them.

Strategic Advantages of Migrating to Flow

Migrating to Salesforce Flow offers several benefits:

More powerful automation: Handle more complex use cases with fewer tools.
Better user experiences: Build guided, interactive Flows that improve business processes, and scheduled automations that ensure critical actions are performed on a pre-defined schedule.
Better error handling: You can present error messages right on the screen that do things like remind a user to fill in a certain field, or contact a specific person when certain criteria are met (or not met).
Future-proofing: By adopting Flow, you ensure your organization is ready for future advancements in Salesforce automation.

Tools and Tactics for Migration Success

Salesforce provides the “Migrate to Flow” tool, which helps you move your existing Workflow Rules and Process Builders to Flow. While it works well for basic automations, more complex workflows may require manual rebuilds and optimization. If your team doesn’t have the right experience with these types of migrations, reaching out to a Salesforce consultant like Solvit can provide a real advantage. Experienced professionals can help you navigate the complexities, ensuring your workflows are optimized and your migration goes smoothly. This is also an opportunity to implement new, smarter automations that reduce busy work and eliminate many of the pain points you and other users experience in your Salesforce org.

A Closer Look: How Flow Solves Legacy Pain Points

Predictable Execution Order and Error Handling

Unlike Workflow Rules and Process Builder, which often suffer from unpredictable execution order and limited error handling, Salesforce Flow offers:

Granular control over the execution order: Know exactly when your automation will run by using complex field criteria, or even formulae to launch a Flow. You can even trigger a Flow from a parent record to create or update child records—for example closing all open Opportunities when an Account is updated, or creating and assigning several tasks when an Opportunity reaches a certain stage.
Advanced error handling: Get clear, actionable error messages and even pause and resume Flows when issues arise. You can present an error to the user, send an error report by email to a designated user or admin, or create a custom error record. When an admin investigates the issue, they have access to a debug tool that clearly indicates the point of failure.

Scalability and Maintenance Improvements

With Salesforce Flow, you no longer need to worry about hitting governor limits or dealing with inefficient workflows. Flow supports:

Bulk operations: Handle large datasets efficiently.
Easier management: Maintain a streamlined, well-organized automation landscape.
Interactive screens: Direct users towards best practices based on context.

What to Do Now: Action Steps Before the 2025 Deadline

Assess Your Existing Automations

Start by auditing your current use of Workflow Rules and Process Builder. Identify which automations are mission-critical and need to be moved first. Prioritize high-impact Flows that would benefit most from the added power and flexibility of Salesforce Flow.

Use Salesforce’s “Migrate to Flow” Tool

Salesforce’s “Migrate to Flow” tool is a great starting point for converting simple Workflow Rules to Flow. Use it to streamline the process of transitioning to Flow.

Consider Common Migration Pitfalls

As mentioned, Flows provide much more complex entry criteria so some automations with past lives as Workflow Rules or Processes can be consolidated into a single Flow. Here are some examples of things that can go wrong if you use the “Migrate to Flow” tool without thoughtful consideration:

Flows repeatedly firing because of field updates: Field criteria can be much more specific in a Flow.
Orgs with 200+ PBs all firing on the same object: What used to be a dozen Workflow Rules on the same Object, could ultimately become a single Flow.
Recursion / infinite loop risks: It’s possible for an automation to repeatedly trigger itself, creating an infinite loop. Because Flow does not include built-in recursion protection, admins need to design around it.
Cross-object automation that no longer makes sense:Over time, your processes may shift, leaving some automations running on the wrong object or at the wrong level of the hierarchy. This can create extra processing overhead and unexpected behavior, making it worth reevaluating where that logic truly belongs.
Unused automations identified during audits: Transitioning to Flows gives you an opportunity to review long forgotten automations that were initially put in place to solve a problem that no longer exists

Plan for Complex Use Cases

For more complex automation, you may need to manually rebuild and optimize your processes within Salesforce Flow. Take advantage of Flow’s advanced features, such as subflows, decision branches, and HTTP callouts, to ensure your business processes are as efficient as possible.

Final Thoughts: Future-Proofing Your Automation Strategy

The retirement of Workflow Rules and Process Builder marks the beginning of a new era for automation in Salesforce. Moving to Salesforce Flow now will not only future-proof your automation but also unlock the full potential of Salesforce’s most powerful tool for automating business processes. By embracing Salesforce Flow now, you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of its powerful features, enhanced performance, and AI-driven capabilities. Don’t let your organization be caught unprepared—migrate to Flow today to ensure a seamless transition into the future of Salesforce automation.

Ready to Make the Move? Connect with a Salesforce Expert Today

If you’re looking to ensure a smooth and efficient migration from Workflow Rules and Process Builder to Salesforce Flow, it’s a good idea to consult with a Salesforce migration expert. Solvit’s team of Salesforce specialists can help you navigate the complexities of this transition, optimizing your automation workflows and ensuring a smooth migration to Salesforce Flow. Reach out to us today for professional support with your Salesforce Flow migration and automation optimization needs.

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