Flow Control in Zoho Flow — Set Variable, Decision, If Else, Delay, and Subflow

Flow Control

Flow Control elements help you define the execution path of your flow using conditions, variables, delays, and reusable workflows. This category includes:

  • Set Variable

  • Decision

  • If else

  • Delay

  • Subflow

Set Variable  

The Set Variable action lets you create a variable and assign it a value. The value can be a constant, data from a previous step, or the result of a formula.

The variable is available for use in all subsequent steps of the flow.

When to use  

Use Set Variable when you need to:

  • Store a calculated or transformed value for use later in the flow

  • Store a value from a previous step before using it in multiple places

  • Combine or format data before passing it to another action

  • Store webhook trigger variables for use in Decision or If else blocks

Steps to configure Set Variable  

  1. Navigate to Built-ins > Flow Control > Logic.
  2. Drag and drop Set Variable into the builder.
  3. A variable name will be generated automatically. You can edit it if required.



  4. Variable names:

      • Must begin with a letter

      • Can contain letters, numbers, and underscores

      • Cannot contain spaces or special characters

      • Must be unique within the flow

  5. Enter a value for the variable. You can enter a constant, select data from previous steps, or use a formula.
  6. Click Done.

The variable will be available in all subsequent steps of the flow.

InfoVariables become available only after the Set Variable action is executed.

Decision  

The Decision block lets you create multiple execution paths in a flow based on one or more conditions. Each branch can contain its own set of actions, allowing the flow to perform different tasks depending on the data it receives.

When to use  

Use the Decision block when your flow needs to perform different actions based on specific conditions.

For example, you can:
  • Create different records based on incoming data.
  • Route requests to different teams.
  • Send different notifications based on priority or status.

Steps to configure the Decision block  

  1. Navigate to Built-ins > Flow Control > Logic.

  2. Drag and drop Decision into the builder.

  3. Configure the condition for the first branch by selecting:

      • A variable

      • An operator

      • A comparison value

  4. To add additional conditions within the same branch, hover over an existing condition and click +.



  5. To group related conditions, click Add Group.

  6. Use AND to require all conditions to be true, or OR to require at least one condition to be true.

  7. Click Done.

  8. Add the required actions to each branch of the Decision block.

  9. To add another branch, click + below the existing branches.

  10. To configure the default path, add actions below the Decision block. These actions run when none of the configured conditions are met.

Notes

Note: The condition dropdown displays the default variables available from triggers and actions. To use webhook variables or custom fields in a Decision block, first store them using the Set Variable action, and then use the variable in the condition.


If else  

The If else block evaluates one or more conditions and routes the flow through one of two execution paths:
  • True — Runs when the configured conditions evaluate to true.
  • False — Runs when the configured conditions are not met.

When to use  

The If-else logic block functions similarly to the Decision block, but instead of multiple branches, you can configure a True path for the flow to take when the given conditions evaluate to a non-zero value, and a False path, otherwise.



For example, in a sales workflow, you can use an If-else block to check if the deal amount is greater than $10,000. If the condition is true, the workflow can create a new form entry, for instance, to notify or assign the deal to your premium sales team. If the condition is false, it can update an existing form entry to route the deal to your regular sales team.

Steps to configure the If else block  

  1. Navigate to Built-ins > Flow Control > Logic.
  2. Drag and drop If else into the builder.
  3. Configure the condition by selecting:

    • A variable

    • An operator

    • A comparison value

  1. To add additional conditions, hover over an existing condition and click +.

  2. To group related conditions, click Add Group.

  3. Use AND to require all conditions to be true, or OR to require at least one condition to be true.

  4. Click Done.

  5. Add the actions for the True path to the right of the block.

  6. Add the actions for the False path below the block.


Idea
You can combine multiple conditions and condition groups to evaluate more complex business logic.

Delay  

The Delay action pauses the execution of a flow for a specified duration or until a specific date and time.

Actions before the Delay step run immediately, while actions after it execute only after the configured delay.

When to use  

Use Delay when you need to:

  • Wait before performing a follow-up action

  • Schedule an action for a specific date and time

  • Introduce a pause between two workflow steps

Delay types  

You can configure one of the following delay types:

Delay For   - Pauses the flow for a specified duration. You can configure the delay in minutes, hours, days, or weeks.

Delay Until   - Pauses the flow until a specific date and time.

Steps to configure Delay  

  1. Navigate to Built-ins > Flow Control > Logic.

  2. Drag and drop Delay into the builder.

  3. Select one of the following delay types:

    • Delay For

    • Delay Until

  4. Configure the delay:

    • For Delay For, enter the duration and select the appropriate unit.



    • For Delay Until, select the required date and time.


  5. Click Done.

Notes

Note: The delay begins when the flow reaches the Delay step during execution.

Subflow  

A Subflow is a reusable workflow that can be called from multiple flows.

Instead of recreating the same sequence of actions across different flows, you can build it once as a subflow and reuse it wherever required.

Flow Control includes the following Subflow actions:

  • Call a subflow

  • Return data

When to use  

Use Subflows when you have a common set of actions that need to be reused across multiple flows.

For example, you can create a subflow to validate data, generate invoices, or perform a standard approval process, and call it from different flows.

Call a subflow  

The Call a subflow action executes an existing subflow from the current flow.

You can choose to:

  • Wait for the subflow to finish before continuing the parent flow.

  • Continue executing the parent flow without waiting for the subflow to complete.

Steps to configure Call a subflow  

  1. Navigate to Built-ins > Flow Control > Logic.

  2. Drag and drop Call a subflow into the builder.

  3. Select the subflow you want to execute.

  4. Configure the required input values.

  5. Choose whether the parent flow should wait for the subflow to complete.

  6. Click Done.

Return data  

The Return data action is used inside a subflow to return data to the parent flow.

Use this action only when the parent flow is configured to wait for the subflow to complete.

Steps to configure Return data  

  1. Open the required subflow.

  2. Add the Return data action as the final step.

  3. Configure the values to return to the parent flow.

  4. Click Done.

Learn more about subflows