What is an RPA flow?

Create an RPA flow 

1. Go to your My flows screen.
   
2. Click + Create, then click Create RPA flow.
   
3. Enter the following information:
   Flow name: A descriptive name for your automation process.
   Choose folder: Where you want to save your flow. You can choose Home, or create a new folder.
   Description: A brief description of your automation process. This will help other users understand what it does.
4. Choose an RPA Agent that you have already created, or you can create one.
   

Choose your flow trigger

A trigger is an event that starts your workflow. We offer three types of triggers:

Schedule: Run your flow at a specific time interval. For example, you can schedule a weekly data backup. The bot will perform the steps needed to take the backup and keep you informed of its progress. If there are any issues, the bot can even alert you so you can take appropriate action. Learn more about schedule triggers.

Note:  You can also schedule to run the flow on multiple agents.

Webhook: Webhook triggers for flows are like calls that a third-party service makes to Zoho RPA. When a flow is configured with a webhook, it is given a unique URL that you must call from the third-party service. We will listen for any calls to that URL and trigger the workflow whenever a call is made. For example, you can run a workflow to trigger a flow that enters order details to an order management system, and updates then inventory system when an order is placed on Shopify. Learn more about webhook triggers. 

Desktop event: We can trigger flows based on desktop events, such as pressing a hotkey, starting or stopping a Windows process, or creating or editing a file or folder. Learn more more about desktop event triggers. 

 Actions

Actions are the building blocks of your flows. They are the individual steps that your bot can take to automate a process. We have separated actions into the following categories:

Apps: Cloud applications that you can connect your workflows to automate.

RPA: You can automate the following RPA actions

1. Windows apps: Automate Windows applications, even legacy apps without API support. Learn more about how to automate Windows Apps.
2. Web automation: Automate steps or actions on a web browser. Learn more on Web Automation.
   
3. MS Excel automation: Automate tasks in Microsoft Excel. Learn more on MS Excel Automation.
   

Logic: Logic allows you to control the flow of your workflow and add your own business logic. Learn more

1. Flow Control: Control your flow with variables, delays, or decision branches.
   
2. Notifications: Send out email notifications from your flows to notify users of important events.
   
3. Custom functions: Add your own business logic to your workflows using custom functions. This allows you to perform complex calculations, manipulate data, and interact with external systems. Learn more

Add actions to an error branch

When an action in your flow encounters an error and fails, you can configure a specific branch of actions to be executed. This provides greater control over your flow's behaviour in the event of failures.

In the Flow Builder, drag and drop the desired action onto the "On Error" branch of the required action. You can continue adding actions to the error branch as needed, similar to how you would add actions to a regular flow branch.

Use cases for error Branches:

Instant notifications: Alert your team immediately when a critical action fails.

Record creation: Create a new record to document the error and its context.

Retry with different data: Configure the failed action to retry with alternative data.

Builder Tools

Frequently asked questions

1. What is an RPA flow?
   RPA flows are like processes or workflows that you can create to automate tasks. An RPA flow is made of a trigger and one or more actions. The trigger initiates the flow, and the actions are the tasks that are executed by the flow. For example, you could create a flow that runs everyday to collect data from your inventory application, create an Excel spreadsheet, and email the spreadsheet to yourself.
   
   
2. How do I create an RPA flow?
   To create an RPA flow. Go to your My flows screen. Click + Create, then click Create RPA flow. Learn more in this doc
   
   
3. What Operating systems are supported for RPA Automation?

   RPA Automation is currently only supported on Windows machines.
   
   
4. Which Web browsers are supported for RPA Automation?

   Recording extension is available for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Ulaa, allowing you to record the actions to be performed. However, the automation or flow execution can run on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge, and Ulaa.
   
   
5. How do I change the RPA Agent on my Flow?
   
   Please follow these steps:
   
1. Navigate to the flow that you want to change the RPA Agent for.
   
2. Go to the Builder screen.
   
3. In the Agent dropdown at the top-right corner, choose the required agent.
   
4. Click Apply Changes. It is important to ensure that the new agent meets all the requirements necessary for the flow to run successfully.
   
   
6. How do I troubleshoot errors in my RPA flow?

   If you're encountering errors in your RPA flow, follow these steps:
   
1. Ensure all the configurations are correct and free of errors. 
   
2. Analyze flow execution history to pinpoint the error.
   
3. Verify the validity of each action and step.