Publishing & Editing

This guide covers the complete lifecycle of flows, from initial creation through publishing, version management, and ongoing maintenance.

Flow States

Flows exist in three distinct states throughout their lifecycle. Understanding these states is crucial for proper flow management.

Draft State

Characteristics:

Flow is being configured and is not active
No users are processed through the flow
All exports remain in draft state
Indicated by gray status bar in the interface

Capabilities:

Add, remove, and modify any steps freely
Configure and reconfigure exports
Test configurations without impact
Save progress without publishing

Limitations:

No user processing, metrics generation, or export data transmission occurs

Running State

Characteristics:

Flow is live and actively processing users
Users enter based on trigger conditions
All exports are active and sending data
Indicated by green status bar with "Running" label
Metrics are collected and updated daily

Capabilities:

View real-time metrics and user progression
Monitor step-by-step performance
Access detailed user flow state on profiles

Limitations:

Cannot modify the running flow directly
Must create new version to make changes

Draining State

Characteristics:

Flow has stopped accepting new users but existing users continue through remaining steps
Trigger no longer processes new entries
Indicated by orange status bar with "Draining" label

Capabilities:

Monitor existing users completing the flow
View metrics for users still in progress

Occurs When:

A new version is published (previous versions drains)

Publishing Process

Publishing transforms a draft flow into a running flow. This process involves validation and export activation.

Step 1: Flow Validation

Before publishing, we'll help you validate your entire flow:

Validation Requirements:

All steps have required configurations
Export steps are properly configured
Wait steps have time or condition values
Conditional splits have defined conditions

Results:

✅ Valid: Flow is ready to publish
❌ Invalid: Specific errors must be resolved (see common errors below)

Common Validation Errors:

Wait and Personalize: Please provide a valid delay value or condition
Export: Please configure export settings
Conditional Split: Please define split conditions

Step 2: Export Activation

Exports within flows start in draft state and must be activated before publishing:

Process:

Click Publish in the action menu
Review exports that need activation
Click Activate for each export
System verifies connectivity and authentication
Exports transition from draft to active state

Activation validates configuration, establishes connections, and enables real-time data transmission.

Step 3: Final Publishing

Once validation passes and exports are activated:

Click Publish button
System performs final checks
Flow transitions to running state
Status bar turns green
Celebratory confetti appears!
Flow begins processing users immediately

Version Management

Flows use a versioning system that allows safe iteration while protecting running workflows.

Understanding Versions

Version Numbering:

Starts at Version 0 for first published flow
Increments by 1 for each new version

Version States:

Draft: Being edited, not published (only one draft version per flow)
Running: Currently active and processing users (only one running version per flow)
Draining: Previous version finishing existing users