Automation flows

Flows vs the AI

They solve different problems and the distinction is worth being clear about.

The AI responds to what a customer says. It is conversational, reasons about intent, and handles cases you did not anticipate.

A flow responds to what a customer does. It is deterministic — same trigger, same conditions, same outcome, every time.

Use a flow when you need certainty and repeatability: cart recovery, post-purchase sequences, follow-ups on a schedule. Use the AI when you need to answer a question.

Anatomy of a flow

Every flow is three things:

1. A trigger — the event that starts it
2. Conditions — optional filters deciding whether it continues
3. Actions — what happens, in order, with optional waits between

A worked example

Abandoned cart recovery:

Trigger:    Cart abandoned
Condition:  Cart value over 50
Wait:       1 hour
Action:     Send email — "Still thinking it over?"
Wait:       23 hours
Condition:  Order still not placed
Action:     Send email — include a support offer

The second condition matters. Without a re-check before the second message, you email a discount to someone who already bought — which is worse than sending nothing.

Plan limits

Active flows are capped by plan: 1 on Free, 3 on Starter, 10 on Growth, 50 on Pro. Deactivating a flow frees the slot without deleting it.

See Plans and limits.

Testing before activating

Trigger the flow yourself with your own contact record and watch each step fire. Automations that email customers are the least forgiving thing in the product to get wrong — a bad flow can email thousands of people before anyone notices.

Marketing rules apply

Flow emails are marketing in most jurisdictions, even when they reference something the customer did. They need consent and an unsubscribe link. Both are handled automatically, but the consent part is yours.

See Unsubscribes and compliance.