Flows: the work nobody has to do any more
Notify, forward, document, write into other systems — a flow handles the recurring steps reliably and in the same order, every time.
Six ways to start a flow
Every flow begins with the question of when it should run. ApptiveGrid knows six answers — from a new entry through a submitted form to a request from an external system.
- From the database — a new entry or a changed entry
- From a form — newly captured or changed afterwards
- From outside — a webhook another system calls
- From a page — someone opens a page and submits it
Chaining actions together
After the trigger come the steps — as many as the process needs. They write data, send messages, produce documents or collect a decision. Transitions can be tied to conditions, so a flow branches instead of running rigidly through.
- Data — create and update entries, load every entry of a grid
- Communication — email, Slack, MS Teams, Firebase, Hubspot and SMS through Magenta Business
- Generate — QR code, Document Analyzer, PDF and speech to text, URL to PDF, CSV import, calendar entry, DATEV file
- AI and code — a ready-made OpenAI step, and JavaScript for anything no action covers
- Router and parallel — branch on a condition, or work through a list one element at a time
Even systems without a ready-made integration
The “send HTTP request” step reaches any interface. Field values go into the request through expressions, and the response is written back into the entry. In the other direction, the webhook trigger accepts whatever external systems send.
- Outbound — an HTTP request to ERP, inventory, accounting — anything with an API
- Inbound — the webhook trigger for requests from external systems
- Ready-made routes — Zapier and Make for everything already connected there
- Insert values — expressions carry field values into URL, headers and body
- Your own credentials — Slack, MS Teams, Firebase, Hubspot and Magenta Business each need an account with that provider
{ "customer": {{Customer no.}}, "total": {{Net total}} } Field values are inserted through expressions
Every trigger and action
What a flow is built from — sorted by what the step actually does. Actions marked “Pro” are only available on the highest plan.
Triggers
- New entry
- A new entry was added — from the table, a form, a CSV import or another flow.
- Entry changed
- An existing entry was modified.
- Entry via form
- A new entry was added through a form.
- Entry changed via form
- An existing entry was changed through a form.
- Webhook
- Triggered by an external request.
- Page displayed
- Start the flow and load a page.
Working with your data
- Create entry
- Creates an entry in a grid — field values fixed or taken from earlier steps.
- Update entry
- Changes fields of an existing entry, usually the one from the trigger.
- Load all entries
- Pulls the entries of a grid into the flow as a list.
Communicating outwards
- Recipient, subject and text composed freely — with values from earlier steps.
- HTTP request
- The general action for anything without a ready-made integration: you set URL, method, headers and body.
- Slack · MS Teams
- Ready-made actions for sending a message into either service.
- Firebase Cloud Messaging
- Push notifications through Firebase.
- Hubspot
- Creates a contact in the Hubspot CRM.
SMS and verification
- Magenta Business SMS Pro
- Sends SMS through Deutsche Telekom’s business interface.
- Verify Pro
- Sends a confirmation code by SMS.
- Verify Check Pro
- Checks the code that was entered — together with Verify, two-factor confirmation.
Producing files and content
- QR code
- Creates a QR code from the content you hand it.
- Document Analyzer Pro
- Analyses documents with AI and returns the values they contain.
- PDF to text Pro
- Reads the text content of a PDF — incoming invoices, for instance.
- URL to PDF Pro
- Turns a web address into a PDF — with a page as the template, that becomes a receipt.
- Speech to text Pro
- Turns an audio recording into text, such as a voice recording from a form.
- Import CSV file
- Reads a CSV file from an address and provides its rows as a list.
- Calendar entry
- Creates a calendar entry from title, description and times.
- DATEV payroll Pro
- Produces an import file for DATEV Lohn & Gehalt.
Working with AI
- OpenAI Pro
- Sends a prompt to ChatGPT and returns the answer — without an OpenAI contract of your own.
- JavaScript
- Runs your own code when no ready-made action fits. Available on every plan.
- Generate with AI Pro
- Describe the code you want in words instead of typing it.
Interacting with people
- Display page
- Stops the flow and shows someone a page. It continues once the page is submitted.
- Create link to a page
- Produces a link to the current run — to send by email.
- Prefilled form link
- Opens a form with the entry already loaded for editing.
Control
- Router
- Branches the flow: depending on the condition it continues down a different path.
- Parallel
- Runs the following steps once for every element of a list.
- Merge runs
- Waits for all list iterations and continues the flow afterwards.
- Conditions
- Comparisons with AND and OR, and ApptiveScript expressions for the harder cases.
From the blog
A step-by-step guide and two pieces of context on automation. The articles are written in German.
Echtzeit-Benachrichtigungssystem mit Flows: Schritt-für-Schritt Anleitung zur Automatisierung
Erfahre, wie du mit ApptiveGrid Flows ein Echtzeit-Benachrichtigungssystem erstellst und deine Workflows automatisierst – ganz ohne Programmierung.
UsecaseTop 10 Anwendungsfälle von ApptiveGrid in Unternehmen
Entdecken Sie die 10 häufigsten Anwendungsfälle, für die Unternehmen ApptiveGrid einsetzen – von der Zeiterfassung bis zur Fuhrparkverwaltung.
DigitalisierungDigitalisierung in KMU
Die Corona-Pandemie hat die digitale Transformation in deutschen Unternehmen, insbesondere in KMU, beschleunigt. Was das bedeutet und wie Sie davon profitieren.
Questions about automation
What is a flow?
A flow is a trigger plus as many steps as you need. The trigger says when it starts, the steps say what happens then — from updating an entry through an email to a request to another system.
Which triggers are available?
Six: a new entry, a changed entry, an entry via form, an entry changed via form, a webhook from an external system, and a page being displayed.
Can a flow check conditions?
Yes. Transitions between steps can be tied to conditions — comparisons such as equals, contains, greater or less than, joined with AND and OR. For more involved cases you write the expression in ApptiveScript.
Can I connect systems with no ready-made integration?
Yes, through the “send HTTP request” step. It reaches any interface, inserts field values into the request and writes the response back into the entry. In the other direction the webhook trigger accepts incoming requests.
Can a flow wait for a person?
Yes. The steps “display page” and “create link to a page” hold the process until someone has decided. Afterwards it continues — even days later.
Is there a ready-made AI step?
Two, in fact. The “OpenAI” step sends a prompt to ChatGPT and returns the answer, and the “Document Analyzer” reads attached documents. Both belong to the Pro plan. The OpenAI step needs no OpenAI contract and no API key of your own — it runs through ApptiveGrid.
Can I send SMS?
Yes, through “Magenta Business SMS”, Deutsche Telekom’s SMS service. Alongside it, “Verify” and “Verify Check” confirm phone numbers with an SMS code. All three belong to the Pro plan and need your own Magenta Business credentials.
Which services need an account of my own?
Slack, MS Teams, Firebase, Hubspot, Magenta Business and DATEV. You enter the credentials in the flow step itself, so get them before you build the flow. The OpenAI step is the exception: no account of your own is needed there.
What if no action fits?
Two open routes remain: “HTTP request” reaches any interface, and “JavaScript” runs your own code. The JavaScript step itself is included on every plan — only generating that code with AI is plan-dependent.
How many webhooks are included?
One per space on the free Starter plan, five on Plus and ten on Pro.
Build your first flow
Start for free, pick a trigger, add your steps. No credit card required.