Understand how flows behave when they fail to help you decide on error handling strategies. Learn what happens by default so you can determine if you need custom error handling for your specific use case.
Required Editions
| View supported editions. |
How Flow Type Affects Error Handling
The behavior of a fault path depends on the flow type and the elements in the path. Some elements perform Data Manipulation Language (DML) operations, which create, update, or delete Salesforce records. DML elements include Create Records, Update Records, and Delete Records. Some core actions and Apex actions can also perform DML operations.
This table describes fault paths that contain a DML element. An empty fault path has the same behavior as a fault path with no elements.
| Flow Type | No Fault Path or Empty Fault Path | Fault Path |
|---|---|---|
| Record-triggered flow | Salesforce blocks the triggering change and rolls back the transaction. If a user changes a record on a record page, Salesforce shows an unhandled-fault message. If a validation rule causes the error, Salesforce shows that rule’s error message instead. | Salesforce doesn't block the triggering change. The flow runs the fault path, and Salesforce doesn’t roll back the transaction. Salesforce shows an error message only if the fault path includes an Error element. |
| Screen flow | Salesforce shows an unhandled-fault message and rolls back the transaction. | The flow runs the fault path. If the path doesn’t include a Screen element, Salesforce shows a completion message. Salesforce rolls back the transaction only if the path includes a Roll Back Records element. |
| Autolaunched flow | Salesforce shows an unhandled-fault message and rolls back the transaction. | The flow runs the fault path, shows a completion message, and doesn’t roll back the transaction. |
What Happens Without a Fault Path
When an element has no fault path or an empty fault path and it fails, Salesforce displays this error message and creates a failed interview.
An unhandled fault has occurred in this flow
An unhandled fault has occurred while processing
the flow. Please contact your system administrator
for more information.The running user can’t proceed with the flow or return to a previous part of the flow. The configured recipient receives a fault email. For information about choosing error email recipients, see Select Flow and Process Error Email Recipients. The email details the element that failed, the error message from that element, and which elements ran during the failed interview. Here’s an example error message.
An error occurred at element Delete_1.
DELETE --- There is nothing in Salesforce matching your
delete criteria.To view the debug details directly in Flow Builder, click Flow Error: Click here to debug the error in Flow Builder in the fault email. This link appears only for certain flow types.
For screen flows, Salesforce publishes a Flow Execution Error Event platform event message.