---
schema_version: "1"
id: 1c6556021e35c64e29ab19649c22339ba05f4b6db2c8c9798b4639d11dc13dfd
title: Orchestration Steps
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/orchestrator_concepts_steps.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.orchestrator_concepts_steps.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 4cbe3fc1f1c3d7cf4ca92287c319a4b35d767eea70d5b2c1ae77cdf51ae12a72
description: Steps are grouped in stages and can be run sequentially or concurrently. Interactive steps assign the completion of an active screen flow to a person, group, or queue and require user intervention. Background steps run an active autolaunched flow synchronously or asynchronously and have no user interaction. MuleSoft steps run an action imported from a MuleSoft operation and have no user interaction.
products:
  - Flow Builder
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Orchestration Steps

Steps are grouped in stages and can be run sequentially or concurrently. Interactive steps assign the completion of an active screen flow to a person, group, or queue and require user intervention. Background steps run an active autolaunched flow synchronously or asynchronously and have no user interaction. MuleSoft steps run an action imported from a MuleSoft operation and have no user interaction.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col style="width:100%"></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_orchestrator_about_supported_editions.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Review the supported products and editions for Flow Orchestration.">View supported editions for Flow Orchestration.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png)

Note The Step resource in Flow Orchestration isn't related to the discontinued Step element in flows.

## Automatic Output

At design time, automatic output resources are available throughout an orchestration, even before associated orchestration runs have access to the automatic output. This capability means that when you create an orchestration you must reference automatic output resources only when associated orchestration runs have access to it.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png)

Note To allow an orchestration access to a user-defined output variable in a flow called by a step, mark it as **Available for output** in the flow.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png)

Note An orchestration uses the isOrchestrationConditionMet output variable in evaluation flows. All other user-defined output variable values are discarded.

Orchestration Run Access to Automatic Output  
| Automatic Output | Run-Time Availability |
| --- | --- |
| Stage Status | After the stage is in progress |
| Step Status | After the parent stage is in progress |
| Flow Output Variable | After the parent step has been completed |

## Status

When an orchestration is running, it manages the status for each step.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d110443e146">Step run Status</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d110443e149">Description</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step run Status" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e146 ">Not Started</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e149 ">The step hasn't met its entry condition.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step run Status" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e146 ">In Progress</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e149 ">The step was started.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step run Status" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e146 ">Completed</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e149 ">
              <ul>
                <li>The interactive step met its exit condition.</li>

                <li>The background step's flow was completed.</li>

                <li>The step was completed when its associated stage encountered an error.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step run Status" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e146 ">Discontinued</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e149 ">
              <ul>
                <li>The step was in progress when its associated stage completed.</li>

                <li>The step was in progress when the orchestration encountered an error.</li>

                <li>The step was in progress when its associated stage encountered an error.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step run Status" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e146 ">Error</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e149 ">
              <ul>
                <li>The step encountered an error.</li>

                <li>The autolaunched flow associated with a background step encountered an
                  error.</li>

                <li>The screen flow associated with an interactive step encountered an error.</li>

                <li>The MuleSoft action associated with a MuleSoft step encountered an error.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

## History

In history, a step in an orchestration has several possible milestones.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d110443e264">Step Milestone</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d110443e267">Description</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step Milestone" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e264 ">Start Step</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e267 ">The step started.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step Milestone" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e264 ">End Step</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e267 ">The step was completed.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step Milestone" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e264 ">Discontinue Step</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e267 ">
              <ul>
                <li>The step's stage was completed while the step was in progress.</li>

                <li>The parent orchestration run encountered an error after the step was
                  completed.</li>

                <li>The parent orchestration run encountered an error while the step was in
                  progress.</li>

                <li>The step's stage encountered an error while the step was in progress.</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Step Milestone" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e264 ">Fail Step</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d110443e267 ">The step encountered an error.</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

## Flow Orchestration Step Run Record Ownership

For flow orchestration step run records created in Winter ’23 or later, the Owner ID field is set to the ID of the automated process user.

- **[Flow Orchestration Background Steps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.orchestrator_concepts_steps_background.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    A background step launches an active autolaunched flow and has no user interaction. You can control when a background step is ready to start.
- **[Flow Orchestration Interactive Steps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.orchestrator_concepts_steps_interactive.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    An interactive step references an active screen flow and generates an orchestration work item. An assigned user completes the active screen flow in the Flow Orchestration Work Guide on the related record page. You can control when an interactive step is ready to start or when its status is set to completed. All interactive steps are processed asynchronously.
- **[Flow Orchestration MuleSoft Steps](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.orchestrator_concepts_steps_mulesoft.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)**  
    A MuleSoft step asynchronously runs an operation imported from a MuleSoft API and has no user interaction. You can control when a MuleSoft step is ready to start.