Managing Flows

Learn how to create, organize, and manage your test flows in Flowguard.

What is a Flow?

A flow is a complete test scenario that consists of multiple steps. Think of it as a recipe that tells Flowguard exactly what to do when testing a specific feature or user journey on your website.

Flow Properties

Flow Anatomy - Expand to see all properties

Property	Description
Title	A descriptive name for the flow
Status	Active or Inactive
Steps	The sequence of actions to perform
Settings	Timeout, retries, screenshots
Last Run	Information about the most recent execution
Created Date	When the flow was created
Modified Date	When the flow was last updated

Accessing the Flows Page

1. Click Flows in the Flowguard sidebar menu
2. You'll see a list of all your test flows

The Flows Page Layout

Header Section

The top of the page contains:

• Page title and subtitle - "Flows" and a brief description
• Create Flow button - Start building a new flow

Toolbar

Below the header, you'll find:

• Search box - Find flows by name
• Filter buttons - View All, Active, or Inactive flows
• Counter badges - Show how many flows match each filter

Flows List

The main area displays all your flows as cards. Each card shows:

• Flow title
• Active/Inactive status badge
• Number of steps
• Last run result (Passed/Failed/Running/Not Run)
• Last run timestamp
• Action buttons

Creating a New Flow

Method 1: From the Flows Page

1. Click the Create Flow button in the top-right
2. You'll be taken to the flow editor
3. Enter a title for your flow
4. Start adding steps
5. Click Save when you're done

Method 2: From the Dashboard

1. On the Dashboard, click Create New Flow
2. Follow the same steps as above

Editing a Flow

To modify an existing flow:

1. Find the flow in the list
2. Click anywhere on the flow card (or click the Edit button)
3. Make your changes in the editor
4. Click Save to apply changes

TIP

Use Cmd+S (Mac) or Ctrl+S (Windows) to save quickly!

Flow Status: Active vs Inactive

Active vs Inactive Flows

	Active Flows	Inactive Flows
Badge	🟢 Green "Active"	⚫ Gray "Inactive"
Execution	Ready to run anytime	Paused, won't execute
Bulk Run	Included in "Run All"	Excluded from "Run All"

When to Use Active Status

• Critical tests that should run regularly
• Flows you're actively using
• Tests for production features

When to Use Inactive Status

• Flows under development
• Tests for features being deprecated
• Seasonal tests (e.g., holiday-specific features)
• Backup copies of flows

Toggling Status

You can change a flow's status in several ways:

Method 1: From the Flows List

1. Hover over the flow
2. Click the status badge
3. It will toggle between Active/Inactive

Method 2: From the Flow Editor

1. Open the flow in the editor
2. Click the status button in the header
3. The change is saved with your other edits

Method 3: From the Context Menu

1. Click the three-dot menu on a flow card
2. Select "Activate" or "Deactivate"

Searching and Filtering

Search Flows

Use the search box to find flows by name:

1. Click in the search box
2. Type part of the flow name
3. Results update automatically as you type

The search is case-insensitive and matches any part of the title.

Examples:

• Search "login" finds "User Login Test" and "Admin Login Flow"
• Search "form" finds "Contact Form" and "Registration Form Test"

Filter by Status

Use the filter buttons to view specific flow types:

• All - Shows every flow (default)
• Active - Shows only active flows
• Inactive - Shows only inactive flows

Each button displays a count in parentheses, like "Active (12)".

Combining Search and Filters

You can use search and filters together:

1. Select a filter (e.g., "Active")
2. Type in the search box
3. You'll see active flows matching your search term

Running Flows

Run a Single Flow

To execute one specific flow:

1. Find the flow in the list
2. Click the Play button (▶️ icon)
3. The flow will start executing
4. Watch the status change to "Running"
5. When complete, you'll see "Passed" or "Failed"

Run All Active Flows

To execute all active flows at once:

1. Click the Run All Active button at the top
2. All active flows will begin executing
3. Monitor progress on the Dashboard or Flows page

WARNING

Running many flows simultaneously can take time. Be patient and don't close the browser window while tests are running.

Duplicating Flows

Duplicate a flow to create a copy:

1. Find the flow you want to copy
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮)
3. Select Duplicate
4. A new flow appears with "(Copy)" added to the name
5. Edit the duplicate as needed

Use cases for duplicating:

• Create variations of similar tests
• Make a backup before major changes
• Use an existing flow as a template
• Test different scenarios with similar steps

Deleting Flows

DANGER

Deleting a flow is permanent and cannot be undone!

To delete a flow:

1. Find the flow in the list
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮)
3. Select Delete
4. Confirm the deletion in the dialog
5. The flow is immediately removed

Before deleting:

• Consider making it inactive instead
• Duplicate it first as a backup
• Ensure you won't need the test history

Understanding Flow Results

Status	Badge	Meaning
Passed	🟢 Green	All steps completed successfully, all assertions correct
Failed	🔴 Red	At least one step failed or assertion didn't match
Running	🟠 Orange	Currently executing, wait for completion
Not Run	⚫ Gray	Never executed or not run since last edit

What to Do When a Flow Fails

Click on a failed flow to see:

• Which step failed - The exact point of failure
• Error message - Detailed reason for the failure
• Timestamp - When the failure occurred

Common causes: selector changed, element moved, page structure updated, timeout exceeded.

Organizing Your Flows

Naming Best Practices

Use clear, descriptive names that explain what the flow tests:

Good examples:

• "User Login - Valid Credentials"
• "Contact Form - All Required Fields"
• "Shopping Cart - Add Product & Checkout"
• "Search - Find Product by Name"

Avoid:

• "Test 1", "Test 2"
• "New Flow"
• "asdf"
• Single-word names

Naming Conventions

Consider using a consistent naming pattern:

By Feature:

• "Login - Success Case"
• "Login - Invalid Password"
• "Login - Locked Account"

By User Type:

• "[Customer] Browse Products"
• "[Admin] Publish Post"
• "[Editor] Edit Page"

By Priority:

• "[Critical] Payment Processing"
• "[High] Contact Form"
• "[Low] Footer Links"

Grouping Similar Flows

While Flowguard doesn't have folders (yet), you can use naming prefixes to group related flows:

• "Contact: Form Submission"
• "Contact: Validation Errors"
• "Contact: Success Message"

This keeps related flows together in alphabetical sorting.

Flow Settings

Each flow has settings that control how it executes:

Timeout

How long to wait (in milliseconds) before considering a step failed:

• Default: 30000ms (30 seconds)
• Adjust for slow-loading pages
• Reduce for faster feedback on quick actions

Retries

How many times to retry a failed step before marking the flow as failed:

• Default: 0 (no retries)
• Increase for flaky tests
• Use cautiously (may hide real issues)

Screenshot

Whether to capture screenshots during execution:

• Default: Enabled
• Useful for debugging failed flows
• Can be disabled to improve performance

TIP

Access flow settings by opening the flow in the editor. Settings are saved with the flow.

Viewing Flow History

To see a flow's execution history:

1. Click on the flow to open it
2. View the "Last Run" information
3. See timestamp, duration, and result

INFO

Flowguard currently stores the last run result. Full execution history may be available in future versions.

Sorting Flows

Flows are automatically sorted by:

1. Most recently modified first
2. Alphabetically by title (secondary)

This ensures your actively developed flows appear at the top.

Empty State

If you haven't created any flows yet, you'll see:

• A friendly "No flows yet" message
• An explanation of what flows are
• A large "Create Flow" button

Click the button to create your first flow!

Bulk Actions

Currently, Flowguard supports these bulk actions:

• Run All Active - Execute all active flows

Future versions may include:

• Bulk activate/deactivate
• Bulk delete
• Bulk export

Export and Import

INFO

Flow export/import functionality is planned for a future release.

Tips and Best Practices

Priority Order for Creating Flows

Start with your most critical features:

1. User authentication - Login/logout flows
2. Payment processing - Checkout, subscriptions
3. Form submissions - Contact, signup forms
4. Core navigation - Menu, search functionality

Keep Flows Focused

Each flow should test one specific scenario:

✅ Good (Focused)	❌ Bad (Too Broad)
"Login with valid credentials"	"Login and checkout and contact form"
"Add single item to cart"	"Full e-commerce journey"
"Submit contact form"	"Test all forms on site"

Why focused flows are better:

• Easier to maintain
• Faster to execute
• Simpler to debug when they fail

Don't Let Failed Flows Accumulate!

When a flow fails:

1. Check immediately - Is your site broken, or does the flow need updating?
2. Fix the root cause - Update selectors or fix site issues
3. Re-run to verify - Confirm the fix works

Use Inactive Status Wisely

Pro tip: Don't delete flows you might need later. Mark them as inactive instead.

Regular Maintenance

Monthly Review Checklist

• [ ] Update selectors for redesigned pages
• [ ] Remove flows for deprecated features
• [ ] Add flows for new features
• [ ] Check and fix any failing flows

Next Steps

• Flow Editor - Master the editor interface
• Step Types - Learn about available actions
• Running Flows - Understand execution details

Troubleshooting

Flow Won't Run

If a flow doesn't execute:

• Check if it's set to Active
• Verify there are steps in the flow
• Ensure your site is accessible
• Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Can't Find a Flow

If you can't locate a flow:

• Clear the search box
• Check all filter tabs (All/Active/Inactive)
• Sort by name to find it alphabetically

Changes Not Saving

If edits aren't persisting:

• Click the Save button explicitly
• Check for validation errors
• Verify you have proper permissions
• Check browser console for errors