# Build and edit a flow

Use the visual editor to assemble a flow from connected steps. You can begin with a [template](/docs/guides/automations/templates) or [create a draft with a trigger](/docs/guides/automations/triggers).

> Automations is in Early access. Your workspace permissions determine which actions you can perform.

## Add a step

1. Select **+** on the output path where the new step belongs.
2. In **Add a step**, search for the task you need and select it.
3. Select the added step on the canvas to configure its fields.
4. Use fixed values or [mapped data](/docs/guides/automations/data) for the inputs.

You can also insert a step on an existing connection. Review which output from the inserted step continues to the original destination, particularly when the new step has several possible outcomes.

Use **Steps** to navigate the flow as a list. Zoom and fit controls help you inspect larger flows. Moving a step changes its position; connections determine execution order.

## Connect an outcome

Add a next step from an unused output, or connect it to an existing step using the add-step dialog or a port on the canvas. An output can have one destination. Different paths can share a destination when the connections do not create a cycle.

Review both success and failure outputs for an action. A send step labels its failure path **If sending fails**. A delivery wait has separate outcomes for a matching event and a timeout.

An unused path can be an intentional ending. Check the [ending rules](/docs/guides/automations/flows#how-a-run-finishes) before leaving a failure output unconnected.

## Add a decision

1. Add a **Branch** node, shown as **Choose a path** on the canvas.
2. Select **Expand** in the step panel, or **Edit paths** if the branch already shows a path summary.
3. Use **Add path** to create a condition and give the path a meaningful name.
4. Choose the input value and comparison for that condition.
5. Use **Move up** or **Move down** to put more specific conditions before broader conditions.
6. Connect the named paths and **Otherwise** to their next steps.

Conditions are checked in order. The first match selects the path; **Otherwise** is checked last. Preview data that matches each condition, including data that matches more than one, to confirm the ordering.

## Keep edits recoverable

Select **Save draft** and confirm **Draft saved** before leaving. **Undo** and **Redo** are available under **More editor actions**.

The editor can retain unsaved work in the current browser and offer recovery when you return. Browser recovery is not a server save: clearing browser data can remove it, and a different browser does not have that copy.

If a recovery copy differs from a newer saved draft, review the comparison before saving. Saving and publishing remain separate actions.

## Next steps

- [Understand flows and connections](/docs/guides/automations/flows).
- [Choose automation nodes](/docs/guides/automations/nodes).
- [Preview and check a workflow](/docs/guides/automations/preview).
- [Publish and manage automations](/docs/guides/automations/publishing).
- [Browse the Automations guides](/docs/guides/automations).

## Related resources

- [Preview your first automation](/docs/get-started/automations) (docs)