When to Use Apex Triggers Instead of Flows

Choosing between Apex Triggers and Flows in Salesforce depends on several factors, including the complexity of your requirements, performance considerations, maintainability, and your team's expertise. Here’s a detailed guide to help you decide when to use an Apex Trigger versus a Flow:

Use Apex Triggers When...

You have Complex Business Logic:

• If your logic involves complex conditions, multiple related objects, or advanced computations that are beyond the capabilities of declarative tools like Flows.
• For example, if you need to perform intricate calculations, iterate over large sets of data, or integrate with external services.

When Performance and Efficiency are a factor:

• When dealing with high-volume transactions or scenarios where performance is critical, Apex Triggers can be more efficient than Flows. Triggers can be optimized and are often better suited for handling large data volumes and batch processing.
• They provide more control over execution and resource management.

When you need to perform Bulk Operations:

• Apex Triggers are designed to handle bulk operations (i.e., multiple records in a single transaction) efficiently. If your process needs to manage large batches of records without hitting governor limits, Triggers are a better choice.
• Flows, especially before-save flows, have some bulk processing capabilities, but Apex Triggers offer more robust support for bulk DML operations.

When you'll have Complex Error Handling:

• If you need detailed error handling and logging that goes beyond what Flows can provide. Apex allows for try-catch blocks and custom logging mechanisms to handle exceptions gracefully.

When you need Fine-Grained Control:

• When you need precise control over the order of execution and dependencies between different pieces of logic. Apex Triggers provide more granular control over the execution flow compared to Flows.

WHen Security and Permissions are a concern:

• If you need to enforce security constraints or permission checks that are complex and cannot be easily configured within Flows. Apex can provide more nuanced handling of sharing rules and user permissions.

When you need Reusability and Modularity:

• When you require highly modular and reusable code that can be invoked in various contexts. Apex Classes, called by Triggers, can encapsulate reusable logic that can be shared across different triggers or even other parts of the application.

If your team has Development Expertise:

• If your team has strong coding skills and is comfortable with Apex, leveraging Triggers might be more efficient and flexible than trying to fit complex logic into declarative tools.

Use Flows When:

The Declarative Approach Preferred:

• If you prefer a no-code/low-code solution, especially if your team is more comfortable with declarative tools or has limited coding expertise. Flows offer a visual interface to build and manage automation.

You have Simple to Moderate Business Logic:

• For straightforward processes like creating related records, field updates, or sending email notifications based on record changes. Flows can handle these scenarios without needing custom code.

When you you need to make Quick Changes and Prototyping:

• When you need to quickly prototype or deploy simple automation. Flows can be built and modified faster than Apex Triggers, especially for non-developers.

When you need User Interactions:

• When you need to involve user inputs or orchestrate complex user-driven processes, such as guided user interactions through screens or forms. Screen Flows are designed specifically for this purpose.

When you need Reduced Maintenance:

• For processes that need to be easily maintained and updated by admins or less technical users. Flows are generally easier to update and maintain without requiring deep technical knowledge.

When you value Simpler Testing and Debugging:

• If you prefer the built-in testing and debugging tools provided by Salesforce for Flows. While Apex offers robust testing frameworks, Flows have accessible debugging options suitable for non-developers.

When your org has special Compliance and Governance concerns:

• When adhering to organizational policies that prefer declarative solutions to minimize custom code and its potential maintenance overhead.

Some Key Differences

Decision Guidance

• Use Apex Triggers: When your automation requires handling complex logic, processing large data volumes, or when you need granular control and optimized performance.
• Use Flows: When you have simpler automation needs, prefer a declarative approach, or need to quickly implement and maintain processes without extensive coding.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific use case, the complexity of the process, the skill set of your team, and the balance between code-based and declarative solutions in your Salesforce environment.

As always, please refer to the official Salesforce documentation here.

Next: The difference between Before and After Triggers