Reusable Flows

Reusable flows define a repeatable customer or resource experience as a single object to be used within other flows. Once published, reusable flows are included as individual objects in the Reusable Flows section of the flow designer palette for the applicable tenant(s).

For example, you may have a series of individual media prompts or activities that you want to provide to each caller. Rather than configuring them individually in each applicable call flow, you can create one reusable flow for the entire sequence that can then be inserted into any call flow.

Reusable flows can be created on a specific tenant for that tenant's use, or created on a parent tenant and inherited by the child tenants below it.

You can create a reusable flow using specific configuration details such as a defined media file, or you can use input variables that allow you to individually configure selected parameters each time that reusable flow is used.

Creating Reusable Flows

To create a reusable flow that uses specific parameter configurations, follow the steps to create a new flow using Reusable as the type of flow.

To create a reusable flow that uses input variables, refer to Creating a Reusable Flow with Input Variables.

Reusable Flows and Input Variables

Input variables allow for designated parameters to be configured separately each time the reusable flow is used as an object within a flow. The input variables appear as configurable parameters when the reusable flow is inserted as an object into another flow.

For example, your reusable flow may include a Forward object to send callers to another number such as a voice mail service. By using a string variable instead of a specific phone number, you can configure that number field each time the reusable object is used. This means you can use the same reusable flow multiple times in one or more flows and have each instance forward participants to a different number.

Input variables are predefined in the flow settings. Any flow object in a reusable flow can have their configurable parameters switched to a variable input instead of a static configuration. The variable options for each parameter depend on the type of data used for that field. For example, a media related parameter will display the predefined input variables with a type of Media.

Creating a Reusable Flow with Input Variables

To create a reusable flow that uses input variables that are configured each time this reusable flow is used: 

1. Determine what pieces of the flow are being created as a variable instead of a specific configuration.
2. Create a new flow, selecting Reusable as the type of flow.
3. Add an Entry event to begin the flow.
4. Access the configuration details for the Entry event, and click on the "+" symbol next to Inputs.
5. Enter a Label name for this input variable. This is the name of the configurable parameter that will be displayed when using this reusable flow within other flows. For example, "Hold Music"
6. Enter the Variable name for this input variable. This is the name that will be used to identify this variable later in this flow. For example, "hold_music".
7. In the drop down menu, select the Type of data being used for this input. For example, "Media".
8. Depending on the type of input selected, select the SubType from the drop down menu to make your selection.
9. Depending on the type of input selected, you may enter a Default value. The default value will be used as the value for this parameter when the reusable flow is used as a notation within a flow, if no other selection is made when configuring the new flow.
10. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for each input variable to be used within this reusable flow.
11. Design and build the flow to create the customer or resource experience that you want.
12. For each of the object parameters that you want to use a variable for, click to enable the Variable toggle above the parameter name.
    The data entry field updates to a variable name field with a menu that includes the predefined variables created in the previous steps that match the type of data required for this parameter.
    • In the variable name field, select the input variable that you want to use for this parameter.
13. When ready, publish the flow.
    The reusable flow appears as an object in the flow designer palette.
    

Using a Reusable Flow

To use a reusable flow: 

1. Create a Customer or Resource flow.
2. Insert the applicable reusable flow object into the section of the flow that you want on the designer canvas, as you would with any other type of flow object.
3. If this reusable flow uses input variables, configure the object parameter fields.
4. When ready, publish the flow.

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You might also be interested in:

• Flow Tutorial: Design a Reusable Flow
• Flow Designer Reference