Global Variables Flow Approval Processes Resource

The Session ID’s SOAP API endpoints. These merge fields are available.

• Enterprise_Server_URL_xxx—The Enterprise WSDL SOAP endpoint, where xxx represents the API version
• Partner_Server_URL_xxx—The Partner WSDL SOAP endpoint, where xxx represents the API version
• Session_ID

A label in a custom label file in your Salesforce org. This global variable appears only if your org has custom labels.

The returned value depends on the language setting of the contextual user.​ Salesforce returns a value based on this order of precedence:

• The local translation’s text
• The packaged translation’s text
• The primary label’s text

The profile of the user running the flow approval process. With this variable, you can access information like the license type or name.

• Use profile names to reference standard profiles in $Profile merge fields.
• Users don’t need access to their profile information to run a flow approval process that references these merge fields.

The record that triggered the flow approval process. Available only in record-triggered flow approval processes.

In a record-triggered flow approval process, the orchestration run associated with the parent approval submission makes a copy of the triggering record when it starts. If a flow called by a step within the flow approval process that the orchestration run is based on makes a field update on the triggering record, it’s not reflected in the $Record global variable. To make field updates on the flow approval process-triggering record, pass the record ID to the step’s flow. Use the ID in a Get Records element. Then use an Update Records element to apply changed $Record values to the record in the database.

You can reference $Record values throughout the approval orchestration by passing the variable as an input parameter to a flow in a step.

The triggering record before a change triggered the flow approval process. Available only in record-triggered flow approval processes configured to run when a record is updated or when a record is created or updated.

The $Record__Prior global variable contains the values that the triggering record had immediately before the flow approval process started. You can’t change these values in the flow approval process or with any flows associated with its steps.

When the flow approval process is triggered by a newly created record, all $Record__Prior values are null.

If the triggering record is created and updated in the same transaction, $Record__Prior contains the same values as $Record. This behavior occurs because no committed prior state exists when the update occurs. To capture pre-update field values in $Record__Prior, split the create and update operations into separate transactions in the automation that triggers the flow approval process.

Your custom settings of type hierarchy. This global variable appears only if your org has hierarchy custom settings. You can access custom settings of type list only in Apex.

With hierarchy custom settings, you can define values at these levels. Salesforce determines the correct value for this custom setting field based on the running user’s current context.

• Organization—The default value for everyone
• Profile—Overrides the Organization value
• User—Overrides the Organization and Profile values

The user who’s running the orchestration run associated with a parent approval submission.

Most of the time, the running user is the automated process user. When the running user is the automated process user, $User doesn’t provide useful information.

$User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed identify the look and feel that the running user sees on a Salesforce page. The difference between the two variables is that $User.UITheme returns the configured look and feel for the user. $User.UIThemeDisplayed returns the actual look and feel for the user.

For example, a user has the preference and permissions to see the Lightning Experience look and feel. However, they're using a browser, such as an older version of Internet Explorer, that doesn't support that look and feel. In this example, $User.UITheme and $User.UIThemeDisplayed return different values.

• Theme1—Obsolete Salesforce theme
• Theme2—Salesforce Classic 2005 user interface theme
• Theme3—Salesforce Classic 2010 user interface theme
• Theme4d—Modern “Lightning Experience” Salesforce theme
• Theme4t—Salesforce mobile app theme
• Theme4u—Lightning Console theme
• PortalDefault—Salesforce Customer Portal theme
• Webstore—AppExchange theme