Schedule Email Alerts for New Leads Using Salesforce Flow Builder

Note: Salesforce will retire support for Workflow Rules and Process Builder on December 31, 2025. The steps below have been updated to use Flow Builder. See the Additional Resources section for migration guidance.

Pre-Work: Update Lead Status Values

Since there are no automated marketing features within Agentforce Sales (formerly Sales Cloud) and Agentforce Service (formerly Service Cloud),  you will want to create a new Lead Status value of Emails Scheduled. This value, in addition to the Workflow Rule criteria, will provide a way to remove the Lead from additional scheduled emails once they reply and the Lead Status is updated by the user.

1. Open a Lead record
2. Click the gear icon on the top right corner of the Salesforce screen
3. Select Edit Object
4. Select Fields & Relationships
5. Click the hyperlink for Lead Status
6. Click New in the Lead Status Picklist Values section
7. Provide it with a Label of Emails Scheduled as an example
8. Provide it with an API Name of Emails_Scheduled as an example
9. Click Save
10. Click Reorder in the Lead Status Picklist Values section
11. Reorder the list of values so that the new Emails Scheduled value is directly after New
12. Click Save

Pre-Work: Create Email Templates

Email Alerts use existing email templates so you will want to create the email templates that you intend to use prior to continuing. Our step-by-step video on how to create email templates can be found here.

Pre-Work: Set your Default Workflow User

1. Go to the Setup home screen by clicking Home
2. In the Quick Find box, search for Process Automation Settings and open it
3. Select a user for Default Workflow User
4. Click Save

Create a New Workflow Rule

1. Go to the Setup home screen by clicking Home
2. In the Quick Find box, search for Workflow Rules and open it
3. Click New Rule
4. Select Lead as the Object
5. Click Next
6. Provide it with a Rule Name like New Lead Email Scheduling as an example
7. Select created, and any time its' edited to subsequently meet criteria in the Evaluation Criteria section
8. In the Rule Criteria section
   • Set Field to Lead Status
   • Set Operator to Equals
   • Set Value to Emails Scheduled
9. Click Save & Next

Specify What Workflow Actions Occur When the Criteria is Met

7 Days

1. Click Add Time Trigger in the Time-Dependent Workflow Actions section
2. Set your values to
   • 7 Days After Rule Trigger Date
3. Click Save
4. Click Add Workflow Action in the 7 Days After Rule Trigger Date section
5. Select New Email Alert
6. Provide a description like Send First Email on Day 7 as an example
7. Select your previously created Email Template
8. Select Email Field in Recipient Type
9. Move Email Field: Email from the Available Recipients column to the Selected Recipients column
10. Click Save

14 Days

1. Click Add Time Trigger in the Time-Dependent Workflow Actions section
2. Set your values to
   • 14 Days After Rule Trigger Date
3. Click Save
4. Click Add Workflow Action in the 14 Days After Rule Trigger Date section
5. Select New Email Alert
6. Provide a description like Send Second Email on Day 14 as an example
7. Select your previously created Email Template
8. Select Email Field in Recipient Type
9. Move Email Field: Email from the Available Recipients column to the Selected Recipients column
10. Click Save

30 Days

1. Click Add Time Trigger in the Time-Dependent Workflow Actions section
2. Set your values to
   • 30 Days After Rule Trigger Date
3. Click Save
4. Click Add Workflow Action in the 30 Days After Rule Trigger Date section
5. Select New Email Alert
6. Provide a description like Send Third Email on Day 30 as an example
7. Select your previously created Email Template
8. Select Email Field in Recipient Type
9. Move Email Field: Email from the Available Recipients column to the Selected Recipients column
10. Click Save
11. Click Done
12. Click Activate

For more information on importing Workflow Rules and the features found in this Knowledge Article, please review the following resources:

1. Create a Workflow Rule
2. Workflow Rule Examples
3. Identify Your Salesforce Org’s Default Workflow User
4. Add or Edit Picklist Values
5. FAQ on 'time-based' workflows
6. Considerations for Time-Dependent Actions and Time Triggers