⚡ What’s New for Process Automation in Winter ’26?
Heavier focus on record-triggered, schedule-triggered, and screen flows as the standard for declarative automation, replacing legacy tools wherever possible.
More scenarios that test how you design multi-step, multi-user processes with Flow Orchestration and approvals, including human-in-the-loop steps.
Increased coverage of Invocable Actions, External Services, Platform Events, and low-code integration patterns for process automation.
Scenarios that test automation governance, performance, troubleshooting, and deprecation of older tools like Workflow Rules and Process Builder.
Process Automation Accredited Professional
Design, Build & Govern Scalable Salesforce Automation with Flow
The Process Automation Accredited Professional credential validates your ability to design and implement declarative automation using Flow and related tools on the Salesforce Platform. It is aimed at admins, consultants, and solution designers who own end-to-end business processes, orchestration, and integration without defaulting to code.
📊 Exam at a Glance
Exam Domains & Weightage (High-Level View)
1. Automation Foundations & Architecture
~18%This domain covers the overall automation landscape on the Salesforce Platform and how Flow fits into it.
- Understanding the automation toolbox: Flow, Apex, Platform Events, External Services, Approval Processes.
- When to choose Flow vs Apex vs other tools based on complexity, performance, and governance.
- Salesforce transaction model, save order, and how record-triggered flows execute.
- Automation limits, best practices, and avoiding recursion / conflicts between automations.
- Strategy for migrating from Workflow Rules & Process Builder to Flow.
Tip: The exam favors answers that use Flow as the primary declarative tool and show awareness of platform limits.
2. Flow Design & Implementation
~28%This domain focuses on designing and building robust flows to automate business processes.
- Configuring record-triggered flows (before/after save, entry conditions, fast field updates).
- Designing screen flows for guided experiences (dynamic forms, choice sets, component visibility).
- Using subflows, formulas, loops, and collections to keep flows modular and maintainable.
- Error handling, fault paths, and user-friendly error messaging.
- Testing flows, debugging, and using sandbox environments safely.
Tip: Strong answers favor modular, bulk-safe flows with clear entry criteria and guardrails.
3. Orchestration & Multi-Step Processes
~20%This domain is about connecting flows and steps into full business processes.
- Understanding Flow Orchestration concepts: stages, steps, work items, and participants.
- Designing processes that span multiple users, teams, and time periods.
- Combining approvals, screen flows, and record-triggered flows into end-to-end journeys.
- Handling human-in-the-loop tasks, escalations, and SLAs.
- Monitoring orchestrations and resolving stalled or failed steps.
Tip: Look for answer options that treat orchestration as a top-level process layer, not just a single flow.
4. Integration, Data & External Automation
~18%This domain validates your ability to connect flows with external systems and complex data.
- Using External Services, HTTP callouts from Flow, and Invocable Actions.
- Working with Platform Events and asynchronous patterns in automation.
- Designing flows that handle large data volumes safely (collections, get/update best practices).
- Integration patterns for approvals, document generation, and back-office systems.
- Security and access considerations (sharing, FLS) in automated processes.
Tip: The safer choices usually favor low-code integration patterns with clear boundaries and error handling.
5. Governance, Monitoring & Best Practices
~16%Finally, the exam checks how you manage automation at scale across an org.
- Establishing naming conventions, documentation, and standards for flows and orchestrations.
- Using tools like the Automations page, Flow list views, and debug logs for monitoring.
- Managing technical debt and deprecating legacy automation safely.
- Release management: promoting flows across environments, versioning, and change control.
- Educating stakeholders and collaborating with developers on automation strategy.
Percentages are approximate and intended for study planning; Salesforce may adjust domain weightings over time.
📝 Sample Process Automation Questions
💡 Practice with Scenario-Based Questions
These practice questions are not from the real exam, but they mimic its style and reasoning. Focus on tool choice, Flow design, and governance.
Question 1 – Choosing the Right Automation Tool
A sales manager wants a process where, when an Opportunity is moved to “Closed Won” over $200,000,
a task is created for Legal, an approval is sent to Finance, and a Slack notification is sent to the executive team.
The process should be easy to adjust as requirements change.
What is the most appropriate solution?
✓ Correct Answer: B) Build a record-triggered flow that orchestrates all actions.
Option B follows the Flow-first strategy and consolidates related automation into a single, maintainable record-triggered flow. A and D rely on legacy tools; C adds unnecessary code for a declarative use case.
Question 2 – Avoiding Automation Conflicts
An org has multiple record-triggered flows on Case, all firing on update and updating some of the same fields.
Users report intermittent errors and unexpected field values after case updates.
As the Process Automation specialist, what should you do first?
✓ Correct Answer: B) Consolidate logic into fewer, well-ordered record-triggered flows.
Option B addresses the root cause: overlapping automation. Consolidating flows with clear entry criteria and subflows improves predictability and maintainability. A is disruptive; C is overkill; D helps diagnose but doesn’t solve the structural issue.
Question 3 – Orchestration & Human Steps
A customer onboarding process requires multiple steps: data validation by Operations, credit check by Finance,
and final approval by a Manager. Each step can take several days, and progress should be visible in one place.
Which design best fits this requirement?
✓ Correct Answer: B) Configure a Flow Orchestration with stages and work items.
Option B leverages Flow Orchestration for multi-step, human-driven processes with visibility and SLAs. A is disjointed, C ignores human approval needs, and D breaks system-of-record principles.
🎯 4–6 Week Study Plan for Process Automation AP
Review the official exam guide and Trailhead modules on Flow and automation. Make a map of all automation tools in Salesforce and note when to use each. Build simple record-triggered and screen flows that replace existing Workflow Rules or Process Builder processes.
Practice building flows with subflows, loops, collections, and fault paths. Implement at least one Flow Orchestration for a multi-step process (e.g., onboarding or approval). Focus on error handling, test data, and debugging tools.
Explore External Services, invocable actions, and Platform Events in sample scenarios. Document an automation governance model for a hypothetical org: naming conventions, review process, and migration from legacy automation. Work through scenario-based questions and create 2–3 mini case studies of automations you’d be confident defending in a design review.
💡 Exam & Real-World Success Tips
Before picking a tool, ask: What is the business outcome? Who is involved? Which objects are touched? The exam rewards designs that clearly serve the process, not just use features.
Prefer subflows, clear naming, and fewer, well-structured flows over many small, overlapping automations. This is a common theme in scenario questions.
The best answers respect limits, recursion, data access, and user experience. Look for options that reduce risk and make troubleshooting easier instead of “clever” but fragile solutions.
Process Automation AP – FAQ
Who is the Process Automation Accredited Professional exam for?
This exam is for Salesforce admins, consultants, and solution architects who design and build automation using Flow and related tools to support complex business processes.
Do I need to know Apex for this exam?
You don’t need to write complex Apex, but you should know when Apex is appropriate, how it can be exposed to Flow (invocable methods), and how to collaborate with developers in mixed solutions.
How is this different from the Platform App Builder or Admin exams?
Admin and App Builder cover automation at a broader, more general level. The Process Automation AP exam dives deeper into Flow, orchestration, integration patterns, and governance for complex, real-world processes.
How much hands-on experience is recommended?
Most successful candidates have at least 1–2 years of Salesforce experience and have built multiple record-triggered, screen, and scheduled flows in production or serious sandbox projects.
What’s the best way to prepare for scenario-based questions?
Pick 2–3 processes (e.g., lead qualification, case escalation, onboarding) and design them using Flow and, where needed, Flow Orchestration. Document triggers, objects, participants, and error handling. These designs will help you recognize strong patterns and avoid anti-patterns on the exam.