## Overview

Beyond talking to the contact, a **Flow Builder** flow can **run platform actions** along the way: tag
the contact, log a note, write an attribute, create a contact, open a new conversation, or leave a
private note. This is done with **action nodes**.

The highlight is the **Contact action** node (Contacts category): a dedicated node that exposes exactly
the actions that operate on the contact record, with the right fields ready to go. For the other
platform actions, the generic **ConversaLabs action** node (system action) can run them too.

## Prerequisites

- The **Flow Builder** module enabled for the account (an optional capability by plan/flag).
- **Admin** permission to create and publish flows.
- For the **create conversation** action, a destination **inbox**.
- For conditions/values on a **contact custom attribute**, the attributes defined on the account (they
  load automatically in the node pickers).

## Step by step

How to add a **Contact action** node to a flow:

1. Open the flow in the **Flow Builder**.
2. In the node palette, find the **Contacts** category and drag the **Contact action** node onto the
   canvas.
3. Connect it to the point in the flow where the action should happen.
4. In the side panel, choose the action (for example, **Add contact label**) and fill in the fields. In
   the attribute and value fields, the options are **loaded automatically** — no free text.
5. For **create conversation**, select the **inbox** and, if you want, the initial status and first
   message.
6. **Test** the flow and **publish** it.

## Settings & options

Native nodes/actions available in flows:

| Node / action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Contact action** node | Runs contact actions: add/remove label, add note, and set custom attribute. |
| **Create contact** action | Creates a contact (name, email, phone; inbox optional), with native deduplication. |
| **Create conversation** action | Opens a conversation in an inbox, with optional status and first message. |
| **Add private note** action | Leaves a private note on the conversation (now available in flows too). |
| **Send/create contract** action | Sends or creates a contract from a template (requires the Contracts module). |
| **Send an email to the team** action | Notifies the team by email during the flow. |
| **ConversaLabs action** node | Generic system-action node; can run the same contact/create actions. |

- **Auto-loading picker**: when you configure the action, the contact's custom attributes and their
  values appear automatically — you select, you don't type.
- **Private note in flows**: adding a private note, previously available only in Automations and Macros,
  now also runs inside a flow.
- **Contract and email-to-team actions**: sending or creating a contract from a template (requires the
  Contracts module) and sending an email to the team now **publish and run correctly** inside the action
  node. The **Add SLA** action is not available in flows — use it in Automations or Macros.

## Use cases

- **Tag mid-flow**: when the contact picks a menu option, add the matching label to the contact.
- **Escalate to another inbox**: create a new conversation in an advanced-support inbox when the flow
  detects a complex case.
- **Record context**: write a custom attribute (for example, `interest = annual-plan`) during
  qualification.
- **Alert the team**: leave a private note with the summary gathered in the flow, without sending
  anything to the contact.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- **Loop safety**: contact actions honor loop protections — design the flow so it doesn't trigger
  chained updates.
- **Create contact deduplicates**: the same person (email/phone/identifier) is reused, with no
  duplicates.
- **Create conversation needs an inbox**: with no inbox selected, the action won't run.
- **Admins only**: native actions require admin permission to be assembled in the flow.
- Prefer the **Contact action** node when you only need to touch the record — it brings the right fields
  ready.

## Troubleshooting

- **I can't find the Contact action node**: confirm the Flow Builder is enabled and that you have an
  admin role.
- **The action didn't run in the flow**: check the node is connected to the right path and that the
  required fields are filled in.
- **Create conversation failed**: confirm an **inbox** was selected on the node.
- **The condition/attribute value doesn't appear**: values are loaded from account data — confirm the
  attribute exists and has recorded values.
- **An action shows a locked value, just a number**: the node points to a record of a module that is
  off for the account or that your role cannot open (for example a distribution or a contract
  template). It can also mean the list has not loaded, its request failed, or your access role's list
  does not include the record (it may be outside your reach or removed). The hint explains the cause.
  The reference is kept unchanged whenever the flow can be saved; for a loading failure, reload the
  page to try again. For restricted access, ask someone with access or turn the module back on.
- **The whole action is locked, with a notice that it is not available on this node**: the action's
  module is off for the account, or the action does not belong to this kind of node. The node stays
  exactly as saved (opening the panel does not replace the action) until you choose another action in
  the selector. An unavailable action prevents testing and publishing the flow. If the node itself
  belongs to a module that is off, saving the draft is refused too; keeping its stored values does
  not override that rule.
- **A field shows a number instead of a name**: the saved record is not in the part of the list the
  screen loaded (long lists arrive in pages), or the record may have been removed. When a lookup
  confirms removal, the field identifies it as removed. The saved value is kept; choose another item
  only if you want to change it. Saving unrelated changes does not silently replace that reference.

## See also

- [Flow Builder: visual conversational flows](/hc/ajuda/articles/automation-flows-flow-builder-en)
- [Contact automations: triggers and actions on the record](/hc/ajuda/articles/automation-flows-automacoes-de-contato-en)
- [Macros: reusable actions in one click](/hc/ajuda/articles/automation-flows-macros-en)