Flow Builder

The Orbit Flow Builder is a visual drag-and-drop editor for designing communication workflows. Built on React Flow, it provides an intuitive canvas where you connect nodes to build automations of any complexity.

Accessing the Builder

Open the Flow Builder from the Orbit dashboard: Flows > Create New Flow or edit an existing flow.

Node Types

Drag nodes from the sidebar onto the canvas and connect them to build your flow.

Triggers

Choose a trigger node, then set its Trigger Type in the config panel:

Trigger Type	Description
Incoming SMS	Starts when an SMS is received on one of your numbers
Incoming WhatsApp	Starts when a WhatsApp message is received
Incoming Email	Starts when an email is received on a connected address
Webhook	Starts when an external system calls your flow’s webhook URL
Schedule	Starts on a cron schedule (e.g., daily at 9 AM)
Business Event	Starts when a platform event fires (e.g., `contact.created`)
Campaign	Starts when a campaign sends to a contact
Contact Action	Starts when a contact is added, updated, or tagged
Audience Event	Starts when a contact enters or leaves an audience

Actions

Node	Description
Send SMS	Send an SMS message
Send WhatsApp	Send a WhatsApp template or session message
Send Email	Send an email using a template or inline content
Send RCS	Send an RCS rich card or text
Make Call	Initiate an outbound voice call
HTTP Request	Call any external API (also called the Webhook node)

AI

Node	Description
Run Agent	Hand the conversation to an AI agent
AI Classify	Classify the inbound message and route by detected intent
AI Response	Generate an AI-written reply from the conversation
AI Sentiment	Score the message sentiment and branch on it

Logic

Node	Description
Condition	Branch based on a value (if/else)
Split	Fork execution down several branches in parallel
Merge	Join parallel branches back into a single path
Delay	Wait for a duration before continuing

Nodes for API-defined flows

Flows created through the API can use extra node types that the visual builder does not yet surface in its palette. Add them to a flow definition’s nodes array and the runtime executes them the same way:

Node	Description
Functions	Derive or set flow variables with safe `{{...}}` templates and boolean expressions, then reference them downstream
Update Record	Write collected fields (e.g. lifecycle stage, tags, custom attributes) back to the contact record
Send Survey	Send an NPS, CSAT, or CES survey to the contact
Send-Time Optimization	Hold the contact until their predicted best time to receive the next message
A/B Test	Route contacts down weighted variants and report a per-variant winner

Additional messaging channels — Viber, LINE, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger, push, and fax — are available as send nodes in API-defined flows as well.

Not yet available: Wait for Reply and Loop (per-item iteration) are on the roadmap. For a multi-way branch, chain Condition nodes (each is an if/else fork). To set a variable in the visual builder, capture values from an upstream node’s output (e.g. an HTTP Request response) and reference them with {{...}}, or use a Functions node in an API-defined flow.

Building a Flow

1. Add a Trigger

Every flow starts with a trigger node. Drag one onto the canvas — this defines what starts your workflow.

2. Add Action Nodes

Drag action nodes below your trigger and connect them by dragging from the output handle of one node to the input handle of the next.

3. Use Variables

Reference dynamic data in any text field using double curly braces. Variables are flat keys drawn from the trigger payload and contact context — use {{first_name}}, not a dotted path like {{contact.first_name}}. A placeholder whose key is missing from the context renders as an empty string:

Hello {{first_name}}, your order {{order_id}} has shipped!

4. Add Conditions

Use condition nodes to create branches:

If {{order_total}} > 100
  → Send VIP thank you email
Else
  → Send standard confirmation SMS

5. Test Your Flow

Click Test in the toolbar to simulate the flow with sample data. The builder highlights each node as it executes so you can trace the path.

6. Publish

Click Publish to activate your flow. Published flows process live events immediately. You can pause or unpublish a flow at any time without deleting it.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl + S`	Save flow
`Ctrl + Z`	Undo
`Ctrl + Shift + Z`	Redo
`Delete`	Delete selected node
`Ctrl + D`	Duplicate selected node
`Space + Drag`	Pan the canvas
`Scroll`	Zoom in/out

Version History

Every save creates a version. Access previous versions from Flow Settings > Version History to compare changes or roll back.

Getting Started

Channels

AI Agents

Flows

Numbers & Verify

Concepts

Billing

Webhooks

Compliance

Legal

Changelog

Flow Builder

Flow Builder

Accessing the Builder

Node Types

Triggers

Actions

AI

Logic

Nodes for API-defined flows

Building a Flow

1. Add a Trigger

2. Add Action Nodes

3. Use Variables

4. Add Conditions

5. Test Your Flow

6. Publish

Keyboard Shortcuts

Version History

​Flow Builder

​Accessing the Builder

​Node Types

​Triggers

​Actions

​AI

​Logic

​Nodes for API-defined flows

​Building a Flow

​1. Add a Trigger

​2. Add Action Nodes

​3. Use Variables

​4. Add Conditions

​5. Test Your Flow

​6. Publish

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Version History

Flow Builder

Accessing the Builder

Node Types

Triggers

Actions

AI

Logic

Nodes for API-defined flows

Building a Flow

1. Add a Trigger

2. Add Action Nodes

3. Use Variables

4. Add Conditions

5. Test Your Flow

6. Publish

Keyboard Shortcuts

Version History