# Flow types, limits and approval capabilities

*Platform Administrator II Study Guide · Process Automation · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator-ii/process-automation/flow-types-limits-and-approval-capabilities*

What each flow type can and cannot do, how scheduled paths, Wait elements, screens and subflows split or share a transaction, which per-transaction limits flows hit, how to design a classic approval process (submitters, locking, approvers, delegates, recall, actions) within its limits, and what Flow Approval Processes add.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Administrator II
- Exam section: Process Automation
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator-ii

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, explain the capabilities and limitations of each declarative automation tool.

## What the exam expects

- Match a requirement to a flow type, including platform event-triggered and Flow Orchestration.
- Explain how screens, Wait elements and launching automation split or share a transaction, and which elements count toward the SOQL, DML and CPU limits.
- Explain scheduled path batching and run context, and Custom Error placement.
- Design a classic approval process (submitters, record locking, approvers, delegates, recall, actions) within its limits, and know what Flow Approval Processes add.

Key terms: **per-transaction limit** (a governor limit every flow element in the transaction shares); **scheduled path** (runs at a time relative to the trigger or a record date); **Custom Error element** (blocks a record-triggered save with a message); **delegated approver** (an alternate an assigned approver appoints); **flow approval process** (stages of approval and background steps run as an orchestration).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Error element | Record-triggered only, before-save or after-save path; not async, not subflows | [Custom Error Element](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_ref_elements_custom_error.htm&type=5), [Decision Guide](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/decision-guides/guide/record-triggered) |
| Schedule frequency | Once, daily or weekly | [Schedule-Triggered Flows](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.flow_concepts_trigger_schedule.htm&type=5) |
| Scheduled path batch size | Default and maximum 200, minimum 1 | [Scheduled Paths](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.flow_concepts_trigger_scheduled_path.htm&type=5) |
| Classic approvers per step | 25 | [Classic Approval Limits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_limits.htm&type=5) |
| Locked record editors | Admins (Modify All Records or Modify All Data), optionally the assigned approver | [Edit Locked Records](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_create_recordeditability.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Roll-up mass recalculation | Does not trigger workflow rules or field validations | [Roll-Up Summary Field](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_about_roll_up_summary_fields.htm&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a failing element's fault path not save a load that hit the DML statement limit?
- When do interviews resumed after a Wait share one set of limits?
- Why does a schedule-triggered flow that updates all `$Record` field values fail on every record?

## Sources

- [Flow Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_concepts_type.htm&type=5)
- [Per-Transaction Flow Limits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_considerations_limit_transaction.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Avoid Flow Limits (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/flow-implementation-1/avoid-flow-limits)
- [Schedule-Triggered Flows](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.flow_concepts_trigger_schedule.htm&type=5)
- [Scheduled Paths](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.flow_concepts_trigger_scheduled_path.htm&type=5)
- [Record-Triggered Flow Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_considerations_trigger_record.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Record-Triggered Automation (Decision Guide)](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/decision-guides/guide/record-triggered)
- [Classic Approval Processes Limits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_limits.htm&type=5)
- [Limits and Considerations for Classic Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Automate Your Approvals with Flow Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.automate_automated_approvals.htm&type=5)
- [Define the Run Order of Record-Triggered Flows for an Object](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.flow_task_trigger_run_order.htm&type=5)
- [Roll-Up Summary Field](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_about_roll_up_summary_fields.htm&type=5)
- [Custom Error Element](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_ref_elements_custom_error.htm&type=5)
- [Classic Approval Processes Terminology](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_terminology.htm&type=5)
- [Create a Classic Approval Process with the Standard Wizard](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_creating_approval_processes.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Specify Who Can Edit Locked Records in a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_create_recordeditability.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Specify Who Can Submit Records to a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_create_submitters.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Control Which Records Apply to an Approval Step in a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.approvals_step_entrycriteria.htm&type=5)
- [Identify Assigned Approvers for an Approval Step in a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_step_approver.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Considerations for Setting Approvers in Classic Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_considerations_approver.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Groups of Automated Actions in a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_automated_actions_groups.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Considerations for Managing Classic Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_considerations_manage.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Add Automated Actions to a Classic Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_automated_actions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 24 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Administrator II pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams