Custom flows

A Custom flow is a flexible flow type designed to support use cases that do not fit into predefined flow categories. It allows the implementation of tailored logic and custom processes, which can be adapted to specific business or integration requirements. Custom flows can be triggered according to the configured entry points and provide full control over the flow behavior.

Add a custom flow

1. Open the left sidebar and select Visual Identity Orchestrator from the menu.

2. This will display a list of flow categories, select Custom.

3. Press ADD button.

4. On "define flow type" decide your own label for the flow type that fits your specific use case.

5. Complete the configuration by following the steps described in the add flow section, starting from step 5.

When to use custom flows

Custom flows are ideal for:

Business-specific processes

• Industry-specific workflows

• Company-specific policies

• Unique compliance requirements

• Specialized user journeys

Complex integrations

• Multi-system orchestration

• Custom protocol implementations

• Legacy system bridges

• Specialized data transformations

Experimental features

• Proof of concept implementations

• A/B testing new workflows

• Prototype new functionality

• Temporary solutions

Special use cases

• Non-standard authentication methods

• Custom user onboarding

• Specialized administrative tasks

• Unique reporting or analytics flows

Design considerations

Naming convention

Choose descriptive, meaningful names for your custom flow types:

• ✅ "Partner Onboarding"

• ✅ "Enterprise SSO Setup"

• ✅ "Compliance Verification"

• ❌ "Custom Flow 1"

• ❌ "Test"

Documentation

Custom flows require extra documentation:

• Purpose and use cases

• Trigger conditions

• Expected inputs and outputs

• Integration points

• Known limitations

Maintenance

Plan for long-term maintenance:

• Assign ownership

• Document dependencies

• Version control

• Migration path to standard flows (if applicable)

Best practices

Start simple

• Begin with minimal functionality

• Test thoroughly before adding complexity

• Iterate based on real usage

• Consider if existing flow categories could work

Follow standards

Even for custom flows:

• Use consistent naming conventions

• Follow security best practices

• Implement proper error handling

• Add appropriate logging

Consider reusability

• Break complex logic into library flows

• Use comments to document sections

• Make flows configurable with variables

• Design for potential future categorization

Security

• Apply the same security standards as other flows

• Validate all inputs

• Implement proper authorization

• Audit and log activities

Migration to standard categories

If your custom flow becomes common or standardized:

1. Review existing categories: Check if it now fits a standard category

2. Create new category: If many similar custom flows exist, propose a new category

3. Update documentation: Reflect the change in type

4. Notify stakeholders: Inform teams of the reclassification

Examples of custom flows

Partner integration

Handle specialized partner onboarding with custom verification steps specific to business agreements.

Regulatory compliance

Implement region-specific compliance checks that don't fit standard authentication or self-service flows.

Custom reporting

Create flows that aggregate and export data in formats specific to your organization's needs.

Specialized notifications

Build notification workflows with custom triggers and delivery methods not covered by standard flows.

Next Steps

• Library flows

• Design flows

• Add flows