Salesforce Release is the process by which Salesforce updates its software platform to add new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. Salesforce releases typically occur three times a year, in spring, summer, and winter, and are named after the season in which they are released.

Each release includes a set of new features and improvements to existing features, which are designed to help users get more out of the platform. Salesforce also provides detailed release notes that outline the changes in each release, along with documentation and training materials to help users understand and adopt the new features.

In today’s blog, I am going to share a very powerful feature that is coming along with Summer 23 release. With Summer 23 release, you can call HTTP Post methods directly from Salesforce Flow. Previous release, Salesforce introduced the power of calling HTTP Get methods from Salesforce Flow. Here is the youtube video, where I have explained the configuration – https://youtu.be/n-vHAqr6KiI

Read this blog post or watch the video below to understand how to call HTTP Post methods from Salesforce Flow.

Prerequisite

The first thing that you need to configure is Named Credentials. I have a dedicated blog post and youtube video where I have shown the new process of creating named credentials/external credentials that is coming along with the Summer 23 release.

Blog: https://sudipta-deb.in/2023/04/summer-23-release-how-to-add-named-credentials-to-permission-set-using-principals.html

Youtube: https://youtu.be/53q3I-bJobk

API Being Used

For this demo, I will be using the Post Call from the website – https://restful-api.dev/

Step 1 – Create The Flow

Let’s start with a Screen Flow and add the Action element. In the Filter By dropdown, select Type and then select External Service.

Here select the External Service Action from the available actions. In my case, I will select the action named as PostCallAction.

Step 2 – Configure The New Action

I will configure the action as below –

• • Label – externalPostCall

For the body, I will create a new Variable and the type of the variable will be “Apex-Defined Variable“.

Step 3 – Create The Apex-Defined Variable

Here I will create the new Apex-Defined Variable with below parameters –

• • Resource Type – Variable
  • API Name – InputBody
  • Data Type – Apex-Defined
  • Apex Class – ExternalService__PostCall_PostCallAction_IN_body (This should correspond to the external service name)

Step 4 – Finish The Action Element

With the Apex-Defined variable configured, I will save the Action Element. Now what I need to do is assign the values to this Apex-Defined variable, which is basically the input to the HTTP Post Call.

Step 5 – Assign Values to Apex-Defined Variable

I will create one Assignment block just before the Action block. The reason is to assign input values as per the API documentation (https://restful-api.dev/).

Below is the screenshot of what my Assignment element looks like.

Debug The Flow

With everything configured, I can now debug the flow and test to ensure I am getting the expected result. Here is the screenshot of debug.

Conclusion

In conclusion, utilizing HTTP POST method calls from Salesforce Flows is a powerful technique that can significantly enhance your automation capabilities within the Salesforce ecosystem. By integrating external services and systems with Salesforce, you can create more robust, dynamic, and intelligent workflows that cater to a wide range of business scenarios.

Throughout this blog post, I have discussed the key aspects of implementing HTTP POST method calls from Salesforce Flows. I have shown how to configure and set up an external service using Named Credentials, create an HTTP Request object, and handle responses. Furthermore, I have touched upon best practices and considerations to ensure the security and efficiency of your integration.

As you explore the world of Salesforce Flows and HTTP POST method calls, remember to think creatively and strategically about how you can leverage these tools to streamline your business processes, reduce manual tasks, and improve overall productivity. Keep experimenting, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what you can accomplish with Salesforce Flows and HTTP POST method calls. Happy integrating!

Disclaimer

This article is not endorsed by Salesforce, Google, or any other company in any way. I shared my knowledge on this topic in this blog post. Please always refer to Official Documentation for the latest information.