# Create a Flow

> Create a WhatsApp Flow in Avox click by click: start from scratch or a premade Flow, name it, edit and check its JSON with Meta, set up an endpoint if it needs one, and publish.

Source: https://docs.theavoxai.com/walkthrough/create-flow

This walkthrough takes you through the **Create Flow** wizard. A Flow is a structured form a
customer fills out inside WhatsApp itself: a booking, a sign-up, a survey or a support request.
Once it's published, you send it with an automation. Every part is covered in full on
[Flows](https://docs.theavoxai.com/flows), and what Flows are on [WhatsApp Flows](https://docs.theavoxai.com/whatsapp/flows).

> **Note: Before you start**
>
> You need a WhatsApp number connected to Avox first ([Connect WhatsApp](https://docs.theavoxai.com/walkthrough/connect-whatsapp)).
> Admins and Managers can create Flows by default; an Admin can change that per member under
> [Permissions](https://docs.theavoxai.com/switchboard/members#permissions) ("Create and edit Flows").

## Choose your starting point

**A premade Flow** is the fastest start. Avox has ready-made Flows in two groups:

- **No endpoint needed** - Collect purchase interest, Get feedback, Send a survey, Customer
  support.
- **Needs a live endpoint** - Flows that pull real-time data (available slots, a live quote) from
  your own server, such as Appointment booking or Account sign-in/sign-up.

**Start from scratch** gives you a simple one-screen form to edit, under a category: **Sign up**,
**Log in**, **Appointment booking**, **Lead generation**, **Shopping**, **Contact us**,
**Customer support**, **Survey** or **Other**.

You write the Flow in Meta's Flow JSON. If that's new to you, start from a premade Flow and
change it.

## Step by step

**1. Open the wizard**

Click **Flows** in the sidebar, then **Create Flow** at the top of the page. Or click a card under
**Start from a premade Flow** on the Flows page: it opens the wizard with that Flow filled in, at
**Name**.

The wizard has three steps, **Type**, **Name** and **Content**, with a live phone preview on the
right. **Back to Flows** returns to the list at any time; your work is kept as a draft.

![The Flows page: the Flows used meter, the Docs and Create Flow buttons, the Start from a premade Flow cards and the Needs a live endpoint cards](https://docs.theavoxai.com/screens/flows/list-light.webp)

*The Flows page. Click Create Flow, or start from a premade card.*

**2. Type: pick a category or a premade Flow**

Under **Start from scratch**, click a category, for example **Appointment booking**. Or under
**Or start from a premade Flow**, click one listed under **No endpoint needed** or **Needs a live
endpoint**.

Hovering or clicking a card shows it on the phone; nothing is picked until you click
**Continue**.

![Step 1 of the Create Flow wizard: nine Start from scratch category cards, the start of the premade Flows, and a phone preview of the starter form](https://docs.theavoxai.com/screens/flows/create-type-light.webp)

*Step 1, Type. Preview any card on the phone, then Continue.*

**3. Name: name it and pick categories**

Under **Name your Flow**, enter a **Flow name** (up to 100 characters). It's what you'll see in
the Flows list and in Meta's. A premade Flow fills in its own title, which you can change.

Under **Categories**, click one or more chips. Meta allows more than one category per Flow. Click
**Next**.

![Step 2 of the Create Flow wizard: the Name your Flow section with the Flow name field and the Categories chips](https://docs.theavoxai.com/screens/flows/create-name-light.webp)

*Step 2, Name. Pick at least one category.*

**4. Content: edit the JSON**

Edit the Flow in the **Flow content Editor (JSON)**. The phone preview reads your JSON as you
type. Click **Run** (or press `Ctrl` + `Enter`, `Cmd` + `Enter`
on a Mac) to refresh it on purpose; the preview pulses to confirm. For a Flow with several
screens, use the **Previewing** menu above the phone to look at each one.

![Step 3 of the Create Flow wizard: the Flow content Editor (JSON) with Run and Validate, the Errors, Actions and Endpoint buttons, and the phone preview](https://docs.theavoxai.com/screens/flows/create-content-light.webp)

*Step 3, Content. Edit the JSON and watch the phone update.*

**5. Check for errors**

Click **Errors** in the footer. It lists problems Avox spots as you type, numbered, starting with
anything that isn't valid JSON. When there are problems, the button turns red and shows how many.

Then click **Validate** above the editor to check the JSON with Meta too. Meta's findings join the
same list. With nothing left to fix, it reads "No errors - Meta's happy with this JSON."

**6. Review the actions**

Click **Actions** in the footer to see each action your Flow uses (such as `complete`), how many
times, and what it does in plain English.

**7. Set up an endpoint (only if needed)**

A Flow that needs live data talks to your own server. Click **Endpoint** in the footer, switch on
**This Flow needs a live endpoint**, and complete the five checklist steps ("Complete the steps
below"):

1. **Set endpoint URI** - your server's `https://` address.
2. **Add phone number** - uses your connected number.
3. **Sign public key** - **Generate key pair** creates a key pair in your browser. Copy the
   private key straight away ("Save this private key now - it won't be shown again"), then click
   **Register public key with Meta**.
4. **Connect Meta app** - shows **Connected.** once it's linked.
5. **Health check** - **Run health check** checks your server answers.

**Endpoint snippet** gives a working starting point for your server in **Next.js** or
**Express**. See [Live endpoints](https://docs.theavoxai.com/flows#live-endpoints).

**8. Create & publish**

Click **Create & publish**. You see "Flow created and published", the wizard returns to the Flows
page, and the Flow shows as **Published** under **Your Flows**.

**9. Send it with an automation**

Flows reach customers through an automation. Add a **Use Flows** action, pick your Flow, and set
its button label (for example "Book now"). It costs 3 credits each time it's sent. See
[Use Flows](https://docs.theavoxai.com/automation/actions#use-flows) and [Create an automation](https://docs.theavoxai.com/walkthrough/create-automation).

## The starter JSON

A Flow started from scratch begins with one screen holding a form with a **Full name** field and
a **Submit** button that completes the Flow:

```json
{
  "version": "6.0",
  "screens": [
    {
      "id": "MAIN",
      "title": "New Flow",
      "terminal": true,
      "success": true,
      "data": {},
      "layout": {
        "type": "SingleColumnLayout",
        "children": [
          {
            "type": "Form",
            "name": "form",
            "children": [
              { "type": "TextInput", "name": "full_name", "label": "Full name", "input-type": "text", "required": true },
              { "type": "Footer", "label": "Submit", "on-click-action": { "name": "complete", "payload": {} } }
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

Add fields to the form's `children`, change the `title`, or add more screens. The phone preview
shows each change.

## Leaving and coming back

Your progress saves as a draft as you go. Resume it any time from the **Drafts** section on the
Flows page, which holds up to 10 drafts. **Start over** in the summary bar at the top of the
wizard discards the draft and begins a new Flow. If your internet connection drops, your Flow
stays on this device and you can publish it once you're back online.

## Tips

- **Start premade.** A premade Flow is already complete, working JSON, so you mostly change the
  wording.
- **Validate before publishing.** **Run** only refreshes the preview on your screen; **Validate**
  is the real check with Meta.
- **Keep the private key safe.** For an endpoint Flow, your server needs the private key, and it's
  shown only once.
- **Check the preview on every screen.** Use **Previewing** to step through each screen before you
  publish.

## Common mistakes

**Create & publish says to check the Flow**

The avatar shows "Check the Flow's name, categories, and JSON." ([AVX-3032](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3032)).
Make sure the Flow has a name, at least one category, valid JSON, and an endpoint URL if
**This Flow needs a live endpoint** is on.

**Meta rejected the JSON**

You see "Meta rejected this Flow's JSON - check the errors below." ([AVX-3036](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3036))
or "Meta couldn't accept that Flow. Check its JSON and try again."
([AVX-3035](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3035)). Open **Errors**, fix each numbered item, click **Validate**
again, then publish.

**Run does nothing**

**Run** is greyed out while the JSON doesn't parse. Open **Errors**: the first item says where
the JSON breaks, often a missing comma or bracket.

**My endpoint Flow can't reach my server**

Work through the **Endpoint** checklist until it reads "Endpoint is set up" (5/5). The health
check is a plain reachability check; your server still has to decrypt Meta's requests with the
private key, as the **Endpoint snippet** shows.

**Create & publish is greyed out**

Every Flow slot on your plan is in use: "You've used every Flow your plan allows."
([AVX-3033](https://docs.theavoxai.com/error-codes/avx-3033)). The **Flows used** meter on the Flows page shows the count;
see [Plans](https://docs.theavoxai.com/plans) for higher limits.

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