ServiceFlow Pro Docs
Customers & CRM

Intake Flows

Elijah Johnson · Published · Updated · 6 min read
Each flow is a ordered set of steps; progress is saved so incomplete intakes can be resumed. Intake Flows live under Settings to Intake Flows (/settings/intake-flows). Staff run flows at /intake during live intake calls or counter visits. The office builds one flow named "New service call" under Settings to Intake Flows.
Admin access to Settings is required to build flows. Running intake requires appropriate staff permissions. Create, edit, and delete intake flow definitions. Mark one flow as the default. Start a new instance from Settings or navigate to /intake?flowId={id}. Resume in-progress instances from the Active Instances tab or /intake?instanceId={id}. Complete steps in a modal; link created customers and jobs when steps require them. Complete or Abandon instances from Settings or the runtime page. On completion, navigate automatically to the created job or customer when applicable. Admin role for flow builder access. At least one published intake flow before staff can run intake. Customer and job permissions for steps that create those records. Name the flow and add steps (customer lookup/create, job details, scheduling, etc.). Save and optionally Set as Default. From Settings to Intake Flows, click Start on the desired flow, or open /intake?flowId={flowId}. /settings/intake-flows step 5 is Create an intake flow.

Overview

Intake Flows live under Settings → Intake Flows (/settings/intake-flows). Staff run flows at /intake during live intake calls or counter visits. Each flow is a ordered set of steps; progress is saved so incomplete intakes can be resumed.

How to access

AreaMenu pathRoute
Manage flowsSettings → Intake Flows/settings/intake-flows
Create flowNew Flow on settings page/settings/intake-flows/new
Edit flowRow action/settings/intake-flows/:id
Run flowStart on a flow or resume instance/intake?flowId=… or /intake?instanceId=…
Admin access to Settings is required to build flows. Running intake requires appropriate staff permissions.

How do you create, edit, and delete intake flow definitions?

Create, edit, and delete intake flow definitions.
  • Create, edit, and delete intake flow definitions.
  • Mark one flow as the default.
  • Start a new instance from Settings or navigate to /intake?flowId={id}.
  • Resume in-progress instances from the Active Instances tab or /intake?instanceId={id}.
  • Complete steps in a modal; link created customers and jobs when steps require them.
  • Complete or Abandon instances from Settings or the runtime page.
  • On completion, navigate automatically to the created job or customer when applicable.

Prerequisites

  • Admin role for flow builder access.
  • At least one published intake flow before staff can run intake.
  • Customer and job permissions for steps that create those records.

Step-by-step

Create an intake flow

  1. Go to Settings → Intake Flows.
  2. Click New Flow → /settings/intake-flows/new.
  3. Name the flow and add steps (customer lookup/create, job details, scheduling, etc.).
  4. Save and optionally Set as Default.

Run intake with a customer on the phone

  1. From Settings → Intake Flows, click Start on the desired flow
    — or open /intake?flowId={flowId}.
  2. ServiceFlow creates an instance and updates the URL to ?instanceId=….
  3. Click each step in the checklist; complete the modal fields.
  4. When all required steps are done, click Complete Intake.
  5. You are sent to the new job (/jobs/:id) or customer (/customers/:id) when the flow creates one.

Resume an interrupted intake

  1. Go to Settings → Intake Flows → Active Instances tab.
  2. Click Resume on the in-progress row
    — or open /intake?instanceId={instanceId}.
  3. Finish remaining steps and complete or abandon.

Delete a flow

  1. On the flows list, choose Delete.
  2. If active instances exist, review the warning; complete or abandon instances first when possible.

Example: a counter visit that gets interrupted

The office builds one flow named "New service call" under Settings → Intake Flows. Steps are customer lookup or create, job details, then schedule. They mark it default so the counter always starts the same checklist. Building and deleting flows is an admin Settings task. Running a flow is a staff task and still needs customer and job permissions for any step that creates those records.
A homeowner walks in. Staff click Start. ServiceFlow opens /intake?flowId=…, creates an instance, and rewrites the URL to ?instanceId=…. That instance id is what resume uses. Each step opens a modal. If the phone rings and the employee closes the laptop, the instance stays in_progress. Later they open Active Instances, click Resume, or paste /intake?instanceId=…, and finish the remaining steps. Complete Intake sends them to /jobs/:id or /customers/:id when the flow created one. Abandon closes the instance without that handoff. Abandon does not undo a customer or job a previous step already saved.
Not every step creates both a customer and a job. If the admin only added a customer step, completion lands on the customer and someone still has to create the job. The instance list can show statuses other than in progress so an admin can troubleshoot a stuck run. Day-to-day staff should resume in_progress rows, not replay completed ones.
Intake is not the customer portal and it is not a public link. Customers do not open /intake. If you want the customer to fill fields themselves, use Customer Forms and a portal link. If you want a certificate after the technician is on site, use Service Forms on the job. Deleting a flow that still has active instances warns you first. Complete or abandon those instances so a half-finished counter visit is not orphaned.

Current limitations

  • Flow builder step types depend on what your admin configured; not every step auto-creates both customer and job.
  • Instance management UI shows all instance statuses for troubleshooting; primary staff workflow focuses on in_progress items.
  • Intake is staff-facing in the main web app, not a public customer self-service URL.

Edge cases on a busy counter

If Start is clicked twice, you get two instances. Resume the one that has the customer's answers and abandon the empty one. The URL instanceId is the source of truth, not whichever tab was left open. A step that requires a customer cannot be completed with a blank name and phone if those fields are required on the customer form. Fix the modal. Do not complete the intake and hope the job has a customer later.
Default flow is a convenience. Staff can still start a different flow from the list when the visit is a warranty callback instead of a new install. Deleting the default flow does not delete customers and jobs already created. It removes the checklist. Active instances should be finished or abandoned first so nobody resumes a flow definition that no longer exists.
Permissions stack. An admin can build the flow and still fail a step if their user cannot create jobs. Give the counter role both the Settings access you intend and the customer and job permissions the steps use.

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