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Introduction to Ionflow

What is Ionflow?

Section titled “What is Ionflow?”

Ionflow is a powerful cloud-based workflow automation platform that enables business teams and technical users to create and manage complex processes through an intuitive visual interface, without requiring advanced programming knowledge.

Its primary purpose is to eliminate repetitive manual tasks by automatically connecting different applications. This allows organizations to monitor processes in real-time, reduce human errors, and scale their operations efficiently, freeing valuable time for more strategic tasks.

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First Time User?

Ionflow is designed to be accessible for everyone—from business operators to technical specialists. No coding experience required to get started!

Who is This Document For?

Section titled “Who is This Document For?”

This documentation is designed for:

  • Business Teams: Looking to automate daily tasks and streamline operations
  • Process Administrators: Who need to orchestrate and optimize workflows across departments
  • Technical Users: Requiring system integrations and data management without complex development

Purpose and Scope

Section titled “Purpose and Scope”

What You CAN Do with Ionflow

Section titled “What You CAN Do with Ionflow”

What You CANNOT Do with Ionflow

Section titled “What You CANNOT Do with Ionflow”

It’s important to clarify that Ionflow:

  • Does not develop applications from scratch: It’s an orchestration tool, not a general software development IDE
  • Does not replace complete ERP systems: It complements and connects your existing systems, not substitutes them
  • Does not handle accounting directly: It can move financial data, but it’s not accounting software
  • Does not work offline: As a SaaS solution, it requires internet access to operate
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Security First

Ionflow uses industry-standard encryption to protect your credentials, connections, and workflow data at all times.

Core Concepts

Section titled “Core Concepts”

To get the most out of Ionflow, familiarize yourself with these fundamental terms:

Board / Space (Workflow)

Section titled “Board / Space (Workflow)”

A Board is the visual workspace where you design your automation flows. Here you drag nodes (which represent actions, conditions, or connections) to build your process automation.

Example: A board that automatically sends welcome emails to new customers when they register on your website.

Key Features:

  • Visual drag-and-drop editor
  • Connect nodes with lines to create logic flow
  • Version control (save different versions of your board)
  • Test mode before activating

Flow

Section titled “Flow”

The Flow is the logical unit that gives Ionflow its name. A Board typically groups several related Flows together, each representing a process with its own life.

Although technically a Flow is a set of connected nodes with a start and an end, its structure is not linear.

The flexibility is total:

  • Multiple Endings (Branching): A flow does not always have to end the same way.
    • Example: In a Marketing Automation, if an email arrives from a VIP customer, the flow uses a Language Model (LLM) to analyze their purchase history, draft a hyper-personalized offer, and send it. If the email is from a supplier, the flow takes a different route and simply archives it.
  • Multiple Starts (Converging Triggers): A single process can be activated for various reasons.
    • Example: You can have a “Stock Replenishment” action that triggers both if a customer makes a large purchase (Webhook) and if the end of the month arrives (Schedule). Both paths converge on the same logic.
  • Ecosystems: In the same Board, you can have one flow that receives data and saves it to a database, and another separate flow that reacts to changes in that database to trigger alerts.

The sky is the limit. A Flow is as simple or as complex as your business requires.

Connection (App Connector)

Section titled “Connection (App Connector)”

A Connection is the secure bridge between Ionflow and your external applications (like CRMs, email services, databases). Once configured, it allows your boards to interact with those services without exposing credentials.

Example: A Gmail connection that lets Ionflow send emails on your behalf, or a Salesforce connection to create new leads automatically.

Types:

  • Global Connections: Pre-configured by Ionflow for popular apps (read-only)
  • Tenant Connections: Custom connections you create for your specific apps (editable)

Execution

Section titled “Execution”

Every time your board is activated (by a schedule or an event), it generates an Execution. You can view the history of these executions to verify if everything worked correctly or if there were any errors.

Example: If your board runs every hour, you’ll see 24 executions per day in the execution history.

Execution Details:

  • Status (Pending, Running, Success, Error, Cancelled)
  • Start and end time
  • Input and output data
  • Error logs for troubleshooting
  • Resource units consumed

Persistent Data

Section titled “Persistent Data”

Persistent Data is an internal storage that allows you to save information between different executions of a board. It’s useful for remembering states or previously processed data.

Example: Store the last order ID processed to avoid duplicating work in the next execution.

Use Cases:

  • Remember last sync timestamp
  • Store temporary lookup tables
  • Cache frequently accessed data
  • Track processing state across runs

Webhook

Section titled “Webhook”

A Webhook is a type of trigger that allows you to start a board automatically when receiving a signal from another external system in real-time.

Example: When a customer submits a form on your website, the webhook receives the data and triggers your board to process the new lead.

How It Works:

  1. Create a webhook in Ionflow (you get a unique URL)
  2. Configure the external app to send data to that URL
  3. When data arrives, the board executes automatically
  4. View results in execution history
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Pro Tip

Use webhooks for real-time automation and schedules for periodic batch processing. Combining both gives you the most flexible automation setup!

Your Journey in Ionflow

Section titled “Your Journey in Ionflow”

The typical flow to start automating is straightforward and intuitive:

Access and Registration

Create your account on the platform with your basic information (name, email, company)

Time required: 2-3 minutes

Configure Connections

Set up your first Connections to authorize Ionflow to communicate with your apps

  • Choose from 50+ pre-built app integrations
  • Enter your credentials securely
  • Test the connection before saving

Time required: 5-10 minutes per app

Design Your Board

Enter the Board Editor, drag nodes, and draw your automation process

  • Start with a trigger (schedule or webhook)
  • Add action nodes (send email, create record, etc.)
  • Connect nodes with lines to define flow logic
  • Configure each node’s settings

Time required: 10-30 minutes for simple boards

Test and Activate

Run tests to ensure data flows correctly, then activate the board

  • Use Preview mode to test without affecting real data
  • Review execution logs for any errors
  • Adjust settings if needed
  • Activate when ready

Time required: 5-15 minutes

Monitor Executions

Review Execution History to ensure your processes run smoothly and optimize as needed

  • Check execution status (success/error)
  • Review input and output data
  • Analyze performance metrics
  • Set up alerts for failures

Ongoing activity

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Typical Timeline

From account creation to your first working automation: 30-60 minutes. Most users create their first successful board on the same day they sign up!

Real-World Use Cases

Section titled “Real-World Use Cases”

Automated Email Campaigns

Trigger personalized email sequences when customers take specific actions, increasing engagement by 40%.

Lead Generation Sync

Capture leads from web forms and automatically create records in your CRM within seconds.

Data Synchronization

Keep inventory, orders, and customer data in sync across multiple platforms without manual entry.

Scheduled Reports

Generate and send daily/weekly reports to stakeholders automatically, saving hours of manual work.

Alert Systems

Receive instant notifications when critical events occur (low inventory, failed payments, etc.).

Order Processing

Automatically route orders to fulfillment, update shipping status, and notify customers—all hands-free.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Now that you understand the fundamentals, we recommend:

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Need Help?

Our support team is here to help! Contact us via chat, email, or browse our comprehensive FAQ section for instant answers.

Additional Resources

Section titled “Additional Resources”

Feature Documentation

Section titled “Feature Documentation”

Advanced Topics

Section titled “Advanced Topics”

Getting Support

Section titled “Getting Support”