On the third day of Agentforce, Salesforce gave to me...three action types, two data sources, and a chatbot in a web tree!
Sarah, a financial advisor at a boutique wealth management firm, starts her Monday morning with 47 unread emails. Three are urgent client questions about portfolio performance during last week's market volatility. She needs to check Salesforce for account details, consult with her operations team via Slack about transactions in progress, review portfolio positions in her financial planning software, and craft personalized responses—all while preparing for a 9:00 AM client meeting.
From Conversation to Autonomous Action
An AI agent that only talks about data isn't much better than a search engine. The transformative power of Agentforce comes from Actions—the tools that let agents DO things.
Market Insight: Gartner predicts that by 2025, AI agents capable of taking autonomous actions will reduce customer service operational costs by 30%.
Source: Gartner Research
Category 1: Declarative and Low-Code Actions
Salesforce Flows
Flows are your automation powerhouse for multi-step processes, record operations, and business logic—all without custom code.
| Flow Type | Agentforce Use |
|---|---|
| Autolaunched Flow | ✅ Primary choice for agent actions |
| Screen Flow | ❌ Not compatible with agents |
| Record-Triggered Flow | ✅ For background automation |
Prompt Templates
Prompt Templates leverage generative AI for summarization, drafting, and analysis—grounded with CRM data.
Category 2: Pro-Code and Integration Actions
Apex Actions
Custom Apex logic via @InvocableMethod for complex calculations and integrations beyond Flow capabilities.
External Services
Connect to REST APIs via OpenAPI specifications—no custom code required.
Examples: Address validation, credit checks, inventory sync.
Category 3: Enterprise Integration Actions
MuleSoft APIs
MuleSoft connects to legacy systems, on-premise databases, and diverse application landscapes with enterprise-grade reliability.
The Real Magic: Action Combination
Customer says: "I need to return a defective product and get a replacement shipped to a different address."
Your agent executes:
- Named Query (SOQL): Retrieve order details
- Salesforce Flow: Initiate return, create RMA
- External Service: Validate new address
- Apex Action: Calculate shipping priority
- Flow: Create replacement order
- Prompt Template: Generate confirmation
Six actions, one seamless conversation—under 30 seconds.
Best Practices for Agentforce Actions
- Single Responsibility: Each action does ONE thing well
- Clear Naming: Use verb-noun patterns (Get_Order_Status)
- Error Handling: Plan for failures gracefully
- Performance: Optimize queries, minimize external calls
Key Takeaways: Day 3
✅ Actions transform agents from conversational to autonomous
✅ Flows provide powerful no-code automation capabilities
✅ Apex enables custom logic for complex requirements
✅ External Services connect to third-party APIs without code
✅ MuleSoft brings enterprise-grade integration
✅ Combining multiple action types creates seamless experiences
Series Navigation: Day 3 of 12 | ⬅️ Day 2: Data Integration | ➡️ Day 4: Coming Tomorrow
Tomorrow: Four channels to meet customers wherever they are!
About the Author
David Cockrum founded Vantage Point after serving as Chief Operating Officer in the financial services industry. His unique blend of operational leadership and technology expertise has enabled Vantage Point's distinctive business-process-first implementation methodology, delivering successful transformations for 150+ financial services firms across 400+ engagements with a 4.71/5.0 client satisfaction rating and 95%+ client retention rate.
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- Email: david@vantagepoint.io
- Phone: (469) 652-7923
- Website: vantagepoint.io
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