A status column tells you where something is.
It does not tell you who is meant to move it forward, what has to be filled in before it can move, or whether anyone skipped a stage.
A flow field does all three.
It turns a single dropdown into a defined process with its own gatekeepers and its own required paperwork at each stage.
What a Flow Field Adds
Compared with a single option field holding your stage names, a flow field lets you:
- Name and colour each step in a process, up to ten of them.
- Specify who is allowed to complete each step, not just who can edit the record.
- Require particular fields to be filled in before a step can be marked done.
- Distinguish between a process that finished properly and one that was abandoned.
Note: If advanced permissions are off, anyone with edit permission can configure the steps. If advanced permissions are on, only users with manage permission can.
Adding a Flow Field
Add a new field or double-click an existing field’s title, then choose Flow as the field type. It sits under the Business group in the field type list.
Configuring a Step
The configuration panel opens with three default steps: Not started, In progress and Done. Click any step to set it up.
- Step name: Required. Double-click the step, or right-click and choose Rename.
- Step colour: Click the icon in the step name field, or right-click and choose Fill Color.
- Who can complete this step: Required. Either Everyone who can edit this field, or a person field from the table so only the named individual can advance it.
- Additional fields: Fields that must be filled in at this step, each toggled required or optional.
Important: Users with manage permission for the base can complete any step regardless of who you nominate. The restriction shapes normal use, it does not lock administrators out.
Note: Some field types cannot be made mandatory: formula, lookup, button, created by, date created, modified by, last modified date, and the personnel details field generated when personnel details are turned on in a person field.
Adding, Reordering and Deleting Steps
Two ways to insert a step. Right-click an existing step and choose Insert Left or Insert Right:
Or hover between two steps and click the + icon:
Drag a step to change its position. The same works for fields in the Additional fields list.
To remove a step, right-click it and choose Delete.
Working the Flow
Double-click a flow field value to open the record details page, where the whole process is laid out with its required fields and the status of each step.
Steps carry one of three statuses: Not started in grey, In progress in orange, and Done in green.
Click Complete Step and the current step turns Done while the next one becomes In progress.
Got ahead of yourself? On a completed step, choose Back to This Step to return it to In progress. Every step after it reverts to Not started.
Ending a Flow Early
Not every process reaches the end. A project gets cancelled, an opportunity is lost. Click the ··· More icon in the upper-right corner of the flow and choose End Flow.
A flow closes in two situations: every step was completed, or somebody ended it manually. You can label those outcomes differently, which is where flow fields earn their keep.
Open Settings, then Configure Done Status in the upper right. Fill in When the flow is done and When the flow is ended.
For a sales pipeline, “Successful” and “Unsuccessful” work well. The grid then shows completed flows in green and abandoned ones in red, so a glance down the column separates wins from losses.
Tip: This is the detail most people miss. Without it, a lost deal and a won deal both just read as finished, and your pipeline reporting quietly becomes useless.
Converting an Existing Field
Already tracking stages in a single option or multiple options field? Change its type to Flow and the options become steps.
- Whichever option a record currently holds becomes its In progress step.
- If a record has several options selected, the first becomes In progress.
Two Ways to Extend It
Record the completion time automatically
Pair a flow field with an automation and you get precise timestamps for the stages you care about.
- Create a date field to hold the completion time.
- Set the automation trigger to When a record updates. Under Select fields, choose your flow field, then set Changes to as is and pick the step you want to capture.
- Set the action to Update record, selecting Record changed in step 1. Choose your date field and set its value to Action time.
- Turn the automation on.
Show progress as a percentage
An IFS formula translates the current step into a completion figure that updates itself.
IFS(Project Stage=”New”,”0%”, Project Stage=”In progress”,”50%”, Project Stage=”Completed”,”100%”)
Useful for dashboards and for rolling several records up into an overall figure.
Practical Use Cases for SMEs and Startups
- Sales pipeline: Only the named account leader can advance a deal, and contact details must be filled in before the first step closes.
- Customer follow-up: Each stage requires its own notes, so nothing gets marked done on the basis of a phone call nobody logged.
- Project delivery: Requirement, initiation, promotion and rollout as four steps, with automations reminding whoever owns the current one.
- Recruitment: Screening, interview, offer and onboarding, with the hiring manager gating the offer step.
- Quality inspection: Sign-off stages that cannot be completed until the inspector attaches their evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many steps can a flow field have in Lark Base?
Ten.
Who can configure the steps in a flow field?
With advanced permissions off, anyone with edit permission for the field. With advanced permissions on, only users with manage permission.
Can I stop certain people from advancing a step?
Yes. Set Who can complete this step to a person field rather than everyone who can edit, and only the person named on that record can complete it. Users with manage permission for the base can still complete any step.
Can I force someone to fill in a field before completing a step?
Yes, using Additional fields with the required toggle on. Note that formula, lookup, button and the various system fields such as created by and last modified date cannot be made mandatory.
What is the difference between a flow finishing and being ended?
A flow is done when every step has been completed, and ended when someone stops it manually. Configure Done Status lets you label the two outcomes separately, for example Successful and Unsuccessful.
Can I undo a completed step?
Yes. Choose Back to This Step on the completed step and it returns to In progress. Any steps after it revert to Not started.
Can I convert an existing status column into a flow field?
Yes. Single option and multiple options fields convert directly, with each option becoming a step.
The option currently selected on a record becomes its In progress step, or the first option if several are selected.
Turning a Column Into a Process
The gap between a status field and a process is accountability.
A dropdown records what somebody says happened; a flow field decides who may say it and what they must produce first.
If you have a stage column that people forget to update or update too optimistically, converting it is a fifteen-minute job.
Ready to Power Your Business with Lark?
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