> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://umconnect.crisp.help/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Introduction to Flows

A flow is a visual representation of conditional branch logic that's applied to your contacts once they enter it. Once a contact has entered a flow, they interact directly with its steps. 
Steps are composed of ActionSets and RuleSets, and determine the length of a flow, which can be as short as a single step or as long as you want.

To create a flow, navigate to the "flows" tab and click the "Create Flow" button:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/5f6775a4-dfb3-4f49-a992-7f1183d6802e/0dcbc23c-0ae5-4431-af8c-549fe31990f6.png)

**The "Create Flow" dialogue will appear, where you can: **
1.	give the flow a name
2.	__assign it keyword triggers__
3.	specify how long inactive contacts will remain in the flow before being removed
4.	select the type of flow you'd like to create
5.	set the language in which you'll edit it


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/5f6775a4-dfb3-4f49-a992-7f1183d6802e/5d9ff8fc-890c-44cb-93fe-7ffce5a5d42e.png)

Once you've assigned your flow the proper attributes click the "Create" button to enter the flow editor.

Note that when building a flow, we recommend prioritizing vertical movement over horizontal movement. The flow editor is designed to support horizontal movement to a point, but will support vertical movement indefinitely.