Timely alerts can transform how quickly your sales teams respond to new opportunities. In Salesforce Lightning Experience, in-app custom notifications — the ones you see under the bell icon — are a fast, non-intrusive way to keep users informed without flooding their inbox.
In this blog, we’ll see how to use Flow to send a bell notification to the Lead Owner the moment a new lead is assigned to them.
Why Use Flow for Notifications?
- Automation without code – No Apex needed.
- Customizable triggers – Send alerts only when conditions match your business rules.
- Multi-channel ready – Works for in-app, mobile push, or both.
What We’ll Build
When a Lead record is created and assigned to a user, that user will instantly receive an in-app bell notification in Salesforce Lightning.
Step 1: Create a Custom Notification Type
Before Flow can send notifications, we need to define the notification “template.”
1.Go to Setup → search Custom Notifications.
2. Click New.
- Name: Lead Assignment Alert.
- API Name: Lead_Assignment_Alert.
- Channels: Select Desktop (and Mobile if needed).
Click Save.
Step 2: Build the Flow
We’ll create a Record-Triggered Flow.
1.Setup → Search Flows → Click New Flow.
2. Select Record-Triggered Flow.
3.Object: Lead.
4.Trigger When a record is created
5.Entry condition:
- You can set this based on your needs.
- Example: Trigger only when the Lead is assigned to a user, or when Status = “Open – New.”
- In this blog, we’ll keep it None so it runs every time a Lead is created — you can add filters later to target specific scenarios
6.Optimize for Actions and Related Records
Step 3: Get the Notification Type Id
The “Send Custom Notification” action requires the Notification Type Id.
We’ll fetch it from the CustomNotificationType object.
1.Add a Get Records element:
- Object: CustomNotificationType
- Filter: Name Equals Lead Assignment Alert (or API Name if you prefer).
- Store Only the first record.
- Automatically store all fields.
Step 4: Create a Text Collection for Recipient IDs
Recipient IDs must be passed as a Text Collection.
1.Create a Variable:
- API Name: varRecipientIds
- Data Type: Text
- Allow multiple values (Collection): ✅ Checked.
2. Add an Assignment element:
- Variable: varRecipientIds
- Operator: Add
- Value: {$Record.OwnerId}.
After adding flow will look like this
Step 5: Add the “Send Custom Notification” Action
- Add an Action element → Search for Send Custom Notification.
- Custom Notification Type ID: from Get Notification Id → CustomNotificationType Id.
- Notification Title: New Lead Assigned.
- Notification Body: Lead has been assigned to you. Click to view details.
- Recipient IDs: varRecipientIds.
- Target ID: {$Record.Id} (makes the notification clickable to the Lead record).
Step 6: Save, Activate, and Test
- Save the Flow as Lead Assignment Notification Flow.
- Activate it.
- Test by creating a Lead in Lightning Experience.
- The Lead Owner should see a bell icon notification instantly.
Best Practices
- Avoid spam – Add conditions (e.g., Status = “Open – New”) so users only get relevant alerts.
- Make it actionable – Always link to the record in Target ID.
- Personalize – Use merge fields like {!$Record.Company} or {!$Record.LeadSource}.
