What is Gravity Flow?
Gravity Flow is a WordPress workflow automation plugin built for Gravity Forms. It moves a form entry through steps such as approval, user input, notification, and webhooks. Teams can assign work to people, use conditional logic, and track what happens after a form is submitted.
Use this hub to find Gravity Flow tutorials for common business processes, from a simple request approval to a multi-form workflow.
Start here: Choose a Gravity Flow tutorial
New to workflow automation? Start with the step guide. If you already have a process in mind, choose the task closest to what you want to build.
• Understand Gravity Flow workflow steps — learn the Approval, User Input, Notification, and Webhook steps
• Build a workshop registration and waitlist workflow — see approvals used in an event process
• Connect multiple Gravity Forms — learn how entries can work across forms
• Create a new entry during a workflow — send mapped data into another form
How Gravity Flow works with Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms collects the entry. Gravity Flow handles the process that follows. A workflow is attached to a form, and each step defines the next action. Some steps need a person to approve or edit an entry. Others send a notification or call an external service.
Assignees can work on tasks in the workflow Inbox. Conditions can skip or route steps based on form data. This helps a team keep review work in one process rather than moving requests between inboxes and spreadsheets.
For a detailed view of step types and where they appear, read our guide to Gravity Flow workflow steps or the official Gravity Flow documentation.
Example: Automate an employee leave request
A leave request shows how a form-based workflow works. An employee submits a request. A manager approves or rejects it. If details are missing, the manager can send it back for changes. A notification can then share the decision.
This is an example, not a pre-built workflow. The steps, assignees, and routing must be configured for your site. For the exact step settings, see the Gravity Flow workflow-steps guide.
Gravity Flow tutorials by task
Use the sections below to find a guide for the part of your WordPress workflow you need to configure. Some advanced steps require a Gravity Flow extension.
Approvals and request reviews
Use an Approval step when a manager or another assignee must accept or reject a request. This suits vacation requests, document approvals, and registration reviews. You can also send a request back for changes when the step is set up for it.
• Workshop registration and waitlist tutorial — a practical approval use case
• Workflow steps: Approval — how approval fits into the process
• Official approval setup guide — configuration details
User input and entry updates
A User Input step lets an assigned person change selected entry fields after the first form submission. It can help with staff reviews, missing information, or an onboarding handoff without asking the person to submit the same form again.
• User Input and other core workflow steps — start with the key settings and actions
Notifications and follow-up emails
Use a Notification step to send an email at a chosen point in a workflow. Gravity Flow also supports assignee emails and notification events, so choose the method that fits the message you need to send.
• Notification steps explained — see workflow-triggered emails
• Official Gravity Flow email-notification guide — compare assignee, step, and event emails
Outgoing webhooks and external services
An Outgoing Webhook step sends an HTTP request to an external endpoint. It can pass form data to a third-party service and, when configured, map response data into the entry. Check the target service’s API and authentication needs before you build the connection.
• Outgoing Webhook workflow step — see the step type in context
• Official Outgoing Webhook documentation — request and response options
Multi-form workflows
The Form Connector extension supports processes that involve more than one Gravity Form. For example, a request can create a task entry in another form, update a linked entry, or wait for a second form submission.
• Connect multiple Gravity Forms — entry-to-entry connections
• Form Submission step tutorial — wait for a follow-up form through its workflow link
• Create an Entry step tutorial — create a target entry from mapped values
Incoming data and webhooks
The Incoming Webhook extension offers two different paths. An external system can create a new Gravity Forms entry, or it can send an authenticated request to resume a workflow waiting on an Incoming Webhook step. These are separate setups.
• Incoming Webhooks for Gravity Forms — GravityWP example and setup
• Official Incoming Webhook introduction — compare both approaches
Entry management and workflow data
Form Connector steps can create, update, or delete entries as the process runs. This is useful when one team needs to pass information to another. Test entry IDs and field mapping carefully. Be extra cautious with steps that remove data.
• Update an Entry step — update a target entry using its ID
• Update Fields step — pull values from another entry
• Delete an Entry step — review trash, delete, and retention options
How to build a workflow in WordPress
- Install and activate the tools. Set up Gravity Forms and Gravity Flow. Check which extensions your workflow requires.
- Create a request form. Collect only the form data needed for the process, such as contact details, a request type, or a document.
- Add workflow steps. In the form settings, add steps, select assignees, and configure any approval rules or conditional logic.
- Test before going live. Submit a test entry. Check the Inbox, step history, notification emails, and the final entry values.
For a deeper setup walkthrough, open the official getting-started documentation and the GravityWP workflow-steps guide.
Which extensions do you need?
Core workflow steps cover approvals, user input, notifications, and outgoing webhooks. Extra features come from extensions, and access may depend on your Gravity Flow license. Check the current product terms before installing.
| Your task | Feature to review |
|---|---|
| Route approvals or collect updates | Core Approval and User Input steps |
| Send an email after a decision | Core Notification step or workflow event |
| Connect entries across forms | Form Connector extension |
| Receive external data or resume a waiting step | Incoming Webhook extension |
| View a workflow as a diagram | Flowchart extension |
See the official Gravity Flow extension documentation for the full list. For a visual example, read showing Gravity Flow workflows in flowcharts.
Related GravityWP add-on: Field to Entries can run a feed at a selected workflow step, such as after approval. It is an optional add-on, not a requirement for Gravity Flow.
Real-world workflow use cases
Many form-based business processes follow the same pattern: collect a request, route it to the right person, record a decision, and send the next message. Common use cases include:
| Use case | Example process |
|---|---|
| Vacation requests | Employee submits → manager approves → employee gets an email |
| Employee onboarding | New hire form → HR updates details → task is completed |
| Event registration | Registration → waitlist review → confirmation |
| Document approval | File is submitted → reviewer decides → next step runs |
| Customer requests | Request enters queue → staff adds notes → request is closed |
These are design examples, not measured results. A well-configured workflow may reduce manual handoffs, but turnaround time and other gains depend on the process and team.
Start with one workflow
Begin with one clear process, such as a manager approval or staff update. Build and test the steps first. Then add more complex routing, integrations, or extensions when the basic workflow is working.
Ready to continue? Explore GravityWP’s workflow-step tutorials or Gravity Flow to review the plugin and its features.
Frequently asked questions
Gravity Flow helps manage tasks that follow Gravity Forms submissions. Teams use it for approvals, user input, notifications, and other custom workflows in WordPress.
Yes. An Approval step lets an assignee approve or reject an entry. You can configure what happens next based on the result. Read the approval setup guide.
Yes. Step conditions can control whether an entry takes a given path. This can help route requests based on form values without making a separate form for every case.
Yes, with Form Connector. It adds step types for creating or updating entries and waiting for another form submission. See the multi-form tutorial.
Many common workflows can be set up through the WordPress interface. More complex API connections, custom rules, or integrations may still need technical work.
Our Premium add-ons for Gravity Forms
List Text
Add features like textarea, placeholder and custom validation to a column or multiple columns in a Gravity Forms List Field.
List Dropdown
Add a Dropdown Select with choices to a column or multiple columns in a Gravity Forms List Field.
JWT Prefill
Fill forms with data you can trust. Prefill Gravity Forms fields with a secure token instead of links with editable url parameters, so your data is accurate, tamper-proof, and ready to use.
Personal Edit Link
Let people correct their own Gravity Forms entries. Send a secure personal link that reopens the form with their saved answers and updates the original entry, with locked fields, audit history and optional Gravity Flow steps.
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Author: Erik van Beek
Published: 03-11-2017
Last update: 13-10-2026