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Okta Certified Workflows - Specialty · Part I

Building Flows

43% of Part I — the exam's largest section, split across 4 modules.

Building Flows · Module 2

Sub-topic: Actions & Functions

this deck covers 2 of 3 sub-topics in this module

↑ Module 2 Overview

The Task

"Add actions and functions to your flow"

After the trigger, a flow is a chain of cards. "Each card represents one specific step in a flow", and there are exactly two primary types: action cards and function cards.

Action Cards vs. Function Cards

Action cards — control various aspects of an external application or web service
Function cards — let you interact with the data in your flow to change or control elements

Honest Gap

Okta's own "Action and function cards" reference page (ext-about-apps-functions) is a two-sentence stub — it states the definitions above and links elsewhere for detail. It does not enumerate specific action/function examples beyond what's covered on the linked Cards and Functions pages, so treat the split above as the complete, sourced definition rather than assuming a longer list exists.

Inputs, Outputs, and Chaining

A card must have a configured connection (and any relevant Options) before its Input/Output fields are accessible. "The ability for an action card to accept inputs and then return a different output is one of the most powerful features of Workflows." You chain cards by dragging an output field and dropping it onto another card's input field — for example, an Email Address output from one action card onto a Send Email input on another.

Functions Inside Connector Builder

When you're the one building a custom connector (not just consuming one), "the flows used to make a connector are built almost entirely of functions." The functions menu there is split into categories: Branching, Error Handling, Text, Object, JSON, and Encryption.

The Angle — What Trips People Up

Watch for this in your own sandbox run:

→ Trying to view or map a card's Input/Output fields before its connection is actually configured — the fields aren't accessible until then.

→ Confusing an ordinary action card (drives an external app) with the function-heavy building blocks used inside Connector Builder to construct a new connector from scratch.

One Line To Remember

Cards split into action cards (control an external app/service) and function cards (manipulate flow data). A card's inputs/outputs only become available once its connection is configured, and outputs from one card can be dragged straight onto another card's input to chain data through a flow. Connector Builder functions are grouped into Branching, Error Handling, Text, Object, JSON, and Encryption.

Sources: help.okta.com — Action and function cards (ext-about-apps-functions); Cards in flows (ext-about-cards); Functions (ext-connectorbuilder-functions-learn)