Question 1

What causes Flow Designer Action Failing with Permission Error?

Accepted Answer

Flow running as triggering user without sufficient permissionshigh likelihood

Check the flow properties under 'Run As' setting - if set to 'User who initiated session' the flow inherits the triggering user's permissions. Look at the failed action in Flow Designer execution details to see which user context caused the failure.

Cross-scope access violationhigh likelihood

Navigate to System Applications > My Company Applications and check if your flow's application scope has 'Can read' configuration for the target table's application scope. Also verify in sys_scope_privilege table if cross-scope privileges exist between the applications.

ACL blocking the specific operationmedium likelihood

Check System Security > Access Controls (ACL) for rules on the target table that might block create/read/write/delete operations. Look specifically for ACLs with conditions that evaluate to false for your user context or operation type.

Script Include in different scope without proper accessmedium likelihood

If the action calls a Script Include, verify the Script Include's 'Accessible from' field in sys_script_include table. If set to 'This application scope only', it blocks cross-scope access from your flow's application.

Missing role assignment for elevated table accesslow likelihood

Check if the target table requires specific roles beyond basic CRUD permissions. Look at the table's dictionary entry and any custom ACLs that reference specific roles like 'admin', 'security_admin', or custom application roles.

Question 2

How do you fix Flow Designer Action Failing with Permission Error?

Accepted Answer

How to fix it Open your failing flow in Flow Designer and click on the flow properties (gear icon in the top right). In the flow properties, locate the Run As field and change it from 'User who initiated session' to 'System User' if the action needs elevated permissions. Save and test the flow. If it still fails, continue with cross-scope access verification. Navigate to System Applications > My Company Applications and open your flow's application scope record. Scroll to the Application Access related list and verify that the target table's application scope is listed with 'Can read' status. If missing, click New to add cross-scope access. Select the target application scope and set status to 'Can read'. Check for blocking ACLs by navigating to System Security > Access Controls (ACL) and filter by your target table name. Look for ACL rules matching the operation type (create, read, write, delete) that your failing action is attempting. Open each relevant ACL and check the Requires role field and Script condition. Verify these conditions allow your flow's execution context. If your action calls Script Includes, navigate to System Definition > Script Includes and search for the specific Script Include name. Open the Script Include record and verify the Accessible from field is set to 'All application scopes' if you need cross-scope access. For role-based issues, navigate to User Administration > Users and check if the system user or triggering user has required roles referenced in the ACLs. Test your flow again after making the necessary permission or scope changes.

Question 3

How do you prevent Flow Designer Action Failing with Permission Error?

Accepted Answer

Always set flows that perform system operations to 'Run As: System User' during initial development to avoid permission issues. Create application cross-scope access relationships upfront when building flows that interact with tables from different application scopes. Use the 'Test' feature in Flow Designer with different user contexts to validate permissions before deploying flows to production. Document required roles and ACL dependencies in your flow description when building flows that need specific permissions. Set Script Includes to 'Accessible from: All application scopes' when they need to be called from flows in different scopes.

Flow Designer Action Failing with Permission Error

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