Viewing the Flow Start Log: Auditing Who Started Flows and How Many Runs Occurred

The Flow Start Log helps you understand when, how, and by whom flows are started in your workspace. It’s especially useful for auditing large launches, troubleshooting unexpected activity, and comparing intended audiences to actual flow runs. In this guide, you’ll learn where to find the Flow Start Log, what each entry contains (flow name, started by, start date, contacts/groups selected, completed runs), and how to interpret cases where run counts are lower than expected.

Quick setup checklist

Use this checklist to access the Flow Start Log and interpret what each log entry means.

  1. Open the Flow Start Log
  2. Understand what the log lists
  3. Interpret who started the flow and when
  4. Review contacts or groups selected
  5. Interpret Completed Runs correctly
1
Open the Flow Start Log

The Flow Start Log helps you understand when, how, and by whom flows are started in your workspace.

To view the Flow Start Log:

  • Navigate to the Flows tab
  • In the left-hand sidebar, select Flow Starts

[CAPTURE: Show the Flows page with Flow Starts highlighted in the left sidebar.]

2
Understand what the log lists

The Flow Start Log displays a list of all flow start events in your account.

Each row represents one flow start action, not individual contact runs.

[CAPTURE: Show the Flow Start Log list with multiple entries visible.]

3
Interpret who started the flow and when

Each entry in the Flow Start Log includes the following information:

  • Flow Name: The name of the flow that was started.
  • Started By: The account login (user) that initiated the flow start.
  • Start Date: The date and time when the flow was started.

Started By applies to:

  • Manual starts
  • Campaign-initiated starts
  • Triggered starts (where applicable)

Important: The start date reflects when the start action occurred, not when individual contacts completed the flow.

[CAPTURE: Show a log entry with the “Started by” column visible.]

4
Review contacts or groups selected

Contacts or Groups Started shows which contacts or groups were selected for the flow start.

Important: Not all selected contacts may actually enter the flow. Sending options can exclude some contacts.

Tip: Review Start Flow Sending Options to understand why some contacts may be skipped.

5
Interpret Completed Runs correctly

Completed Runs displays the number of runs completed for that flow start.

A run is defined as:

  • One contact entering a flow and progressing from entry to exit, including all actions and logic in between.

[CAPTURE: Show a log entry with the completed runs count highlighted.]

Note: If a contact is excluded or skipped, it will not count as a run.

Teams commonly use the Flow Start Log to:

  • Confirm that a flow was launched successfully
  • Audit who started a flow and when
  • Compare intended vs actual runs
  • Investigate unexpected flow activity
  • Support troubleshooting and reporting

Common Issues

Why is the number of runs lower than expected?

Cause: Some selected contacts may have been excluded due to sending options.

Common reasons include:

  • Being inactive
  • Already being in another flow
  • Recently completing the same flow

Fix: Review the sending options used for that start and compare the selection with the flow start filters.

Does the Flow Start Log show individual contact behavior?

No. The Flow Start Log shows flow start events (who started what and when), not per-contact histories.

To review per-contact behavior, use flow Results or the contact’s message history.

I can’t find “Flow Starts” in the sidebar

Cause: You may not have the required permissions, or the navigation label may differ by workspace configuration.

Fix: Confirm your user role has access to Flows reporting pages and refresh the Flows section.