Test a flow in remote sessions

After you assemble or modify a flow, test it by connecting to a flow runtime. You can use one of the following environments:

• A sandbox1 flow runtime hosted by CONNECT flows. Use this when the flow does not require external connectivity or requires access only to internet-based systems.

• A local flow runtime hosted on another computer, such as a PLC or database. Use this to test access to local systems.

1Sandboxes are only available in Flow Studio; flows cannot be permanently deployed from Flow Studio. Access to local services are not available in sandboxes.

Procedure

1. Select Test & Debug.

2. Select the Connect tab.

   You can view a list of available flow runtime nodes.

   Note: Some nodes may appear gray due to incompatiblity with version requirements for the current flow. Update incompatible modules in Learn about flow settings.

3. Expand a sandbox or flow runtime.

4. Do one of the following:

   • Select Connect for a sandbox.

   • Select the menu icon, then select Connect for a flow runtime.

   • Some nodes may appear unavailable if they do not meet version requirements. Update modules in flow settings if needed.

5. Confirm that the connection is established.

   • A green checkmark appears on the node.

   • The runtime name appears above the Test & Debug window.

6. Select Start next to the runtime name.

   • The flow downloads to the runtime and begins to run.

   • The runtime name appears in green.

7. Review messages in the Debug tab to assess the flow.

8. (Optional) Select Stop to pause new messages.

9. (Optional) Use message menus to open messages in a new window or copy them as JSON.