--- title: "Branching and Merging Flows" slug: "branching-and-merging-flows" tags: ["Assignments ", "Parallel Approvals", "Assigned Forms", "Branching and merging "] updated: 2025-06-24T14:45:15Z published: 2025-06-24T14:45:15Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.decisions.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Branching and Merging Flows ## Overview **Branching**and **Merging**allows the ability to process multiple **Flow**steps at the same time, rather than one after the other. Branching creates multiples assignments and the Flow is set to wait for each assignment to be completed before the Flow continues. These assignments can be given out individually so that different employees can handle different tasks. For example, a company has a new hire onboarding system that requires work from both the HR department and the IT department. A Flow is started with basic information about the employee - name, start date, etc. The HR department needs to collect employment documentation from the new employee and IT needs to order the employee a laptop before they start. The Flow can be configured with the **Branch Step** to create an Assignment for HR (perhaps with a Form using the [Multiple File Upload](https://documentation.decisions.com/v9/docs/using-the-multiple-file-upload-and-download-controls) control) to collect the documents. At the same time IT has gotten an Assignment telling them to put in a purchase request for that laptop. Once HR and IT have finished their respective assignments the Flow merges with the **Merge Step** and then completes. A Flow can only be branched once. This is a design limitation within Decisions to prevent Flows from becoming unmanageably complex. ThreadingBranching Flows and parallel Assignments are not in any way related to [Multi-Threading](https://documentation.decisions.com/v9/docs/multi-threading-flow-design).Branch and Merge Restriction**Branch**and **Merge****Steps**do not create **Parallel****Processes**and should only be used with **Assigned****Forms**to create **Parallel****Approvals**. Any steps that are anchored between the **Branch**Step and **Merge**Step will run in parallel. However, this is not a true parallel. The steps will not run at the same time, but each step will be able to accept the same **Input**and send their **Output**to the steps within their Branch. ### Canceling Branch Assignments The **Merge Step**can be used to cancel an assignment. For more information see the [step page](https://documentation.decisions.com/step-library/docs/merge-step). --- ## Example 1. From the **Flow****Designer**, navigate to **Toolbox > FLOW MANAGEMENT > BRANCHING**. Then, attach a **Branch****Step**to the **Start**step, and a **Merge****Step**to the **End** step. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2025-06-24_10h40_24.png) 2. However over the **Branch**step to expose its **Outcome Paths**; then, attach a **Show****Form**step from**Toolbox > FAVORITE STEPS** to **Path****1**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2025-06-24_10h41_12.png) 3. From the **Properties**tab of the **Show****Form**step, either [create a new Form](/v9/docs/create-forms)or pick a preexisting one. Attaching Forms The **Form**attached to a **Branch**and **Merge****Step**may be any Form that results in an **Outcome****Path**. For this example, a Form containing a single "Submit" **Button**component is used. 4. Hover over the **Branch****Step**once more to reveal **Path****2**. Attach another **Show****Form**step to newly revealed **Outcome****Path**; then, via PICK OR CREATE FORM, PICK the same Form that was attached to **Path****1**. 5. Repeat the same process demonstrated in step 4 for the **Branch****Step's****Path****3**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2025-06-24_10h43_21.png) 6. **Save**the **Flow**, then if desired close via **X**. --- ## Debug 1. From the **Flow****Designer**, select **Debug**in the top **Action****Bar**. 2. Select START DEBUGGING. 3. Complete each instance of the **Show****Form**step in the order that they are reached. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2025-06-24_10h44_07.png) 4. Verify that the **Outputs**of the **Forms****Merge**at the **Merge****Step**and complete the **Flow**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/2025-06-24_10h44_58.png) --- For further information on Forms, visit the [Decisions Forum](https://community.decisions.com/categories/Forms).