Set Flow Priorities
Learn how to use Flow Priority to ensure your Flows are seen in the right order.
Table of Contents
When multiple Flows qualify to appear on the same page view, Appcues uses a priority system to decide which one to show first. Set Flow priority weights to control the order your Flows display when they overlap.
Also known as: Flow weight, Flow ordering
How priority works
When a user qualifies for multiple Flows on the same page, Appcues shows only one per page view. It determines which Flow to show by evaluating these rules in order:
- Weight. Flows with a higher weight value always take priority over Flows with a lower weight. Every Flow starts with a default weight of 0.
- Trigger chain. Flows that trigger another Flow take priority over Flows that are triggered by other Flows.
- Frequency. Flows set to Show once take priority over Flows set to Every time.
- Publish date. When all else is equal, the most recently published Flow takes priority.
Appcues evaluates these rules top to bottom and stops at the first difference. In practice, this means priority usually comes down to weight (if set) or publish date (if all weights are equal).
Avoid setting weights on triggered Flows. If a Flow is triggered by another Flow, assigning it a weight can override the trigger chain and cause unexpected behavior.
Choose a priority strategy
If you manage many Flows, consider grouping them by category and assigning weight ranges. This table shows a recommended starting point:
| Priority | Category | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 100 (Highest) | Time-sensitive or critical | Downtime alerts, breaking changes, security notices |
| 75 | Behavior-based guidance | Recommendations, contextual nudges, smart tips |
| 50 | Education and adoption | Feature walkthroughs, onboarding steps, Checklists |
| 25 (Lowest) | Marketing or promotional | Announcements, cross-sells, webinar invites |
Using a tiered approach like this keeps your priority system manageable as you add more Flows. You don't need to assign a unique weight to every Flow — only set weights when two or more Flows are likely to qualify for the same user at the same time.
Set a Flow's priority weight
- Go to your Flows list and select a Flow.
- Click Settings.
- Scroll down to the Flow priority section. The Flow you're editing is highlighted in the priority list.
- Enter a weight value in the Flow weight field. Weights can be any number between -100,000 and 100,000, including decimals. Use a negative weight (like -1) to push a Flow below the default priority.
- Click Push Changes at the top of the page to apply the new weight. For unpublished Flows, click Publish instead.
Tip: The preview table on the settings page always shows how the Flow will be prioritized — as if you had already published or pushed changes. Use it to verify your weight is correct before going live.
Use decimal weights to insert between existing priorities
If you have Flows at weights 1, 2, and 3 and need to slot a new Flow between 1 and 2, set its weight to 1.5. This avoids changing and republishing multiple Flows.
Review all Flow priorities
To see the priority order for every published Flow:
- Open any Flow and click Settings, then click View Flow Priority. The full priority table opens in a new tab. You can also access this from the Flows list: click the ... menu, then select Prioritize Flows.
- Review the priority order. To adjust any Flow's weight, click its name in the table.
Confirm it worked
After setting or changing a Flow weight:
- Open the Flow priority table and verify the Flow appears in the expected position relative to other Flows.
- If two Flows target the same page and audience, confirm the higher-weighted Flow displays first by previewing as a qualifying user.
Troubleshoot priority issues
A Flow isn't showing even though it has a high weight. Check the Flow's trigger, page targeting, and audience settings. Priority only matters when multiple Flows qualify at the same time — if the Flow doesn't match the current user or page, its weight is irrelevant.
A triggered Flow is showing out of order. If the Flow is part of a trigger chain (one Flow triggers another), remove any manually set weight. Weights can override the trigger chain and cause the triggered Flow to display before its parent.
Priority seems random. If no weights are set, priority defaults to publish date (most recent first). Republishing a Flow moves it to the top of the priority list. Check if someone recently republished a Flow that should have lower priority.
Contact support
If Flows still aren't appearing in the expected order after checking weights and targeting, reach out to Appcues Support with:
- The Flow IDs for the affected Flows
- The page URL where the conflict occurs
- A screenshot of your Flow priority table