A flow is the scripted conversation a channel runs to capture a lead — questions, branches, and the eventual handoff. An automation rule reacts to an event (a lead is captured, its stage changes, it gets scored, or a tracked link is clicked) and runs actions: an email alert, a webhook, a stage change, or a CRM push.

A published flow change never disrupts a conversation already in progress — drafts and live conversations are kept apart on purpose, so publishing mid-conversation cannot pull someone into a different script part-way through.