FlexiRule Docs

Update Record

Modify fields, change states, or perform actions on existing documents.

Update Record Action#

The Update Record action (internally Document Action) is used to interact with documents in the database. Unlike the Assignment action which updates fields on the triggering document, Update Record is used to modify other documents or perform state-level operations like Submit, Cancel, or Amend.

Purpose#

Use the Update Record action when you need to:

Change Remote State: Update a field on a linked document (e.g., set the “Status” of a Sales Order when an Invoice is paid).
Workflow Control: Programmatically Submit, Cancel, or Re-open a document.
Bulk Updates: Update multiple documents found via a Query Records block.

Action Capabilities#

Capability	Support	Notes
Multi-Operation	✅ Yes	Update, Submit, Cancel, Amend, Re-open, Create.
Batch Support	✅ Yes	Can update a single document or a list of documents.
Conditional Rows	✅ Yes	Apply field updates conditionally based on the target document’s state.
Permission Aware	✅ Yes	Respects Frappe permissions unless “Ignore Permissions” is enabled.

Modes of Operation#

1. Update#

Modifies specific fields on the target document(s).

Target: An Object (from Query Doc) or a List of Objects (from Query List).
Assignments: A grid of field/value pairs to update.

2. Workflow Actions (Submit, Cancel, Amend)#

Executes standard Frappe document lifecycle methods.

Submit: Validates and submits the document.
Cancel: Cancels a submitted document.
Amend: Creates a new draft from a cancelled document.

3. Create New (Experimental)#

Initializes and saves a new document of a specified DocType.

Configuration#

1. Operation#

Choose what you want to do with the document (Update, Submit, etc.).

2. Target Document(s)#

Specify which document to act upon.

Variable: Usually a result from a previous Query Records node (e.g., vars.target_order).
DocType + Name: Manually specify a DocType and use a resolver for the name.

3. Field Mapping#

For “Update” or “Create” operations, define which fields to set and what values to use.

Execution Semantics#

Target Resolution: The engine resolves the target variable to find the actual document(s).
Validation: Verifies that the document exists and is in a valid state for the requested operation (e.g., you cannot “Submit” a document that is already “Submitted”).
Execution: Calls the appropriate Frappe method (doc.save(), doc.submit(), etc.).
Transaction: If the operation fails, the engine follows the “On Error” strategy. By default, this will roll back the current transaction.

Best Practices#

Validate State: Before trying to Submit or Cancel a document, use a Check block to ensure the document is in the correct state (e.g., doc.docstatus == 0 before Submitting).
Batch Updates: When updating a list of documents, FlexiRule handles the iteration for you if you pass the entire list as the target.
Permissions: Be careful with “Ignore Permissions”. Only enable it if the rule must perform an action that the triggering user wouldn’t normally be allowed to do.

Common Mistakes#

Triggering Loops: Updating a document that triggers another rule which then updates the first document. FlexiRule has cycle detection, but it’s best to design for one-way flows.
Updating the Current Doc: Use the Assignment block to update the document that triggered the rule. Use Update Record only for other documents.

Create New Generating new documents automatically via rule logic. Update Existing Modifying specific records in the system.