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Flow Recording

Instead of manually dragging commands, you can simply record yourself doing the task. DashX watches your keyboard and mouse actions, then converts them into a flow automatically.

What is Flow Recording?

Flow Recording lets you perform your workflow naturally — type text, press keys, click buttons — while DashX captures every action. When you stop recording, all your actions are converted into flow commands and appear in the Flow Editor, ready to save.

It's the fastest way to create a flow, especially if you're new to DashX.

Prerequisites

Important: The desktop app must be running on the same Windows machine where you'll perform the actions. Recording works by monitoring your keyboard and mouse at the system level.

How to Record — Step by Step

  1. Open the Flow Editor — Navigate to your workspace tool and click "Create Flow" or open an existing flow.
  2. Click "Record Flow" — You'll see a red circle button labeled "Record Flow" in the top action bar, next to Export, Import, and Save.
  3. Switch to your desktop app — The Windows app shows a prompt: "Record Your Actions." Click "Start Recording".
  4. Perform your workflow — Switch to your target application (Tally, Excel, browser, etc.) and do exactly what you'd normally do. Type data, press Enter, click buttons, navigate forms.
  5. Watch for the red border — A red border appears around your screen, confirming recording is active. A control panel in the bottom-right shows action count and elapsed time.
  6. Watch commands appear live — Each action streams to the Flow Editor in real time, so you can watch your flow being built as you work.
  7. Click "Stop" — When done, click the Stop button on the recording control panel.
  8. Review in the editor — Your recorded actions appear as command chips in the Flow Editor. Review, adjust, and save.

What Gets Captured

ActionHow it's capturedExample
Typing textBatched into "Type Text With Parameter"Type "hello" → TYPE TEXT WITH PARAMETER: "hello"
Key combinationsRecorded as dedicated or custom key commandsCtrl+S → SAVE (CTRL+W)
Enter, Tab, EscapeRecorded as dedicated commandsPress Enter → ENTER
Function keysRecorded as Custom Keys With ParameterPress F5 → CUSTOM KEYS: {F5}
Mouse clicksRecorded with exact screen coordinatesClick at (543, 210) → LEFT CLICK AT: {"X":543,"Y":210}
Right clicksRecorded as Right Click AtRight-click → RIGHT CLICK AT: {"X":..,"Y":..}
Pauses between actionsAutomatically inserted as delay commands800ms pause → DELAY WITH PARAMETER: 800

What Does NOT Get Captured

These features require manual setup in the Flow Editor after recording:

The Recording Controls

Red Border Overlay

A 5px red border around your screen confirms recording is active. It disappears when you pause or stop.

Recording Control Panel

A small window in the bottom-right corner showing:

Live Streaming & Command Screenshots

Live Streaming

Recorded actions are now streamed to the web editor one at a time, as they happen, instead of waiting until you press Stop. Each new command chip appears instantly in the Middle section with a brief highlight. This makes long recordings safe — there is no big upload at the end, and nothing is lost even if the recording is interrupted.

Command Screenshots

Every recorded action also captures a screenshot of your screen at that moment (resized to max 640px wide). The screenshot appears as a small thumbnail on the command chip:

Note: Screenshots are a recording aid only. They exist in the editor while you work and are not saved with the flow — after you Save the flow, the screenshots are gone. They are never stored in the database.

Screenshots & Voice Comments

Because voice comments are muted by default, the screenshot is the perfect fallback: after recording, look at each thumbnail, click to view it full size, and add the comment manually with the + button on the chip.

After Recording — What to Do

  1. Review the commands — All recorded commands appear in the Middle section. Check if the sequence matches your intended workflow. Each chip shows a thumbnail of the screen at the moment that action happened.
  2. Move commands between sections — Setup commands (like opening the app) should go to Pre. Cleanup commands (like saving and closing) should go to Post.
  3. Add column data binding — Replace hardcoded text with TYPE COLUMN DATA wherever you want extracted data to be typed. This is what makes the flow work for every row of data.
  4. Add variables and conditions — If your workflow has logic ("if this field is empty, type X"), add these manually using the command palette.
  5. Adjust click coordinates — If your target app window is in a different position, you may need to re-capture coordinates using the "Capture Position" button.
  6. Save the flow — Click "Save Flow" when you're satisfied.

Recording vs Manual Building

Recording

  • Fast — just do the task
  • Low learning curve
  • Captures exact coordinates and timing
  • Great for linear, straightforward workflows
  • No variables, conditions, or column binding
  • Best for: quick first draft

Manual Building

  • Slower — drag each command
  • Requires knowing the commands
  • Full control over every detail
  • Supports variables, conditions, loops
  • Direct column binding
  • Best for: complex, production flows
Pro tip: Record first to get the basic flow structure, then switch to manual editing to add column bindings, variables, and conditions. This gives you the best of both worlds.

Tips for Good Recordings

Known Limitations