# Preview actions in a workflow

Preview mode lets you simulate how an action works using real data, so you can verify everything is set up correctly before activating your workflow.

This helps you avoid mistakes and ensure your automation runs exactly as expected.

## When to use Preview mode

Use Preview mode when you want to:

* Check how your **email content** will appear
* Verify **dynamic variables** (customer name, product info, etc.)
* Test your workflow setup before publishing
* Make sure the right data is used in each action

## What happens when you run a preview

Preview mode simulates how actions work using sample data.

For some actions (such as **Send email** and **Send internal email**), a test email will be sent to the selected recipient.

<Table widths="348,auto">

| Action | Preview mode |
| --- | --- |
| Send email | Send a preview of the email using selected data |
| Send internal email | Send a preview of the email using selected data |
| Send push notification | Simulate the action output |
| Wait | Simulate the delay logic |
| Create discount code | Simulate discount creation |
| Update subscription status | Simulate status update |
| Add customer tags | Simulate tag assignment |

</Table>

## How to preview an action

<Hint type="success">

**Steps:**

1. Go to **Workflows** in your XFlow dashboard.
2. Open the workflow you want to edit.
3. Click on an **action node** (e.g. *Send email*).
4. In the right-side panel, click **Preview**.

</Hint>

![image](https://docs-assets.foxecom.app/xflow-app/XFlow%20docs%20screenshot%20(16)_UdDvBoHH.jpg)

![image](https://docs-assets.foxecom.app/xflow-app/XFlow%20docs%20screenshot%20(17)_ze1OftTo.jpg)

### Set up preview data

To simulate a real workflow run, you need to provide sample data:

* **Customer**: Select a customer to test personalization
* **Product**: Select a product to test restock-related content

These inputs allow XFlow to replace dynamic variables with real values in your preview.

![image](https://docs-assets.foxecom.app/xflow-app/XFlow%20docs%20screenshot%20(18)_uJFpdHM1.jpg)

### Run preview

1. After selecting the data, click **Run preview**.
2. XFlow will simulate the action using your current settings.
3. Review the output (e.g. email content) to ensure everything looks correct.

<Hint type="warning">

* Preview mode only simulates the action using sample data
* Your live workflow and customers are not affected
* You can safely test multiple scenarios before publishing.

</Hint>

## Related articles

<PageLink href="https://docs.foxecom.com/xflow-app/workflows/understanding-workflow-actions">Understanding workflow actions</PageLink>

<PageLink href="https://docs.foxecom.com/xflow-app/workflows/available-triggers-actions-and-conditions">Available triggers, actions, and conditions</PageLink>

<PageLink href="https://docs.foxecom.com/xflow-app/workflows/assign-a-workflow-to-your-campaign">Assign a workflow to your campaign</PageLink>