Entry conditions versus Decision elements
Key Takeaway
Entry conditions act as a gate: they decide whether a record-triggered flow runs at all for a record change. A Decision element only works after the flow has started, and it picks which path the flow takes.
A record-triggered flow can check conditions in two places. Entry conditions sit in the Start element. A Decision element sits inside the flow and works like an if-then statement: it sends a flow that is already running down different paths, based on which outcome's conditions are met.
When to use entry conditions or a Decision element
If you want to keep the flow focused on the right records...
Use entry conditions, which act as a gate before the flow starts.
If the running flow should do different things in different situations...
Use a Decision element, which picks which path the flow takes.
For example, imagine a record-triggered flow on opportunities. The flow matters only for opportunities at the Proposal stage. For those opportunities, it should do one thing when the Amount is large and another thing when the Amount is small. The Stage check belongs in the entry conditions, so the flow doesn't run at all when other opportunities change. The Amount check belongs in a Decision element, with one outcome for large amounts and one for small amounts. That way, the running flow takes the right path.