💡 Mastering BPMN Gateways: How to Configure Them Visually in Flowable and Camunda Modelers

Gateways in BPMN are powerful tools to control process flow—splitting, merging, and routing tasks based on logic or events. Fortunately, you don’t need to write XML to use them. Both Flowable Modeler and Camunda Modeler offer visual drag-and-drop interfaces to design gateways quickly and easily.

Let’s explore the main types of gateways and how to configure them using the UI in both tools.

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🔁 Gateway Types in BPMN and How to Configure Them Visually

1. Exclusive Gateway (XOR) – Route to One Path Based on Conditions

📍 Use Case:

Choose one outgoing flow based on data.

🛠️ In Flowable Modeler:

1. Drag an Exclusive Gateway from the palette.

2. Add multiple sequence flows from the gateway to tasks.

3. Click each flow arrow → go to "Flow condition".

4. Set the condition using ${} syntax (e.g., ${input == 'A'}).

5. Mark one flow as default (click the checkbox).

🛠️ In Camunda Modeler:

1. Drag a Gateway → select "Exclusive Gateway".

2. Add sequence flows to the next tasks.

3. Click on each flow → open the Properties Panel → set a condition.

4. One flow should be marked as default flow.

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2. Parallel Gateway (AND) – Run Tasks in Parallel

📍 Use Case:

Trigger multiple branches at the same time.

🛠️ In Flowable:

1. Drag a Parallel Gateway.

2. Connect it to multiple tasks.

3. No condition setup needed.

🛠️ In Camunda:

1. Add a Gateway → choose Parallel type.

2. Add outgoing flows to multiple tasks.

3. That’s it—no conditions required.

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3. Inclusive Gateway (OR) – One or More Paths Based on Conditions

📍 Use Case:

Run one or multiple paths based on conditions.

🛠️ In Flowable:

1. Drag an Inclusive Gateway.

2. Add outgoing sequence flows.

3. Select each flow → set the condition.

4. Add a default flow as fallback.

🛠️ In Camunda:

1. Select Inclusive Gateway from the palette.

2. Add flow arrows to multiple tasks.

3. In the Properties Panel, define conditions for each flow.

4. Specify one default flow.

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4. Event-Based Gateway – Wait for an Event to Decide

📍 Use Case:

Decide next step based on user interaction or external event.

🛠️ In Flowable:

1. Drag an Event-Based Gateway.

2. From the gateway, draw sequence flows to intermediate events (e.g., message or signal).

3. Configure event properties accordingly.

🛠️ In Camunda:

1. Add Event-Based Gateway.

2. Connect it to catching events (e.g., timer or message).

3. Each event becomes a possible decision path.

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✅ Best UI Tips for Both Tools

Feature	Flowable	Camunda
Gateway Palette	Left panel	Left toolbar
Set Conditions	Click flow → properties	Click flow → Properties Panel
Default Flow	Checkbox in sequence flow	Right-click flow → mark as default
Validate Model	"Validate" button	"Validate" on save

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🧪 Real-World Example: Decision Based on Form Input

Scenario: Approve or reject a leave request

1. Add an Exclusive Gateway after a User Task that captures form input.

2. Add two flows: one to “Approve” task, one to “Reject”.

3. Condition for Approve flow: ${approved == true}

4. Condition for Reject flow: ${approved == false}

5. Mark one as default in case form value is missing.

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📦 Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be a BPMN expert or write XML to build complex workflows. Using Flowable and Camunda Modelers, you can visually configure gateways with just a few clicks.

Gateways = the brain of your process. Configure them right, and your workflows will be smart, flexible, and scalable.

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🔔 Coming Soon: A step-by-step video guide showing this in action for Flowable and Camunda.

#BPMN #WorkflowAutomation #Flowable #Camunda #BusinessProcessModeling #NoCodeBPM #DigitalTransformation