# Understanding Flow Types

Flows are the backbone of automation and configuration in **Fastn**.

> Each flow type serves a different purpose, from activating new tenants to fetching dynamic lists or managing configuration fields inside widgets.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Activation Flow</strong></td><td><em>Initialize tenants, import templates, and register webhooks.</em></td><td><a href="https://1255842839-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3iSr2Tx8FvvuoLPncziH%2Fuploads%2FDt29rRgd6D6upn4OWRtr%2Fistockphoto-1131387139-612x612.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=97d63423-56e0-46fa-a85a-a693009a8350">istockphoto-1131387139-612x612.jpg</a></td><td><a href="understanding-flow-types/how-to-set-up-an-activation-flow">how-to-set-up-an-activation-flow</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Selection Flow</strong></td><td><em>Fetch real-time data to populate dropdowns and selections dynamically.</em></td><td><a href="https://1255842839-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3iSr2Tx8FvvuoLPncziH%2Fuploads%2FXSuKcEBy3ATOz6GcvgNU%2Fistockphoto-1475872668-612x612.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=aea36d42-d04f-4498-a4a9-b0de20fb73e1">istockphoto-1475872668-612x612.jpg</a></td><td><a href="understanding-flow-types/how-to-set-up-a-selection-flow">how-to-set-up-a-selection-flow</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Configuration Flow</strong></td><td><em>Define how users configure, map, and validate fields inside widgets.</em></td><td><a href="https://1255842839-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3iSr2Tx8FvvuoLPncziH%2Fuploads%2FoziUPn3EYEQLgl5fl4dj%2Fimages.png?alt=media&#x26;token=20975bc0-e121-4515-ab5a-8a29e4dd37a9">images.png</a></td><td><a href="understanding-flow-types/how-to-set-up-a-configuration-flow-in-fastn">how-to-set-up-a-configuration-flow-in-fastn</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Before You Begin

Make sure you're familiar with:

{% content-ref url="../flow-setup-essentials" %}
[flow-setup-essentials](https://docs.fastn.ai/flows/flow-setup-essentials)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="../flow-setup-essentials/connecting-apps/connector-types-and-setup" %}
[connector-types-and-setup](https://docs.fastn.ai/flows/flow-setup-essentials/connecting-apps/connector-types-and-setup)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="../flow-setup-essentials/designing-a-flow/data-mapping-in-flows" %}
[data-mapping-in-flows](https://docs.fastn.ai/flows/flow-setup-essentials/designing-a-flow/data-mapping-in-flows)
{% endcontent-ref %}