Why the Screen Flow File Preview is a win for UX
If you have ever built an approval process and had to tell users to “click this link to see the file,” you know how clunky that feels. With the new Screen Flow File Preview component in the Spring ’26 release, we can finally stop making users jump through hoops. It lets us show PDFs and images right there on the screen while the user is still in the flow. No new tabs, no downloads, just a clean view of the document.
I’ve seen teams struggle with document verification for years. Usually, they end up with five tabs open and get lost in the shuffle. But this component keeps everything in one place. It’s a small change, but it makes a huge difference for people who spend their whole day inside Salesforce. You can check out other Salesforce Spring ’26 Flow features to see how the automation game is changing this year.
How to set up the Screen Flow File Preview in your org
Setting this up is pretty straightforward, but there’s one specific thing that trips people up: the ID. This component only wants a ContentDocumentId. If you try to pass it a Version ID or a record ID, it’s just going to sit there and do nothing. Here is how I usually wire these up when I’m building for a client.
- First, make sure you have a
recordIdvariable set to “Available for input” so your flow knows which record it’s looking at. - Use a Get Records element on the
ContentDocumentLinkobject. Filter it byLinkedEntityId = recordId. - Grab the
ContentDocumentIdfrom that record. If you’re worried about handling record processing at scale, just remember this component is for a single screen interaction. - Drop the Screen Flow File Preview component onto your screen and map that ID into the input field.
Now, when the user hits that screen, the file just pops up. It’s built-in, so you don’t have to worry about third-party LWC components or messy workarounds that break every time Salesforce updates. It just works.
Handling multiple files and complex views
So what happens if you have three or four files that need a review? The component itself only shows one file at a time. But here is the trick: use the Repeater component. If you put the Screen Flow File Preview inside a Repeater, you can loop through a collection of IDs and show them all on one page. It’s a lifesaver for those heavy-duty “Review All Attachments” steps in a legal or finance flow.
Pro tip: Always make sure your users actually have access to the file. If the file is private or restricted, the component will just show a blank space or an error. I usually double-check the sharing settings on the ContentDocument before I go live.
Common questions I get about this feature
People often ask if this works with Word docs or Excel files. Right now, it’s really focused on PDFs and images. If you need to show a spreadsheet, you’re still looking at a download for now. Also, remember that this is a Spring ’26 feature, so if you’re looking for it in an older sandbox, you won’t find it yet. You’ll need a pre-release org or wait for your instance to get the update.
Key Takeaways
- The Screen Flow File Preview requires a
ContentDocumentId– nothing else works. - It supports PDFs and common image formats natively.
- You can use a Repeater if you need to show more than one file on a single screen.
- It’s a massive boost for user experience in approval and verification flows.
Final thoughts on the new previewer
This isn’t the flashiest feature Salesforce has ever released, but it’s one of those “quality of life” updates that makes our jobs easier. It solves a real usability problem without requiring custom code. If you’re working on any flow that involves document review, give this a shot once you’re on Spring ’26. It’s much better than the old way of doing things, and your users will definitely thank you for not making them download 50 PDFs a day.