> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chamelio.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Intake - Start a Flow

> The trigger that starts a flow — Slack, Salesforce, Email, Manual, Teams, Zip, or External

The Intake step is the trigger that starts a flow — it's always the first step.

## Video Walkthrough

<Frame>
  <iframe src="https://www.loom.com/embed/c0b34994aa604616a45db29d294a72c8" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen />
</Frame>

## Configuration

* **Start from...** — the trigger source, one of: **Slack**, **Salesforce**, **Email**, **Manual**, **Teams**, **Zip**, or **External**
* For **Email**: a **Triggered email address** (a verified sub-address at your org's `@chamelio.email` domain) and an **Accept requests only from Chamelio users** toggle (restricts submissions to people inside your organization)
* System fields for an email-triggered intake: **Email Subject**, **Email Content**, **Email Attachment** — available to later steps as `@Intake.<field>`
* **Custom fields** — add your own fields to the intake form beyond the system fields

<Info>
  Intake is the step that **starts** a flow. To gather more information partway through an already-running flow, use a separate [Collect](/features/flows/collect) step instead — they are not the same step under two names.
</Info>

## Related Components

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Condition" icon="code-branch" href="/features/flows/condition">
    Route based on collected data
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent" icon="robot" href="/features/flows/agent-step">
    Process collected documents with AI
  </Card>

  <Card title="Generate" icon="file-plus" href="/features/flows/generate">
    Create documents using collected data
  </Card>

  <Card title="Collect" icon="clipboard-list" href="/features/flows/collect">
    Gather additional information mid-flow
  </Card>
</CardGroup>