Flow folders are meant to support the management of workflow processes where documents flow from one user to another for subsequent processing. A task list is associated to each flow folder that contains the tasks to be carried out by the users responsible in the order specified in the task list. Flow folders — like normal folders — may contain all types of objects, e.g. documents, other folders or discussions.

A flow folder is processed by forwarding the folder (and thus all documents contained therein) to the users on the task list, one after the other. Depending on the nature of the business process supported, the flow may branch at a certain step, thereby allowing the user responsible for the task at hand to choose where to forward the folder to.

Even after forwarding, a flow folder is visible and accessible to its members — apart from its specific functionality, a flow folder is also a workspace which may have several members. Independent of the current task under way, the members of the flow folder may view its status and change its contents as well as its list of tasks.