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Marketing & Automation · Feature guide
Workflows
Automation · Builder · Sequences
What it is for
The automation builder. A workflow starts on a trigger, then runs actions and branches based on conditions. Almost everything advanced in the platform is built here.
Before you begin
- You need
- Understanding of tags and custom fields
- The messages or templates you want it to send
How to set it up
Draw it before you build it
Sketch the trigger, the branches, and the endings on paper. Building a complex workflow directly in the editor is how you end up with something nobody can maintain.
Start with one trigger
Go to Automation → Workflows and create one. Common triggers: form submitted, appointment booked, tag added, trigger link clicked, opportunity stage changed.
Name it so a stranger could understand it
New Lead — Text Follow-Up, notWorkflow 4. You will be reading this name in a year, and so will whoever you hire.Add actions in order
Send messages, apply tags, update fields, create tasks, move opportunities, or wait. Keep each workflow to one job.
Use waits deliberately
A wait until a specific time of day prevents 3am sends. A wait of a set duration paces follow-up.
Add conditions for branching, not for everything
Branch only where the paths genuinely differ. Every branch doubles what you have to test.
Set the re-entry rule
Decide whether someone can enter this workflow more than once. Getting this wrong produces duplicate messages, which is the most common workflow complaint.
Build the exit condition
Someone who books, replies, or buys should stop. Build this before you publish, not after a client complains.
Test every path with yourself
Add yourself as a contact and walk each branch. Shorten the waits for testing, then set them back.
Publish, then watch the first ten
Check the execution log for the first ten real contacts. Errors show up immediately if you look.
Every workflow needs a clear ending — an exit condition or a final step. Workflows that leave people suspended indefinitely are the hardest problems to diagnose later.
A single workflow trying to handle enquiry, booking, and post-service follow-up becomes unmaintainable within months. Split them.
Set a 3-day wait to 3 minutes while you test, then remember to change it back. Write yourself a note.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Workflow not triggering | Check it is published rather than draft, and that the trigger conditions actually match. |
| People getting duplicate messages | The re-entry setting allows re-entry. Change it, or add a condition to prevent it. |
| Workflow runs but nothing sends | Check the contact has the channel — no email address means no email — and that they are not opted out. |
| Cannot work out what happened | Open the execution log on the contact record. It shows each step and where it stopped. |
FAQ
Workflow or campaign?
Campaigns are linear message sequences. Workflows branch and do non-message actions. Use campaigns until you need branching.
How many workflows do I need?
Most service businesses run well on five to ten well-built ones. Volume is not the goal.
Can a workflow start another workflow?
Yes. Useful, but it makes tracing behaviour harder — document it when you do.
What happens if I edit a live workflow?
Contacts already in it may behave unexpectedly. Edit carefully, and prefer building a new version for major changes.
✅Done when
- Every branch tested with a real contact
- Exit and re-entry conditions set deliberately
- The name describes what it does
- The first ten real executions checked in the log