Workflows are one of HubSpot’s most powerful features. They give you the ability to automate the sending of emails (among other things) when a specific starting condition is met.
For example, a workflow could be created to send an immediate follow-up email whenever someone RSVPs for Open Door and then a reminder email the day before the next Open Door. If someone says they committed their life to Christ (via a physical or digital communication card), a series of emails could be sent every week highlighting these topics:
- www.life.church/next
- Baptism
- LifeGroups
- Serving opportunities
If you take the time learning how to use workflows effectively now, it’ll save you a lot of time later.
1. Navigate to the Workflows Section in HubSpot
2. Click Create Workflow Button
3. Name Your Workflow
Be sure you prefix your workflow name with your campus or ministry code. For example, HNV - Commit to Christ.
4. Choose Workflow Type
Start from scratch
This is the most common type and should be the default choice unless one of the other options below is a better fit.
Center on a date
Choose this option if you want your workflow triggering on a specific date. This is best used for events like Baptism Weekend or Open Door where you want emails going out at a set day/time before or after an event.
Center on a date property
Choose this option if you want your workflow triggering on a specific date contact property. For example, an email on someone's birthday or a first-time giver follow-up email a week after they give for the first time.
Once you've named your workflow and selected a workflow type, click the Create workflow button.
If you chose Center on date or Center on a date property, make sure you also specify the appropriate date or date contact property to use with the workflow.
5. Click Set Enrollment Triggers
The most popular enrollment triggers are:
- Contact property
- Form submission
- List membership
Specifying enrollment triggers is similar to specifying smart list criteria. Watch the Lists Overview video (skip to 1:55) to see how to use contract properties, form submissions, and list membership in your workflows.
Be sure you've also properly used AND or OR conditions in your enrollment triggers. Visit the Understanding AND and OR Operators page for more information.
6. Enable Re-enrollment?
This option controls whether a person can go through a workflow once or multiple times. The most common situation is to allow re-enrollment since the primary use of workflows are for follow-up emails.
When re-enrollment is enabled, a contact who requests information about Open Door multiple times will get a follow-up email each time. When re-enrollment is disabled, that same contact would only get an email the first time they requested information about Open Door.
That's why it's important to enable re-enrollment where applicable.
Do not forget to review this option. If not set properly, people may not get emails as expected—resulting in people falling through the cracks.
Allow Re-enrollment
6.1. Check the "Allow contacts ..." Checkbox
6.2. Check the Appropriate Other Checkboxes
You'll see different checkboxes on this screen depending on the enrollment triggers you've chosen.
Most of the time, you can check all the checkboxes on this screen. The only exception are communication card workflows where it's critical to choose specific checkboxes. Visit the UPDATEME page to learn how to enable re-enrollment for communication card workflows.
6.3. Click Done
7. Enroll Existing Contacts?
This option controls whether contacts who currently meet the enrollment triggers will be enrolled when the workflow is turned on. If this option is not enabled, only new contacts will be enrolled when they meet the enrollment triggers.
One question to ask yourself, "Does the email in this workflow make sense for people who currently meet the enrollment triggers?" If yes and it makes sense to send that email to them, then enable this option. If not, leave it disabled.
Enable Enroll Existing Contacts
7.1. Check the "Enroll contacts who ..." Checkbox
8. Click Save
9. Click Add an Action
Choose Appropriate Workflow Actions
You'll repeat this step to build out your workflow. Common actions include:
- Send email
- Add if/then branch
- Add delay
- Send internal email
Visit the Creating a Commit to Christ Workflow page for a step-by-step example showing how to use various actions in a workflow.
10. Review Workflow
Before activating your workflow, be sure to double-check:
- Enrollment triggers
- Re-enrollment option
- Enroll existing contacts option
- Workflow actions
Once you're confident everything is set correctly, you can activate it by following these steps.
10.1. Click Review
10.2. Click Activate
11. Test Workflow
Because a workflow works on your behalf in the background, it's important to make sure it's working properly. Otherwise, you run the risk of sending emails to the wrong contacts or sending the wrong information.
Thorough testing will help you discover issues before a workflow sends to actual contacts.
To test a contact, mimc what they would do to enroll in your workflow. For example, add a contact item to a test contact's Fellowship One profile or submit a Formstack form.
Do not use HubSpot's built-in testing feature. It's not enough to test a workflow properly.
11.1. Click History
After mimicking what a user would do to enroll in your workflow, go to the History section of the workflow to see if your test contact was enrolled properly.
If you added a contact item to F1 to test your workflow, it won't be synced to HubSpot until the next morning. So you'll need to wait until the following day before you'll see that contact in the History section.
11.2. Review History
Check your test contact appears in the history and the workflow actions succeeded.
It's worth reviewing the History tab periodically (looking at when the last contact was enrolled) to ensure the workflow is still enrolling contacts properly. If it's been awhile since the last contact was enrolled, you know something is wrong.
Additional Resources from HubSpot
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