Workflows

View a Workflow

To view your college’s existing workflows or create new ones, navigate to Automations > Workflows in HubSpot.

• Once you can access workflows, you can:

  • View the existing workflows for your college.

  • Click on any workflow to see the groups set to receive messages, the messaging order and timing, and any branching logic.

Edit a Workflow

• You can edit existing actions like sending emails, updating contact properties, or adding time delays between steps.

• Click any action to edit its trigger and use the left-hand menu to select what happens.

Create a new workflow from scratch:

1. In your HubSpot account, navigate to Automations > Workflows.

2. Assign your college’s business unit to your workflow. Hover over the workflow's name and click More > Then, select Assign business unit.

3. In the upper right, select Create workflow > From scratch.

4. In the left panel, select Contact-based to select your workflow object and start with a Blank workflow.

5. Click Next to proceed.

6. Give your workflow a name and add a description > Save.

7. When you are ready, select Next.

8. Set your workflow enrollment triggers - Users enter a Workflow via a Contact enrollment trigger, meaning you indicate the criteria that would cause someone to begin receiving messaging from this Workflow. The easiest way to add users to a workflow is by using Lists. See our Lists video for a refresher on how to create these.

   1. Types of Enrollment Triggers

      1. List Membership: Enroll contacts based on their inclusion in a specific list. For example, enroll everyone who is part of a list of prospective students.

      2. Form Submissions: Trigger automation when a contact submits a form (e.g., an application or request for information).

      3. Contact Property: Enroll contacts based on specific contact properties, such as their program of interest or enrollment status.

      4. Page Views: Trigger workflows based on specific pages a contact visits (useful for nurturing campaigns).

      5. Date or Date Property: Enroll contacts based on a specific date or a date property (like an event date or a renewal date).

      6. Behavioral Triggers: You can use actions like email opens, link clicks, or form abandonment to trigger workflows.

9. When you select List membership, you can add your desired List as the enrollment trigger for your Workflow.

10. Select Save, and now any new users who meet the criteria to join the List will also enroll in this workflow.

11. Choose your workflow actions - After setting your enrollment triggers, you can start adding actions like sending emails, updating contact properties, or adding time delays between steps.

    1. Click the plus symbol to add actions.

    2. You can choose from several actions, including sending emails, updating CRM properties, or segmenting contacts into marketing groups.

    3. Let’s say you want to send an email. Choose Communications > Send email, and select the email you want to send from the dropdown.

12. Save your action.

When you're ready to activate the workflow:

1. Select Review and publish. (If only "Review" is visible, resolve any issues before continuing.)

2. Choose whether to enroll existing contacts or only new contacts who meet the criteria.

3. Review the Timing, Notifications, and Connections, and ensure the Details of the workflow are correct.

4. Set an end-date if it’s a time-specific campaign to prevent unnecessary active workflows.

5. Click Turn on workflow to make it live.

Organize your workflows with folders

Once created, folders will display alongside your workflows on the dashboard.

• Create and manage folders.

  • In your HubSpot account, navigate to Automations > Workflows.

  • In the top right, click the Folders tab.

  • Hover over the workflow and click Actions. Then, click Move to folder.

  • In the dialog box, select your college’s folder. 

  • At the bottom, click Move.

Test your workflow.

Testing workflows before activating them ensures that your automation function properly and that contacts will receive the correct messages or actions at the right time.

• In HubSpot, go to Automation > Workflows, and select the workflow you want to test.

• Use the "Test" feature, and click the Test button in the upper right corner of the screen.

• Choose a Contact to Test:

  • You'll be prompted to select a contact. This allows you to simulate the workflow for a specific person to ensure it functions correctly.

  • Select the contact you want to test with, ensuring they meet the enrollment criteria you've set up in the workflow.

• Review the Workflow:

  • HubSpot will run through the workflow as if the chosen contact has entered the workflow, showing you each step of the process and what actions would be taken, like sending an email or updating a property.

  • You can check to see if actions like emails, delays, and conditions are functioning as expected.

• Troubleshoot Errors:

  • If there are any issues, HubSpot will alert you with error messages. Review and adjust the workflow actions or triggers based on the feedback provided.

  • Test specific workflow actions by clicking into the individual steps within the workflow and selecting "Test action" to ensure they work correctly.

• After running the test, carefully review the results. Make sure the correct emails are triggered, contacts are enrolled and unenrolled properly, and all actions execute as planned.

After Publishing the Workflow

Once the workflow is live:

1. Notify the District office to document the workflow with other active workflows.

2. Add the workflow to the appropriate folder using the actions dropdown.