This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Workflow Builder, including its layout, functionality, and best practices. If you're looking for more specific topics, such as advanced triggers or detailed action configurations, explore our related articles:
Infinite Canvas Layout
The Workflow Builder’s Infinite Canvas allows for an expansive view of your workflows. You can:
- Use the Fit to Screen and Zoom In/Zoom Out buttons in the bottom-left corner to adjust the view.
- Utilize the Minimap in the bottom-right corner to navigate your current position within the workflow.
Best Practices: Keep complex workflows organized by grouping related actions and using clear naming conventions. Try to keep workflows small enough to be seen in one screen. This aids understanding and troubleshooting.
Adding New Triggers
Triggers define the events that start your workflows. Follow these steps:
- Click the Add New Trigger button.
- Select a trigger from the list (e.g., Contact Added, Appointment Booked).
- Configure the trigger with relevant settings.
Important: All triggers in the workflow will activate when their specific conditions are met. Ensure that your trigger setup aligns with your desired workflow initiation.
For a comprehensive list of triggers, visit A List of Workflow Triggers.
Adding New Actions
Actions define what happens after a trigger is activated. To add an action:
- Click the + button in the workflow line(s).
- Select an action from the list (e.g., Send Email, Assign to User).
- Configure the action based on your workflow’s requirements.
Aside from normal actions, there are some other types of actions that are more advanced:
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Drip Actions: Control the flow of contacts by slowing their progress through the workflow.
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Conditional Actions: Evaluate conditions and guide contacts based on specific criteria.
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Goal Actions: Allow contacts to skip ahead to a later point in the workflow bypassing the actions in between.
Tips: Always give actions meaningful names for clarity in Canvas view. This makes workflows easier to understand and manage.
Refer to A List of Workflow Actions for detailed information on all available actions.
You can also use Workflow AI Assistant to help understand the workflow and add the right actions. Learn more in the Workflow AI Assistant article.
Stats View
The Stats View helps monitor communication performance down to the individual action:
- Turn on Stats View in the top-left corner.
- View communication statistics directly in the builder.
- Click on any stats data to access detailed reports.
Note that if a communication action was in the workflow, and used, and then deleted, the stats will still be saved in the workflow.
For tips on analyzing workflow performance, explore How to Analyze Workflow Campaigns. Stats are also available at the workflow level in the Workflow List Click the expand arrow under Stats.
Testing the Workflow
To ensure your workflow functions correctly:
- Click the Test Workflow button in the top-right corner.
- Select a contact for testing.
- Click Run Test to run the workflow.
Note that the Test Workflow using a contact isn't 100% perfect, especially if you reuse the same contact for multiple tests. Ideally you should test the workflow by publishing it and using it live.
Troubleshooting: If tests fail, check your triggers and actions for incomplete configurations.
Saving the Workflow
Always save your changes:
- Click the Save button in the top-right corner whenever there are unsaved changes (red dot).
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If you encounter errors while saving, ensure all required fields in triggers and actions are completed.
Note that Saved and Published are not the same thing. The workflow can be saved or have unsaved changes and can be draft or publish, independent of each other.
Version History
Track changes made to your workflow:
- Click the History icon in the top-right corner.
- View previous versions and restore if necessary.
Use the Back to Builder button to return to editing the workflow.
Draft/Publish Toggle
Control the status of your workflows:
- Toggle between Draft and Publish modes in the top-right corner.
- Draft mode means the workflow will not trigger and take actions for real; Publish mode means it will.
Important: Contacts in waiting steps (e.g., Wait, Manual Call) will remain at their current step when resuming a draft workflow.
Best Practices for Workflows
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Avoid Loops: The Workflow Builder prevents visual loops (arrows cannot return to a previous step), but it’s possible to create non-visible loops. Double-check your actions to avoid unintended looping behaviors.
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Keep Workflows Small: Aim to fit workflows into one screen whenever possible. Divide complex functions into separate workflows to simplify troubleshooting and management.
- Meaningful Naming: Use clear and descriptive names for triggers and actions to improve clarity, especially in collaborative environments.
Note: the If/Else workflow condition is a new feature which allows you to take different paths, or chains of events, depending on specific conditions within the workflow. You can specify the path based on contact details, date/time, contact reply, or trigger, you can set up the various paths. For example, you may want the workflow to send people from a certain company down one path, and people from another company down another path. You can further customize the if/else conditions to include several filters if you wish.