Workflow Basics

What Are Workflows?

Workflows are automated sequences of actions that run when a specific event occurs. They eliminate repetitive manual work — like sending follow-up emails, assigning tasks, or updating deal stages.

Workflow Components

Every workflow has three building blocks:

1. Triggers

A trigger is the event that starts the workflow. Examples:

• Contact created — a new contact is added
• Form submitted — someone fills out a form
• Deal stage changed — a deal moves to a new pipeline stage
• Tag added — a specific tag is applied to a contact
• Appointment booked — someone schedules via a booking page
• Invoice paid — a payment is received
• Manual trigger — you run the workflow on selected contacts

2. Conditions

Conditions let you branch the workflow based on data:

• If/Else — check a field value (e.g., if contact tag = "VIP", take a different path)
• Wait — pause for a specified duration (e.g., wait 2 days)
• Wait until — pause until a condition is met (e.g., wait until email is opened)
• Goal — end the workflow early if a condition is met (e.g., contact replied)

3. Actions

Actions are what the workflow does:

• Send email — from a template or composed inline
• Send SMS — text message to the contact's phone
• Create task — assign a task to a team member
• Update contact — change a field value or add/remove tags
• Move deal — advance a deal to a new pipeline stage
• Send webhook — POST data to an external URL
• Add to list — put the contact on a specific list
• Notify team — send a Slack message or in-app notification

Building Your First Workflow

1. Go to Automation > Workflows
2. Click New Workflow
3. Choose a trigger (e.g., "Contact Created")
4. Add actions by clicking the + button
5. Configure each action (select a template, set delay times, etc.)
6. Click Publish to activate the workflow

Example: New Lead Welcome Sequence

Trigger: Contact Created (tagged "Lead")
  → Send Email: "Welcome to [Company]!"
  → Wait 2 days
  → Condition: Opened welcome email?
    → Yes: Send Email "Here's how to get started"
    → No: Send SMS "Hey {{firstName}}, did you see our email?"
  → Wait 3 days
  → Create Task: "Follow up with {{firstName}}" (assigned to owner)

Workflow Templates

Growul includes pre-built templates for common use cases:

• Lead nurture — multi-step email drip sequence
• Onboarding — welcome series for new customers
• Re-engagement — win back cold contacts
• Appointment reminder — SMS and email before a meeting
• Deal follow-up — automated outreach when a deal stalls

Best Practices

• Start simple — begin with 2-3 step workflows and add complexity over time
• Test before publishing — use the workflow simulator to see what would happen with test data
• Set goals — define an exit condition so contacts leave the workflow when the objective is achieved
• Monitor performance — check the workflow analytics to see open rates, click rates, and conversion rates for each step
• Avoid overlap — make sure a contact is not enrolled in multiple similar workflows simultaneously