How to Create Workflows in HubSpot?

Looking to automate tasks and save time with HubSpot? This guide will show you how to create and optimize workflows for better efficiency.

From setting up your first workflow to automating emails and managing CRM properties, you'll learn practical tips to streamline your processes and boost productivity.

Key Takeaways:

• HubSpot workflows automate business processes, improving efficiency and saving time.
• You can build custom workflows from scratch or use templates tailored to your specific needs.
• Managing, testing, and refining workflows is essential for achieving optimal performance and business outcomes.

Tips: Leverage different HubSpot integrations, like our HubSpot LinkedIn Integration, to create more triggers based on timeline events and enhance your workflow automation! 🚀

Understanding HubSpot Workflows

HubSpot workflows automate a series of actions triggered by specific events or criteria, enhancing operational efficiency through HubSpot workflow automation.

These workflows allow you to efficiently manage tasks like sending emails, updating CRM records, and tracking lead progress. With workflows, you can easily create automated processes for marketing, sales, and customer service operations.

For example, HubSpot workflows can:

• Automatically update contact properties based on behavior or interactions.
• Automate follow-up emails and email notifications after a lead submits a form.
• Send targeted content to nurture leads as they progress through the funnel, guiding them closer to a conversion.

By automating these actions, workflows free up your team’s time, ensuring they focus on higher-priority tasks.

Good to know : Check your HubSpot subscription plan to know how many workflows you can create.

How to Create Workflows in HubSpot ?

Setting up a workflow in HubSpot is an easy process that can significantly enhance your team’s productivity. Follow these steps to get started:

        Step 1: Access Workflows Tool

Click Automation in the top-left corner of the screen and Workflows in the drop-down menu.

Good to know : From the workflows dashboard, you can create, edit, delete, or clone existing workflows.

       Step 2 : Click 'Create workflow'

In the top-right corner, click Create new workflow.

        Step 3 : Select Workflow Type

HubSpot offers the option to create workflows from scratch or to use pre-designed workflow templates from the HubSpot's library.

Templates provide a great starting point for common business processes. The templates library is categorized by goals, such as lead nurturing, customer onboarding, and internal notifications. However, starting from scratch allows for complete customization.

Good to know : Templates are especially helpful for automating repetitive tasks, like sending thank-you emails after a webinar or assigning leads to sales reps after they request a demo.

        Step 4 : Choose Your Workflow Object

The workflow object defines what type of records (contacts, companies, deals, tickets, etc.) will be automated. Selecting the correct object is crucial for targeting the right audience and automating the desired process.

        Step 5 : Configure Enrollment Triggers

Enrollment triggers are the conditions that must be met for a contact or record to automatically enter the workflow. Examples include form submissions, page views, or changes in lifecycle stages.

Pro Tip: Keep enrollment triggers simple at first. You can always add more complexity later as your workflow evolves.

However, HubSpot also provides flexibility for manual enrollment, which allows you to manually add contacts to workflows on an ad-hoc basis when needed. This feature is useful when dealing with unique cases that require specific handling.

Good to know : In some cases, you may want contacts to re-enter the workflow, especially for recurring processes like follow-up emails or reminders. HubSpot’s re-enrollment settings allow records to enter the workflow multiple times based on specific criteria.

        Step 6: Add Workflow Actions

Workflow actions define what happens once a record is enrolled. These actions can include sending emails, updating contact properties, assigning tasks, or even creating deals.

Pro Tip: Regularly review the actions in your workflow to ensure they align with your current goals and objectives.

Use HubSpot’s If/Then branches to create more complex workflows. For instance, if a lead opens an email but doesn’t click on a CTA, you can send them a different follow-up email to re-engage them.

Pro Tip: Use delays strategically between actions to ensure each step happens at the right time. For example, a delay of one day between sending emails can make follow-up communication feel more natural.

        Step 7 : Add Workflow Goals

Setting workflow goals is essential to measuring the success of your automation. Workflow goals define the desired outcomes for contacts enrolled in the workflow. Once a contact meets the goal, they are automatically unenrolled from the workflow, preventing them from receiving redundant communications.

Pro Tip: Using goals allows you to track conversion rates and ensure your workflow is driving the intended results.

        Step 8 : Fine-Tuning Your Workflow

Before launching, test and review all the settings to ensure your workflow operates as intended and identify any potential issues. This includes checking the timing, re-enrollment options, and suppression lists.

Once everything is set, click Review and Publish to activate your workflow.

AI-Powered Workflows in HubSpot

HubSpot's AI Studio brings a new level of automation, allowing users to generate personalized content and automate tasks like lead scoring and customer engagement. With AI-driven workflows that adjust based on customer behavior, you can create tailored experiences that boost campaign effectiveness.

Integrating AI into HubSpot means smarter workflows. Using AI-powered triggers and automated actions, you can streamline processes like form submissions, property updates, and task creation. Just prompt the AI assistant to suggest triggers or actions, making setup quick and intuitive.

Advanced HubSpot Workflow Settings

Managing Workflow Permissions

Proper permission management is crucial for maintaining smooth operations and collaboration. With HubSpot you can control team access to CRM objects like contacts and deals by setting proper permissions, ensuring only authorized users can modify critical records and safeguarding data integrity.

Tracking Workflow Performance

HubSpot's analytics tools make it easy to monitor the performance of your active workflows. It allows you to track workflow metrics such as conversion rates and engagement levels, enabling regular evaluation and optimization for better results.

HubSpot Workflows vs. Sequences

While workflows automate marketing and operational processes, sequences are designed specifically for sales teams to automate follow-up emails and internal notification.

The key difference is that sequences require manual enrollment of contacts, ensuring customized interactions for each prospect, whereas workflows can enroll contacts automatically based on specific triggers, making it a great tool for complex automation across multiple departments.

If you interested to know more about the differences between sequence and workflow, you can check our article on the topic.

Conclusion

Setting up workflows in HubSpot is a great way to boost your marketing, sales, and customer service efforts. By automating repetitive tasks, you save time, improve efficiency, and keep your teams focused on what really matters—building relationships and driving growth.