Get started with workflows

Workflows are automated scenarios that run in the background of your Flexmail account. Once you've set one up, it executes automatically whenever your defined trigger occurs, without any manual intervention. A contact subscribes, clicks a link, fills in a form, reaches a date, or matches a condition, and the workflow kicks in.

Used well, workflows send the right email to the right contact at exactly the right moment, at scale, without ongoing manual effort.

Why use workflows?

The primary added value of workflows is that they perform an action automatically whenever it is triggered by the behaviour of your contacts, their interactions with your campaign, or other events. They work, by pre-created rules, in the background, without the need of your intervention at the moment. With workflows, your campaigns never sleep. 

There is a wide range of possibilities when using workflows. For example, you can send welcome messages to your new subscribers, birthday emails, event-related messages, like reminders and surveys after an event has passed, additional information on some products based on a what links have your contacts clicked on, and many others. Workflows are always a good idea for taking the necessary actions for every step of the marketing cycle.

What workflows can do

• Send a welcome email the moment someone subscribes.
• Follow up automatically when a contact clicks a specific link in a campaign.
• Send a birthday email every year based on a date field.
• Alert your sales team when a contact fills in a contact form.
• Guide new contacts through a series of onboarding emails over several weeks.
• Remove contacts from your database when they meet specific inactivity criteria.

How a workflow is built

Every workflow is made up of blocks arranged in a sequence. There are five types:

• Start block, defines who enters the workflow and what triggers their entry.
• Send block, sends a campaign, an SMS, or an internal notification to a team member.
• Wait block, pauses the workflow for a set time or until a specific condition is met.
• If/else block, splits the workflow into two paths based on a condition.
• Contact block, makes changes to a contact

You connect these blocks to form a flow that matches your scenario. The workflow then processes each contact individually as they move through it.

When workflows make sense

Workflows are most valuable when the same sequence of actions needs to happen repeatedly for different contacts, triggered by their individual behaviour. A welcome email that goes to every new subscriber is a perfect workflow. A one-off campaign you're sending this Friday is not, that's a scheduled campaign.

Before you begin: planning checklist

A workflow is only as good as the planning behind it. Working through these four steps before opening the workflow builder will save you significant rework later.

Step 1: Define your goal

What do you want the workflow to achieve? Be specific. "Send a welcome email" is a goal. "Improve engagement" is not specific enough to design a workflow around.

Common workflow goals:

• Welcome new subscribers and introduce your brand.
• Follow up on contacts who clicked a specific link in a campaign.
• Register and confirm event attendees.
• Remind contacts of an upcoming renewal or expiry date.
• Notify sales when a lead takes a qualifying action.
• Re-engage contacts who haven't opened an email in 90 days.

Step 2: Define your audience

Who should enter this workflow? Think through:

• What triggers entry: a form submission, a link click, a date, an interest subscription?
• Are there conditions that should exclude some contacts even if they meet the trigger?
• Do you want existing contacts to enter, or only new ones from this point forward?

Step 3: Map out the sequence

Before building in Flexmail, sketch the flow on paper or in a simple diagram. Write down each step in order: trigger, then each email or action, with wait times and any if/else branches. This makes the build much faster and helps you spot gaps in your logic before they cause problems.

Step 4: Prepare your content

Every send block in your workflow needs a message. Create and review all the messages you'll use before activating the workflow. Check that:

• Each message has a clear purpose in the sequence.
• Personalisation placeholders are correct and have tested fallbacks.
• Links work correctly and point to the right destinations.
• The text version is present on each message.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Activating a workflow before all referenced messages are published and checked. A workflow can't send a message that doesn't exist.
• Building everything into one large workflow. Long, multi-branch workflows are harder to test, debug, and maintain. One workflow per goal is a better approach.
• Forgetting about existing contacts. By default, only new contacts who meet the trigger will enter the workflow. If you want existing contacts included, tick the option in the start block settings.
• Not thinking about the exit condition. Every contact who enters a workflow needs a logical way to leave it. See "When to stop your automation campaign" for techniques.

Next steps

• See "Create a workflow" for a step-by-step walkthrough of the workflow builder.
• See "Workflow blocks and triggers reference" for a complete overview of all available triggers and actions.
• See "Workflow examples" for eight ready-to-adapt scenarios covering common use cases.
• See "Workflow best practices" for guidance on naming, testing, monitoring, and maintaining workflows over time.