Get started with workflows

Workflows are automated scenarios that run in the background of your Flexmail account. Once set up, a workflow runs automatically whenever your defined trigger occurs, without 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 main benefit of workflows is that they carry out an action automatically whenever contact behaviour, interactions with your campaign or other events activate a trigger. They work based on pre-set rules, in the background, without requiring your intervention at that moment. With workflows, your campaigns never sleep.

There are countless possibilities when using workflows. You can send welcome messages to new subscribers, birthday emails, event-related messages such as reminders and post-event surveys, additional product information based on links your contacts clicked, and much more. Workflows are always a good choice to take the necessary actions at each stage 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 consists 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 create a flow that suits your scenario. The workflow then processes each contact individually as they move through the flow.

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 send this Friday is not, that is 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 to achieve with the workflow? 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.
• Alert sales when a lead takes a qualifying action.
• Re-engage contacts who have not opened an email in 90 days.

Step 2: Define your audience

Who should enter this workflow? Consider:

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

Step 3: Map out the sequence

Sketch the flow on paper or in a simple diagram before building in Flexmail. Write down each step in order: trigger, then each email or action, with wait times and any if/else branches. This makes building 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 will use before activating the workflow. Check that:

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

Common mistakes to avoid

• Activating a workflow before all used messages are published and checked. A workflow cannot send a message that does not exist.
• Putting everything into one large workflow. Long workflows with many branches are harder to test, debug and maintain. One workflow per goal is a better approach.
• Forgetting existing contacts. By default, only new contacts who match the trigger 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-use scenarios for common applications.
• See "Workflow best practices" for guidelines on naming, testing, monitoring and maintaining workflows over time.