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Creating Visual Workflows

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Forest Myers
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With the Visual Workflow Builder, SharpSpring offers an interface for you to develop and visualize the journeys for your leads.

This article will provide information on the various aspects of the Visual Workflow Builder.


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Understanding Visual Workflows

With the Visual Workflow Builder, you can build simple or complex automation workflows using a combination of triggers and filters to fire off actions or action groups. This means that you can use the Visual Workflow Builder to construct visual diagrams of your leads' journeys to control the paths they are taking toward conversion. These diagrams are called visual workflows.

In turn, a visual workflow is a sequence of triggers, filters, and actions:

Term   Description
action  

An event that happens as a result of an action group running.

An example of an action is a trigger immediately sending an email.
filter  

An optional part of an automation that is used to narrow the
scope of triggers. Filters are only tested when triggers are fired.

An example of a filter is when a contact has the Industry field equal to Marketing.
trigger  

An event that results in an action group running. Only triggers
can start an action group, and at least one trigger is necessary
to perform any automated action. Triggers are required to start
workflows.

An example of a trigger is when a contact fills out a form.


For more information on automation terminology, refer to Automation Overview.


Creating Visual Workflows

To create blank visual workflows, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Click New Workflow.
  3. Name the visual workflow.
  4. Click OK.
  

Click to enlarge.


Editing Visual Workflows

Once you have created a visual workflow, you can open it and edit it when you need to. To edit a visual workflow, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Enter the name of the desired workflow in the Filter Workflows text box.
  3. Click the name of the visual workflow.
  

Click to enlarge.


Adding Triggers to Workflows

Every visual workflow must begin with a trigger, which is the initial event that begins the workflow. To add triggers to workflows, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Under Start, click + Add Trigger.
  4. Select the desired trigger.
  5. Set trigger parameters as necessary.
  6. Click OK.

While workflows can be simple and have just one main trigger, they can be as complex as necessary.

When you create a trigger, you start a branch within the workflow. Workflows can have many different branches, with each branch doing different things.

A single workflow can have many different things that occur alongside or separate from each other, with the results of their interactions each setting off different things.

For more information on workflow triggers, refer to Understanding Visual Workflow Branching.

  

Click to enlarge.
Note: To delete a trigger, click  trash.png  Delete. Deleting a trigger will delete all content directly following it.
 
Click to enlarge.
 


Adding Branch Content to Triggers

Triggers are only part of what makes a workflow function. While triggers start a chain of events in a workflow, those triggers depend upon branch content—actions, filters, delays, and action groups—in order to continue or finish that event.

As such, creating strong workflows requires utilizing branch content to tell triggers what to do. To add branch content to triggers, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Under a created trigger, click
    + Add.
  4. Choose from the following:

       •   Actions: The available actions within
            the visual workflow.

       •   Filters: Additional criteria that a lead  
            must fulfill before moving on to an action.

       •   Time Delay: Sets a time delay for actions.

       •   Action Groups: Multiple actions
            previously constructed together as
            a group.
  5. Set content parameters as necessary.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Add additional actions, filters, time delays, or action groups as necessary.

Like triggers, branch content can be as simple or complex as necessary. Just as a trigger starts a workflow branch, the branches can split off with different branch content.

For example, one branch can have many different actions that stem from a single trigger, with each doing different things. Those actions can, in turn, have multiple filters or delays that follow them, with each setting off more actions.

For more information on workflow branches, refer to Understanding Visual Workflow Branching.

    


Click to enlarge.
Note: To delete branch content, click  trash.png  Delete. Deleting content higher in the workflow will delete all content directly following it.
Note: To set a created branch as repeatable within the workflow, click  loop.png  Make Repeatable. 
 
Click to enlarge.
 


Previewing and Editing Assets

You can preview sites, emails, forms, pages, and certain media assets from within the Visual Workflow Builder and quickly jump to them to edit those assets.

With a visual workflow, you can see every aspect of your automation from a single interface, which makes this an ideal centerpiece for your marketing strategy. Workflows have the following available assets:		  
Important: The Visual Workflow Builder is not supported in Internet Explorer 11. Use one of the other browsers supported by SharpSpring to create visual workflows.
     
Asset Available Actions
Emails

   •   Click the send the email action or visits from the email trigger
        to see a preview of the email.

   •   Click the  pencil.png  Edit icon to edit that email directly in the
        email designer.
Forms

   •   Click the form trigger or filter to see a preview of the form that
        people are filling out.

   •   Click the  pencil.png  Edit icon to edit that form directly in its
        Settings page.
Media Center

   •   Click the Media Center trigger or filter to see a preview of that
        Media Center link (except .PDFs).  

   •   Click the  pencil.png . Edit icon to edit the settings for that Media
        Center asset.
Sites

   •   Click any site trigger or filter to see a preview of that website,
        or an unavailable message for unavailable website previews.

   •   When previewing the visits from the page trigger or filter,
        only tracked sites will show up as a preview, as this relies on
        the page to have tracking code.

 


Copying Visual Workflows

You can make copies of visual workflows. This can save time, as you now need only to create one visual workflow to have several copies. These copies can be as complex as necessary or have just one or two minor modifications.

To copy a visual workflow, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Locate the desired workflow.
  3. Click  12more.png  More Options > Copy.
  4. Optionally, rename the visual workflow.
  5. Click OK.
  

Click to enlarge.

Copied workflows open in a new window with all of the copied branch content. From there, you can modify the copied workflow as necessary.


Exporting Visual Workflows

To export and download a visual workflow as a .PDF file, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Click  12more.png  Options > Export as .PDF.
  4. In the pop-up window or browser tab that appears, save or download the .PDF file.
  

Click to enlarge.

The process for downloading .PDF files can vary based on browser type and .PDF reader application.


Gated and Open Triggers

The Visual Workflow Builder includes options for triggers to have them fire if the trigger condition was met. This condition interacts with the referenced item originating in the specified workflow and action group. Gated and open triggers are available for any branching trigger. These trigger options are as follows:

  • Gated Trigger: Only fires the trigger if the trigger's condition is satisfied by the contact already being part of the parent workflow.

  • Open Trigger: This trigger is satisfied by anyone who meets the trigger's condition, regardless of if they are already in the workflow.

Gated and open triggers allow you to create multiple scenarios within the same visual workflow. These triggers allow for the option, on a trigger-by-trigger basis, to choose whether conditional logic should apply, or whether any lead action that meets that condition should fire the trigger.

For example, a trigger for visits from the email with a parent action that sends that email will only fire if a visits from that email was sent from the parent action group, and will not fire if that email is sent as a Smart Mail, to a list, or through another action group.

To utilize open and gated triggers, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Create a trigger of any kind.
  4. Under the trigger, create an action.
  5. Select send the email.
  6. Under the action, create a trigger.
  7. Select either visits from the email or views the media.
  8. Select either Gated Trigger or Open Trigger.
  9. Optionally, select Remove from Parent Action Group.

You can start a visual workflow with multiple triggers. However, it is important to note that these triggers will be evaluated as an or condition. Meaning a lead could fulfill trigger A or trigger B or trigger C, and be added to an action group. The option for and triggers is not available in the visual workflow builder. Instead, use a single, more generic trigger combined with filters to create unique communication branches.

  



Click to enlarge.
 
Note: When selecting Remove from Parent Action Group, the workflow will branch off and will no longer be connected to the original workflow. The lead will no longer be associated with the original workflow and will now receive actions on this new branch.


Deactivating and Reactivating Visual Workflows

Visual workflows cannot be deleted. They can, however, be deactivated. Deactivated workflows will not fire.


Deactivating Workflows

To deactivate an active created visual workflow, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Click the Activity drop-down menu.
  3. Select Active.
  4. Locate the desired visual workflow.
  5. Click  12more.png  Options > Deactivate.
  6. Optionally, click the Prevent leads already in the workflows from being added to other branches checkbox.
  7. Click OK.
    Click to enlarge.

 

Reactivating Workflows

To reactivate a previously deactivated visual workflow, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Click the Activity drop-down menu.
  3. Select Inactive.
  4. Locate the desired visual workflow.
  5. Click  12more.png  Options > Activate.
   Click to enlarge.
Note: You cannot activate visual workflows without a trigger.
 

 

Setting Activity Status

To deactivate or reactivate from within the visual workflow, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Visual Workflows.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Click the Workflow is toggle.

Deactivated visual workflows will have the Inactive toggle status. Activated visual workflows will have the Active toggle status.

   Click to enlarge.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I save a visual workflow?
A: Triggers, filters, and action groups are saved automatically once they are added to the visual workflow.


Q: What are the differences between action groups and branches?
A: Reusable action groups are a collection of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or be manually scheduled to a list. Branches are not action groups. Branches refer to a collection of actions created for use only within a visual workflow. As the name implies, this collection of actions branch out from the action group and are dependent upon additional criteria in order to function. Branches will not be added as reusable, standalone action groups.


Q: Will my visual workflows and action groups display in the normal Action Group page, and vice versa?
A: Visual workflows will remain separate from the pre-existing action groups. These will not be accessible on the same page.


Q: Will visual workflows fire based on changes made through imports or bulk editing?
A: No. Visual workflows will not fire based on these changes.


Q. How do I make changes outside of an action group?
A: The action group must be saved prior to making any changes outside of the action group.


Q: Can I rename the branches in my visual workflow?
A: Yes. To rename the branch, simply click on the green bar above your action group and type in a new name. The name will save automatically.


Q: How can I see how far a lead is in a visual workflow?
A: On the Memberships tab of the lead record, the visual workflow name will display, followed by the name of the specific branch a lead has taken part in. You can see aggregate usage, including the last time the visual workflow ran, on the main visual workflows page.


Q: Can visual workflows be repeatable?
A: Both visual workflows and action groups can be set as repeatable. The repeatable status of the branch itself sets whether or not all content within the branch is repeatable.


Q: How do time delays work in visual workflows?
A: Time delays in the visual workflow builder are structured around the timing of the prior event. The Visual Workflow Builder does not use from start time delays. When adding time delays to a visual workflow, that delay is timing iterative from the previous event.


Q: How do time delays work when using action groups?
A: Time delays with action groups are structured around the timing of when the lead enters the action group, and not when the lead completes the action. In a workflow with a referenced standalone action group, time delays placed ahead of subsequent actions or action groups in the same branch will start before the actions or action groups.


Q: How do I know how well my visual workflows are performing?
A: You can view the performance of your visual workflow, including the total number of times the visual workflow has run, on the main visual workflows page.

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