Workflow Best Practices

Well-designed workflows save time, ensure consistency, and improve the applicant experience. Poorly designed workflows can cause confusion, send duplicate emails, or create data inconsistencies. Follow these best practices to get the most from your automation.

Planning Before Building

Map Your Process First

Before opening the Workflow Builder, sketch out your admissions process on paper or a whiteboard:

1. List every stage in your pipeline.
2. Identify what should happen automatically at each stage transition.
3. Note which communications should be sent and when.
4. Identify conditions that affect the flow (e.g., different programs, campuses).

Start Simple

Begin with a few essential workflows and add complexity over time:

1. Workflow 1: Send confirmation email when a form is submitted.
2. Workflow 2: Notify admissions team when a new application arrives.
3. Workflow 3: Send acceptance/rejection emails when status changes.

TIP

Resist the temptation to automate everything at once. Start with the workflows that save the most manual effort, then expand gradually as you become comfortable with the system.

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names for your workflows:

Poor Name	Better Name
"Workflow 1"	"Send Welcome Email on Application"
"Auto email"	"Acceptance Notification to Parents"
"Stage change"	"Auto-move to Interview When Docs Complete"

Include the trigger type and the main action in the name so you can quickly understand what the workflow does from the list view.

Avoiding Infinite Loops

The most common workflow problem is circular dependencies:

The Loop Pattern

Workflow A: When status = "Review" → Move to "Interview" stage
Workflow B: When stage = "Interview" → Set status to "Review"

This creates an infinite loop where each workflow triggers the other. The system prevents this with rate limiting, but the workflow will appear as "rate_limited" in logs and may not complete its intended actions.

How to Avoid Loops

1. Be specific with triggers -- add conditions so workflows only fire in the intended scenario.
2. Avoid circular stage/status dependencies -- map your workflow logic on paper to check for cycles.
3. Use one-directional flows -- design workflows that move applicants forward, not back and forth.
4. Test with execution logs -- activate a workflow and check the logs immediately for unexpected rapid firing.

Email Workflow Guidelines

Timing

• Send confirmation emails immediately on form submission (no delay).
• Send follow-up emails with appropriate delays (3-7 days is typical).
• Avoid sending emails late at night -- use delayed actions to schedule for business hours.

Content

• Use email templates rather than embedding content in the workflow.
• Keep the same communication tone across all automated emails.
• Always include contact information for the admissions office in case the family has questions.

Frequency

WARNING

Never create multiple workflows that could send the same applicant multiple emails for the same event. For example, if you have both a "Form Submitted" workflow and a "Lead Created" workflow that both send welcome emails, applicants may receive two emails.

Testing Workflows

Before Activating

1. Review the flow -- trace through every possible path in the workflow.
2. Check conditions -- verify that conditions will match the correct leads.
3. Verify templates -- ensure email templates referenced by the workflow exist and contain the correct content.
4. Consider edge cases -- what happens if a lead has no email? What if the target stage is deleted?

After Activating

1. Monitor execution logs -- check the first few executions to confirm expected behavior.
2. Verify with a test lead -- create a test applicant and trigger the workflow manually.
3. Watch for rate limiting -- any rate-limited entries indicate potential issues.

Organization

One Workflow Per Purpose

Create separate workflows for separate purposes rather than combining everything into one complex workflow:

Approach	Result
One workflow with 15 actions for every scenario	Difficult to maintain, hard to debug
Five focused workflows of 3 actions each	Easy to understand, enable/disable independently

Pipeline-Specific

• Create workflows per pipeline, not generic workflows that try to cover all pipelines.
• This makes each workflow simpler and easier to configure.
• Different pipelines often have different processes, so sharing workflows rarely works well.

Document Your Workflows

Maintain a simple document or spreadsheet that lists:

Workflow	Trigger	Actions	Purpose
Welcome Email	Form submitted	Send email	Confirm application received
Doc Reminder	Stage enter "Documents Pending" + 7 day delay	Send email	Remind parents to upload documents
Accept Notice	Status = Accepted	Send email, Create activity	Notify parents and schedule orientation

Maintenance

Regular Review

Review your workflows quarterly:

1. Are all active workflows still relevant?
2. Are any workflows consistently erroring? (Check logs.)
3. Have your admissions processes changed? Update workflows accordingly.
4. Are there new manual tasks that could be automated?

Deactivate Before Deleting

When you think you no longer need a workflow:

1. First deactivate it (rather than deleting).
2. Leave it inactive for one admissions cycle.
3. If no issues arise from it being inactive, then delete it.

This prevents accidentally losing automation that you might still need.

TIP

Treat your workflows as living documentation of your admissions process. When you onboard a new admissions team member, walk them through the workflow list to explain how the automated process works.

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