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Workflow actions are the steps that execute after a workflow is triggered. Each action performs a specific task — sending a message, updating a record, applying a tag, waiting a set time, or branching based on conditions. By customizing actions, you control precisely what happens at every stage of your automation.
Customizing workflow actions article

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Why this matters

The trigger gets a contact into a workflow — but it is the action sequence that determines what actually happens to them. A well-designed action chain can qualify leads, nurture them with relevant content, book appointments, move pipeline stages, and notify your team — all without any human intervention. The depth of your automation depends entirely on how well you configure these steps.

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Types of workflow actions

Send communications to contacts:
  • Send SMS: Send a text message to the contact
  • Send Email: Send an email from your designated sending address
  • Send Voicemail Drop: Deliver a pre-recorded voicemail without ringing the contact’s phone
  • Add to Conversation: Create or update a conversation thread
Update contact records automatically:
  • Add Tag / Remove Tag: Apply or remove tags for segmentation
  • Update Contact Field: Set a custom field value on the contact record
  • Add to / Remove from List: Add or remove the contact from a contact list
  • Assign User: Assign the contact to a specific team member
Move contacts through your sales process:
  • Create Opportunity: Creates a new opportunity on a pipeline
  • Update Opportunity Status: Moves an opportunity to a different stage
Control workflow flow and logic:
  • Wait Step: Pause the workflow for a set time or until a condition is met
  • If/Else Branch: Split the workflow into different paths based on contact data or behavior
  • Go To: Jump to a different step in the workflow
  • Goal Event: Skip to a specified step when a specific contact action occurs
  • Webhook: Send contact data to an external URL for integration with other platforms
Alert your team members:
  • Internal Notification: Send an email or SMS to a team member when a contact reaches a step
  • Create Task: Add a task to a team member’s task list

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How to customize workflow actions

1

Open the workflow builder

In Automation > Workflows, open the workflow you want to configure. You will see the workflow canvas with any existing trigger and action steps.
Workflow action builder
2

Click Add Action

After your trigger (or after an existing action step), click Add Action to insert a new step.
3

Select an action type

Browse the action categories and select the action that matches what you want to happen at this step.
4

Configure the action

Fill in the action’s details based on the action type:
  • Send SMS/Email: Write the message, select the sender, use custom field merge tags like {{contact.first_name}}
  • Wait Step: Choose the wait duration (minutes, hours, days) or condition to wait for
  • If/Else Branch: Set the condition that determines which path a contact takes
  • Add Tag: Select the tag to apply from your existing tag list
Configuring a workflow action step
Always use merge tags in your message actions. At minimum, open with {{contact.first_name}} to make every automated message feel personal rather than generic.
5

Chain multiple actions

Continue adding actions below the first. The workflow executes them in order from top to bottom. Use wait steps between messaging actions to space out the sequence naturally over time.
6

Add branching logic

Use If/Else Branches to create parallel paths for different scenarios. For example:
  • Yes branch: Contact replied within 24 hours — send a follow-up email
  • No branch: Contact did not reply — send a reminder SMS
Workflow if/else branch logic
7

Save and publish

Save your workflow and toggle it to Published when you are ready for it to go live. Test with a test contact first to confirm all actions fire as expected.

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Key benefits

Customize messages and actions based on individual contact data and behavior.
Build multi-step sequences that guide contacts through your customer journey automatically.
Automate repetitive tasks — tagging, pipeline updates, notifications — without manual effort.
Use if/else branches to deliver different experiences based on what contacts actually do.
Automated action sequences handle growing numbers of leads without sacrificing quality or timing.
Last modified on March 8, 2026