Create a Workflow
Last updated About 4 hours ago
This guide provides a comprehensive roadmap for getting your new workflow up and running. You will learn how to define a trigger and connect the necessary nodes to build your automation.
Before you begin
Before you start building, we recommend that you have:
A clear idea of what should start the workflow: which trigger event fires, and for which type of contact. Refer to the Workflow Node Reference for the full list of available trigger event types.
If you plan to use a Form: New Submission trigger, the form must already exist in Subflow.
If you plan to use a Paths node to branch the workflow, decide in advance what conditions each branch should check, such as a specific form answer, segment membership, or contact field value. Create any needed segments beforehand.
The message content you want to send, or the name of the message template you plan to use, if the workflow will send SMS messages or emails.
The name of the staff member or role that task should be assigned to, if the workflow will create tasks.
✏️ Some trigger event types, such as EHR-based events, require an active integration between Subflow and your organization's electronic health record system. That integration is set up by the Subflow technical team, not by clinical staff. If you are not sure which trigger event types are available in your account, contact your Subflow administrator.
Get started
Follow the steps below to create a workflow.
Open Automation from the main navigation sidebar.
Access the Workflow Builder using either of these paths:
Under Workflows in the sidebar, click Active Workflows, then select Create Workflow in the top-right corner.
Under Workflows in the sidebar, click Workflow Builder.
The Workflow Builder opens with a single Trigger node on the canvas and the Workflow Settings panel on the right.
💡 Use the toolbar at the top of the canvas to search for a node by name, zoom in or out, or click Auto Layout to automatically arrange all nodes. You can also drag any node to reposition it manually.
In the Workflow Settings panel, enter a name for your workflow in the Name field. Add a description and tags if needed. Toggle on Auto Run to allow the workflow to start automatically when the trigger event fires.
Click the Trigger node on the canvas. The configuration panel opens on the right.
Under Trigger Event, click the dropdown to open the event picker. Use the "Search events..." bar to find a specific event, or scroll through the grouped list to find the one that should start this workflow. Click the event to select it.
If the trigger event requires additional configuration, complete the fields that appear in the Configure section below the Trigger Event dropdown. For the Manual trigger type, no additional configuration is needed.
Click the connection dot at the bottom of the Trigger node. The right panel changes to display the Action picker, listing all available node types under Flow Control and Actions.
In the Action picker, select the node type you want to add as the first step. The node appears on the canvas connected to the Trigger node, and its configuration panel opens on the right.
💡 Use the "Search actions..." bar at the top of the picker to find a node type by name if the list is long.
Configure the node in the right panel. For a Send Message node, choose the recipient and compose or select the message content. For other node types, complete the fields shown. Refer to the Workflow Node Reference for details on each node's configuration options.
Click Apply Changes in the configuration panel to save the node's settings.
✏️ Click on the three-dot menu and select Rename to update a node’s title.
To add the next node, click the connection dot at the bottom of the node you just configured and repeat steps 8 through 10. Continue until the workflow covers all the steps you need.
If the workflow should branch based on patient conditions, add a Paths node by clicking the connection dot where the workflow should split. For each branch, set the label, define the condition rules, and use + And or + Add "Or" rule group to combine conditions. The Fallback path runs automatically for any contact that does not match any condition. Refer to the Workflow Node Reference for full details on configuring Paths.
✏️ To merge two branches back into a single path, click the connection dot at the bottom of a node on one branch and drag it to the top connection dot of an existing node on another branch.
End each path in the workflow by connecting it to an Exit Workflow node. Every path in a completed workflow should have a clear endpoint.
Click Save at the bottom of the canvas to save the workflow and apply your settings.
Duplicate an existing workflow
If the workflow you want to build is similar to an existing one, you can duplicate it and modify the copy instead of building from scratch.
Open Automation from the main navigation sidebar.
Under Workflows in the sidebar, click Active Workflows.
Find the workflow you want to copy. Click the three-dot Actions menu at the right end of its row.
Click Duplicate. A copy of the workflow appears in the list named "Copy of [original name]".
Click the Actions menu on the copy and click Edit Workflow to open it in the Workflow Builder.
Make your changes to the nodes, trigger event, or settings.
Click Save.
Related articles
Now that you know how to create a workflow, check these related articles to configure and manage it.
Workflow Node Reference: Look up the configuration options for every node type, including Send Message, Assign Task, Paths, Wait For Event, and more.
Manage Workflows: Learn how to edit a workflow that is already running, view its run history, and archive it when it is no longer needed.
Create a Segment: Set up the dynamic contact groups that Paths nodes can use as conditions, so your workflow can route different patients down different branches.
Workflows in Subflow: Review the concept overview to understand how workflows relate to care plans and what each node type is designed to do.