Line items in workflows

[PWatts0]

I need a workflow that does the following -

 When a deal is closed won is "true", the workflow sends and interal email notification to the deal owner with a list of ALL line items associated with the deal. 

I've created a workflow that when a deal is closed won it sends an email to deal owner.. The problem is nothing in this tells the workflow what I want to happen.  I've attempted a work around... Its to insert the data into the body of the email it sends. When I select the line item data source I have to "refine which line item to access" By activity is the only option. The next box is "select the record based on" options there are most recently updated, most recently created and first created... There is no where to select ALL line items associated with the deal.  

The functionality of Line Items appears to very silo'd, limited and non functional with the rest of HubSpot. There isn't even a lable for workflows in this community. Please help.

[HubSpot_Corey · Accepted solution]

Hi @PWatts0 ,

Due to how Line items are currently structure in HubSpot and workflows, this will indeed require a workaround. The simplicity of this workaround will be dependant upon how your HubSpot is setup, your subscription type and tier, as well as the level of your experience.

The ultimate goal is to get the list of associated products/line items into the workflow so that it can be used in the flow. This can be done in one of two ways. The first one is the easiest but most time consuming option that gets harder the more products you currently work with.

You will need to create a workflow that stores the line items on the deal level so that you can access the information in the flow. To do this, I suggest creating a multi-select property on the deal level, for example sake, let's call it 'Associated Products', you will then need to recreate each product in your product library here. 

Then create a flow with the enrollment trigger: Number of Associated Line Items is Known or number of associated line items is greater than 0. You will also need to turn re-enrollment on so that every time it's updated, it's re-enrolled.

Then, create a branch and for each product, create a branch with the

filter:

Deal is associated to: Any Line Item

And associated Line Item has all of: Name is equal to any of: [Enter your devices name].

This should then be followed by the actions:

1. Set Property Value: [Multi-select Property Create Before] and append to current value the name of the filtered device
2. Go to action: Next branched device.

Continue this for each branch. The reason we need the go to next action is because the workflow checks one branch at a time and only does the first branch that met the criteria and then stops. The goto next action will force it to also check the next device and so on. 

You now have a field on the deal level you can use to send emails.

The other option requires coding and API knowledge but is a lot more flexible, if you require any guidance or help with this option, let me know. 

[PWatts0]

I see how you may think that woud work... but it doesn't because from the data source in workflows I have to "refine which line item to access" By activity is the only option. The next box is "select the record based on" options there are most recently updated, most recently created and first created... There is no where to select ALL line items associated with the deal.  Below is a photo of what it looks like doing it your way.. These options are similiar in both workflows and the process you outlined. Hubspot fail... Oh well maybe one day they will believe companies can sell more that one product at a time... and ALL those products can have value 🤣

[HubSpot_Corey]

Hi @PWatts0,

I wanted to clarify that the workflow described above is focused on transferring the line item names from the associated line items to the deal, and then storing them at the deal level in a custom multi-line text property. Thus making the associated line items accessible as a deal property that you can then send in emails. This would circumvent your issue shown above as it does not involve accessing the line items directly.

[PWatts0]

Yes, I believe what you are missing is that when I use your workflow described above it forces you to choose which line item to sync from (see the screen shot)... There is no where to select ALL line items associated with the deal. If you have more than one item on a deal the function is useless as far as I and Hubspot support can see. In theory I get what your saying.. The practical application is not there. Unless you have a work around for this, it does not work. Again, this is a problem when pulling from a list, your workflow or any other workflow that utalizes line items. 

[VaiaED]

Hi, great work with thsi solution but...
What if i need to store at deal-level name, quantity and unit price of each line-item?

[HubSpot_Corey]

Hi @VaiaED,

Unfortunately, product/line item properties are not accessible from the deal level. A solution for this would require custom coding or API requests. The question I pose to you is why you want it on the deal level. Custom reports allow you to pull line item data allowing you to easily report on quantity and unit price, so the options for best solution really lay in what is the added value that you are hoping to achieve by storing that data on the deal itself?  

[VaiaED]

I needed to save line-items related their deals inside a ticket description. 
I use a Ticket Pipeline to manage some product operation for my e-commerce where the people who actually deliver and manage invoces needed all the information from contact/company/deal/line-items in a single place. 

I solved the issue with an app: "Show Line Items Association" Built by Exelab
Now from the ticket pipeline we can actually see the line-items related to deal directly from the ticket view.

@PWatts0 checkout the app maybe it useful for you too

[PWatts0]

I'm trying out your app.. when I try to configure it, nothing happens. When I click for support, I get 404 not found. 

[PWatts0]

Hi @HubSpot_Corey  I spoke with HS CS and got a fantastic lady that actually gave this advise. The problem when going through this process with a list is that the list is only capable of pulling one item. So if a Deal has 6 different items with 6 different dates associated it will only pull one. We actually worked on this for over a month and could not get it to work. The final answer I got was Line Items DO NOT work with Workflows.. It's a little crazy to me. It's kinka like a data widget that is only considered a placeholder.. not useful. 

[HubSpot_Corey]

Hi @PWatts0,
I've updated my screenshot to a more full-proof setup. Each branch of this checks if ANY associated line item matches the set name, then appends it to the property. This should results in a property that if all 3 devices were on the deal, returns 'Device 1; Device 2; Device 3' that you could then use to send in your email. 

[FMaher]

I am trying to copy an 'estimated' qty figure (custom product property) and the net amount from a line item to the deal level, because I want to create a calculation field to calculate the 'estimated' MRR. Our line items are based on minimum monthly amounts, but clients often end up with more than minimum. We are trying to be able to have a more acurate forecast figure of the sales pipeline.
The sales staff already have to manually enter the min qty (because this cannot be saved to a product), so it makes sense for staff to provide the estimated qty at the same time in the same place (the line item).

However - a calculation field cannot be created on a product object. So - I tried workflows to copy the content of those two line item properties to the deal level. Only a single line item is triggered - so there should be no need to select 'which' line item from the deal goes through the workflow.
Regardless - the workflow still wants me to select the activity that nominates the line item. I've tried every option - and the 'copy contents' workflow will not work.
I created the calculation property at the deal level - if the nominated properties have data in them - the calculation deal works perfectly. But the workflows will not copy the property data from the line item to the deal.

Any suggestions?

[BérangèreL]

Hi @PWatts0, I hope that you are well!

Great work in starting the workflow and thank you for asking the Community about this!

I'd like to ask a couple of subject matter experts to this conversation: Hi @karstenkoehler, @Humashankar and @LouiseHare can you think of ways to get all the line item information added into an internal notification in a workflow to help @PWatts0, please?

Also, if anybody else has anything to add and/or share, please feel free to join in the conversation 🙂

Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!

Best,
Bérangère

[Humashankar]

Hi @BérangèreL - Thanks for adding in to this problem statement and definelty it is intersting (associating products and line items with workflows in HubSpot) to discuss and find the possible breakdown - Let me also particiapte and add value out here.

Regards