How do you document workflows?

[jspencerdav]

Workflows is arguably the most powerful feature in HubSpot. Regardless of skill level in HubSpot, users create workflows to automate valuable work.

However, without good documentation, workflows quickly become a black hole of confusion and wasted time trying to figure out why something is happening (or not!). 

The solution? Documentation.

How do you document workflows? Here are the core things I believe every workflow needs documented (what would you add?) :

• Link to workflow
• Change control notes (if workflow is affected by external changes)
• Triggers
• Workflow settings / goal criteria
• Business goal / objective solved by workflow
• Expected outcome(s)
• Properties set
• Dependencies with other workflows
• Internal email / tasks sent
• Core logic defined by each workflow step

And, just as important - how do you keep your workflow documentation up to date?

[jspencerdav]

Hey, @MrBean - good question! That is simply the Goal set in the workflow settings. In a recent itteration of this documentation outline, I've separated 'Settings' and 'Workflow Goal' as separate bullets.

[amber-square2]

Goal criteria helps gauge success: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/workflows/use-goals-in-contact-based-workflows

And for Contact workflows you can use that to unenroll contacts from a workflow when they meet a set goal. 

I think a big piece of keeping documentation up to date is being able to lock down permissions for editing workflows...seems like a lot of users have Super Admin access and mess with things they shouldn't. 🙂 I would love to start seeing HubSpot Super Admin seen on the level of Salesforce Admin - where a process needs to be followed to request a change from the designated person, who would then know to document their changes.

[HBirtcher]

When I took over as Admin for our company this was the first thing I did! We went from having 10 SuperAdmins to only having myself as the CRM Administrator , our external marketing team and a backup in our IT department. I can then give rights as needed to edit workflows if I am out, but otherwise it is just me and our outside marketing team. It still gets a little tricky as I have a system I use and the marketing team has a different process, but it is a HUGE step in the right directly. 

[MiaSrebrnjak]

Great tips, thank you for sharing @jspencerdav!