A changing workflow date property trigger/filtering option value for "today" (not a static date)
HubSpot automations would strongly benefit from having a date property filtering value option that tracks the actual calendar date.
We often want to build automations that e.g. exclude deals or custom objects from triggering if their "close date" is in the future, i.e. exclude deals from triggering before a certain date in the future.
As of today, the only option we have, is to select "trigger after a date". You can select "today", but that only sets that specific day's date. The value for "today" does not keep updating --> the automation's trigger rule is set to that specific date. If I build an automation today, the "after today" would equal "after 01/03/2024".
Meaning, in a week or in a month, the value that was set for "after today" (e.g. 01/03/2024) is already in the past. Meaning, all deals that have a close date between 01/03/2024 and 01/10/2024 or between 01/03/2024 and 01/31/2024, would be excluded from triggering. Whereas, we only want to prevent deals from triggering whose close date is actually in the future, not in the past.
We need exclusion triggers based on the current calendar day / based on a changing date, not just based on the day the automation was built/updated.
There are ways one can get today's date for a record (Contact/Company/Deal/Ticket/Custom object) in HubSpot.
With operations Hub, super easy. Without it, it becomes a more complex automation (but doable).
Let's start with the easy way (Operations Hub):
1. Step one is to create a property called today's date (or whatever you want to call it). This needs to be a date property
2. Step two is to create a Scheduled workflow. If you want it to update daily, please choose daily and select time of update.
3. Choose trigger for the scheduled workflow (For example email address/today's date is known OR unknown)
4. Set property value --> (the property you created in step 1) and choose the value date of step.
Without Operations Hub solution:
1. Create a property for today's date (needs to be a date property)
2. Create a workflow with the enrollment trigger today's date is known OR today's date is unknown. Re-enrollment MUST be switched on.
3. Create an IF/THEN branch where you check if today's date is known.
4. In both branches set the date stamp for you property (choose date of step)
5. The last steps after the YES branch will be a delay. To do this you will chose 'delay until a day or time' and then choose any time after midnight. This will ensure that the re-enrollment will not be triggered before the next day.
Hope this helps, I know a lot of people are struggling with this and this should definetely be a default property in HubSpot.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions. Happy to answer any questions you might have.
