HubSpot Ideas

gtwright

Set Workflow termination date

I would love to be able to set a termination date for workflows so I don't have to worry about manually turning off a workflow at a certain date/time, for workflows built with content that is only valid until a certain date.

 

Alternatively, I would love to be able to compare against the current date/time in the workflow logic, so I could effectivelly terminate a path within a workflow at a certain date/time.

14 Replies
Compuware
Top Contributor

Would be great if there was a way to manage workflows through a start & end date.

roisinkirby
HubSpot Product Team

Hey @Compuware would you be able to provide more information on this? How exactly do you want to manage workflows based on dates? Any examples are appreciated. 

 

Best,

Compuware
Top Contributor

Say for instance we have multiple microcampaigns set up but want them only to run during a particular quarter. Rather than have to worry about setting up reminders to go back into the workflow to turn it on or off there should be the ability to say start this workflow as of 4/1 and end as of 6/30 (as an example). 

Another example. I might have a webcast taking place on a certain day. I can set up all my processes prior and then have it set to a certain start date and then end date for when the webcast is completed. While some of the triggers in the process may be time based ...there is still the possibility of forgetting to "turn off" the workflow and then someone possibly entering into the starting criteria and something inadvertently firing off that was intended.

The more workflows you have going the higher chance of something happening. While I know you can manage by "goals" the  "goals" are not necessarily relative to every scenario as well as can be limiting.

CarsonGroup
Member

I agree, I came here looking for an answer to the same situation. I have a series of free events that happen on certain dates and want to create the email invite workflows in advance and have them start and end on the right dates without having to manually manage each one. 

12 weeks worth of drip emails leading up to the event (that happens on an exact date) and then the final email to be sent on an exact date (the day before our free event is held) and then the workflow ends. (attendees are then sent to a new workflow; non-attendees are sent to a separate new drip workflow). WHY CAN'T I SET UP MY WORKFLOW TO HAVE THE EMAILS SENT ON SPECIFIC DATES???????

roisinkirby
HubSpot Product Team
 
cgiroud
Participant

I am looking for a similar feature.  I just had a few hundred people enrolled in a workflow that I forgot to turn off after the campaign ended.  The only solution currently suggested by Hubspot Support is to create a task reminder in the workflow to turn off the workflow after the campaign end date.  Reminders are good but the ability to set a turn off date is really what's needed

rossf
Participant

I agree the ability to time limit a workflow would be useful

alys
Member

Another use case:

 

We drip webinar registrants with content to get them excited about an upcoming webinar. If someone registers for the webinar a few days before the event, they're going to get dripped with content after the webinar is over (unless we remember to manually turn it off).

Rbanga
HubSpot Employee

Posting on behalf of my customer who is also looking for a similar feature 

robertriversoz
Contributor | Platinum Partner

Agreed!!

Svea
Participant

Definitely agree! This would help a lot and reduce effort and issues occuring due to missing workflow turn offs.

benesch_e
Contributor

I agree it would be very helpful to have a workflow have a termination date, it would also be nice to be able to add a note in the workflow settings to state its purpose or why it is being terminated.

TBS
Member

As an event marketer, the ability to schedule the termination date of a workflow would be a great help. Beyond event end dates, we set up workflows to push registration deadlines and offer time-sensitve promotions--all of which have to manually be terminated.

RSwamy
Member

I agree. Just ran into this with a webinar registration workflow. If there is a webinar that runs on 2pm of a certain day, and someone registers at 5pm, then I don't want to send them a confirmation email.

 

This is a workaround that was suggested by HubSpot support but also leads to excessive property creation:

Create a date property called "workflow entered" when a contact enters the workflow. Then add an if/then branch to see if "workflow entered" date is before/after the webinar date. You would need to create new "workflow entered 2", "workflow entered 3", etc properties for every single workflow and webinar you make...adds a ton of overhead. But also doesn't solve the problem of if someone registers on the same day, but AFTER the webinar is run.

 

Please add the ability to turn on/off workflows at a specific date AND TIME!

 

We are a small company and I run the webinars too. I am going to have to remember to turn off the webinar registration workflow right when it starts. Messy!!!!