Lists, Lead Scoring & Workflows

jjb868
Participant | Diamond Partner
Participant | Diamond Partner

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

A couple things I need cleared up. 

 

  1. When is a workflow considered "completed"? When the workflow goal is met or when all actions of the workflow have taken place?
  2. If a workflow is considered complete when a goal is met, how can you create a workflow goal to be "contact has completed workflow x" and you can make the goal, the completion of the exact workflow you are working on. Isn't this kind of a glitch loop or am I conflating workflow goals to workflow completions and furthermore what would happen if you made your workflow goal to complete that workflow? Would that workflow neve meet the goal?

 

Someone please help

2 Accepted solutions
ConnorSlivensky
Solution
Key Advisor | Elite Partner
Key Advisor | Elite Partner

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

I believe you're conflating goals with completions. Think of your workflow as a road you can complete it by following it to the end or you can take an exit ( complete the goal) to leave early. 

 

There should be seperate options for has completed x workflow and has met goal for x workflow. Your workflow is set up for one purpose or another with each step in it aimed to get closer to that goal.(Say filling out a form)

 

By defining a goal you allow HubSpot to remove contacts who've already filled out that form along the way somehow and don't need to continue to recieve emails/actions defined in the workflow aimed to get people to fill the form out.  

 

Sorry if that was a bit confusing but feel free to ask me anymore questions you may have.

View solution in original post

MFrankJohnson
Solution
Thought Leader

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

2020 UPDATE: Some of the answers and feedback in this thread (and many like it) may only apply to legacy workflows -- i.e., prior to 2020. -- see A New Engine for your Workflows NEW ON NOVEMBER 6, 2019

 

Please carefully consider the age of threads when incorporating solutions found there into your process.

 

++

Q: When is a workflow considered "completed"? When the workflow goal is met or when all actions of the workflow have taken place??

 

Short A: Both. HubSpot contact-based workflows are considered 'completed' when either the contact-based workflow goal is met OR when the last (non-delay) action in the contact-based workflow path fires.

 

Longer A:

When used, contact-based workflow goals should ALWAYS be made to test the overall objective of the workflow -- e.g., Lifecycle Stage = ?, form completed, etc.. Any other use of contact-based workflow goals that conflict with the overall objective of the workflow isn't considered best practice and is not recommended. (important)


- see Use goals in contact-based workflows (Marketing Hub)
- see Unenroll contacts in contact-based workflows with goals (Sales & Service Hub)

 

Note: Please search for recent posts as HubSpot evolves to be the #1 CRM platform of choice world-wide.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Be well,
Frank


www.mfrankjohnson.com

View solution in original post

5 Replies 5
MFrankJohnson
Solution
Thought Leader

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

2020 UPDATE: Some of the answers and feedback in this thread (and many like it) may only apply to legacy workflows -- i.e., prior to 2020. -- see A New Engine for your Workflows NEW ON NOVEMBER 6, 2019

 

Please carefully consider the age of threads when incorporating solutions found there into your process.

 

++

Q: When is a workflow considered "completed"? When the workflow goal is met or when all actions of the workflow have taken place??

 

Short A: Both. HubSpot contact-based workflows are considered 'completed' when either the contact-based workflow goal is met OR when the last (non-delay) action in the contact-based workflow path fires.

 

Longer A:

When used, contact-based workflow goals should ALWAYS be made to test the overall objective of the workflow -- e.g., Lifecycle Stage = ?, form completed, etc.. Any other use of contact-based workflow goals that conflict with the overall objective of the workflow isn't considered best practice and is not recommended. (important)


- see Use goals in contact-based workflows (Marketing Hub)
- see Unenroll contacts in contact-based workflows with goals (Sales & Service Hub)

 

Note: Please search for recent posts as HubSpot evolves to be the #1 CRM platform of choice world-wide.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Be well,
Frank


www.mfrankjohnson.com
CaseyToken
Participant

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

@MFrankJohnson It seems like your answer contradicts @ConnorSlivensky's. Who is right?

I have a workflow (A) with a goal. I want to trigger another workflow (B) either when the (A) goal is reached or when the workflow (A) is completed. (i.e, the final action is triggered)

 

Frank says I can set Workflow (B)'s enrollment trigger to watch for any "completion" of Workflow (A), while Connor is suggesting I would have to create 2 separate versions of Workflow (B), one watching for (A) goal and one watching for (A) completion.

 

Thanks to both of you for your help clearing this up.

0 Upvotes
ConnorSlivensky
Key Advisor | Elite Partner
Key Advisor | Elite Partner

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

Sorry about the confusion, as Frank explained it's a bit of both.

 

You can use met goal or completed (down a path to checkered end, not meeting the goal) as a trigger/property but to "complete" I believe it counts both ways of working your way through the workflow be it a goal or end of the path.  

 

I'd defer to @MFrankJohnson 's explanation on this.

CaseyToken
Participant

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

In case anyone lands on this thread for future reference I tested the process myself. A goal does NOT count as a completion, whether the recipient received emails in the campaign or not. 

For my purposes I simply used an OR statement to grab anyone who completed a workflow OR met the goal. If your workflow does not include sending emails, or if you want to include people who met the goal before an email was sent to them in the workflow, follow the instructions here:
https://knowledge.hubspot.com/workflows/use-goals-in-contact-based-workflows
"For workflows that have goal criteria but don't send marketing emails, use the Workflow status filter Contact has been enrolled in. Then, use AND separators and add the workflow's goal criteria. This will enroll any contacts that enrolled in the first workflow and then met the goal criteria. "

0 Upvotes
ConnorSlivensky
Solution
Key Advisor | Elite Partner
Key Advisor | Elite Partner

Quick question about workflow completions

SOLVE

I believe you're conflating goals with completions. Think of your workflow as a road you can complete it by following it to the end or you can take an exit ( complete the goal) to leave early. 

 

There should be seperate options for has completed x workflow and has met goal for x workflow. Your workflow is set up for one purpose or another with each step in it aimed to get closer to that goal.(Say filling out a form)

 

By defining a goal you allow HubSpot to remove contacts who've already filled out that form along the way somehow and don't need to continue to recieve emails/actions defined in the workflow aimed to get people to fill the form out.  

 

Sorry if that was a bit confusing but feel free to ask me anymore questions you may have.