Removing a group of contacts from a workflow

[KKranz]

My client has 600+ contacts in the middle stages of a workflow. They no longer want these contacts to receive these emails and want the workflow off.

• I turn the workflow off, HubSpot still allows the contacts to finish the sequence
• To stop the contacts from continiuning through the sequence I edited the delay in emails to be 365 days. BUT this means a year from now those contacts in the "OFF" workflow will STILL get pushed through.
• I can't delete the workflow because the data is essential
• I can't change the goal criteria because they strip the data from all the contacts that already completed the workflow
• AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO MANUALLY REMOVE 600+ CONTACTS 😩 

Is there a way to remove these 600 contacts from this workflow as a batch? Please say there is. 

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hi @KKranz,

An easy option to bulk-unenroll contacts from a workflow would be via Settings tab in the workflow editor. Click Unenrollment and suppression in the left sidebar and add the list containing those 600+ contacts in the dropdown highlighted below:

Hope this helps!

[ABerends]

This can be done much simpler.

1. Add the contacts you with to unenroll to a static list
2. Create a workflow based on this list
3. In unenrollment select: Remove them from specific workflow
   1. Select the workflow you wish your list of contacts to be removed from
4. Add an action to the workflow, e.g. to remove it from the static list
5. Run the workflow and presto, done.

This way I don't have to go into each and every delay action of the affected workflow as contacts may be waiting in various delay actions.

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hi @KKranz,

An easy option to bulk-unenroll contacts from a workflow would be via Settings tab in the workflow editor. Click Unenrollment and suppression in the left sidebar and add the list containing those 600+ contacts in the dropdown highlighted below:

Hope this helps!

[KarlaHaley]

---

[JReginato]

This was very helpful. Thank you!

Follow up question. The contacts still show in my workflow as "370 contacts in this action" despite adding the list to the suppression. Am I still able to turn the workflow off without any impact? Or another way of asking: Will those contacts forever sit in that part of the workflow, just never move?

[ihartcontent]

I'd be curious to know if the OP tried this solution and had it work. I'm in the same boat right now, and I created the suppression list, but the contacts are still showing as pending the next step in the workflow (workflow step is currently on a 3 day delay) I'm hoping they come off ASAP.

The fact that we can't effectively bulk unenroll or even add a workflow step to remove contacts using an if/then branch is a seriously big miss. 

[Leadstreet-M · Accepted solution]

Same findings here.

Created a suppression list, applied it in the settings: nothing happend.

Added a goal to the workflow, using the same suppression list, nothing happend.

All contacts ignored my changes and kept the party going in the delay action...

However... 

If you delete a delay action from a workflow, HubSpot states "There are x contacts now in this delay. Deleting the delay will cause these contacts to at once move to the next action." 

When you delete the action, the contacts get forced to the next action... and that's when the suppression list and/or goals kick in. 

So if you add a brand new similar delay action right after the one you're going to delete, the contacts we be moved, still delayed if needed, but un-enrolled if they match the suppression list of goal. 

Be carefull with contacts that are not un-enrolled. They are moved to the next delay - where the delay starts over.

Hope this is helpfull for others. 😊

[TClarke9]

You saved me a whole day of pointless work. Thank you for this little workaround!