Workflows: Do They Reach My Existing or Old Contacts?
Workflows: Do They Reach My Existing or Old Contacts?
In this article, we'll explain how workflow triggers work and how to make sure your automation reaches existing or old contacts, not just new ones. This is a common question when setting up nurture or re engagement sequences.
The Short Answer
Workflow triggers fire on events, not on your whole contact list at once. When you activate a workflow, it does not automatically enroll every existing contact. Each contact is added when the event that triggers the workflow happens for them, for example when a tag is added, a form is submitted, or a membership is created.
If you want a workflow to reach people who are already in your system, such as old leads from a year ago, the reliable way is to make the trigger event happen for them. The simplest way to do that is to apply the tag the workflow listens for. Applying the tag enrolls them exactly as if the event had occurred naturally.
The Key Steps
1. Understand What Triggers Enroll
Triggers are described in the builder as events that enroll contacts into this workflow. Available triggers include:
- Tag Added and Tag Removed
- Contact Created
- Contact Type Changed and Contact Status Changed
- Membership Enrolled, Cancelled, and Past Due
- Class Attended and Missed Class
- Appointment Booked, Cancelled, No Show, and Showed
- Agreement Signed
- Payment Received, Payment Failed, and Invoice Overdue
- Form Submitted and Event Registered
- Date Based triggers
A contact is enrolled when that event happens after the workflow is active. Existing contacts are not enrolled just because you switch the workflow on.
2. Narrow Triggers by Contact Type or Status
When you add a trigger, you can limit which contacts it applies to using the Filter Contacts By Type and Filter Contacts By Status options. If no types or statuses are selected, the trigger applies to any contact.
3. Use a Tag to Catch Existing or Old Contacts
If you want an event based workflow to pick up people already in your list:
- Choose Tag Added as the trigger and pick the tag the workflow will listen for.
- Apply that tag to the existing contacts you want to reach.
- Do this in bulk from the Contacts list (select the rows, then add the tag), or filter by a smart list and tag the whole group.
- When the tag is applied, the trigger fires and enrolls those contacts, just as it would for a new person.
This is how you run a win back or re engagement sequence on old leads. Tag the segment, and the workflow picks them up.
4. Test Before You Send
Workflows run their full sequence automatically once a contact is enrolled, so test before going live.
- Keep the workflow in Draft status while you test.
- Apply the trigger tag, or a test event, to a test contact and confirm each step sends as expected.
- Only click Activate once the sequence is correct.
If you have any questions about how workflows reach your contacts, please reach out to the Market Muscles Support Team.