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Use automation with emails
Last updated: July 15, 2026
Available with any of the following subscriptions, except where noted:
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Marketing Hub Starter, Professional, Enterprise
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Additional subscriptions required for certain features
.You can add simple workflows to marketing emails to automate follow-up tasks. For example, a simple workflow could add contacts to a segment after they clicked a link in an email.
You can also copy existing emails and include their simple workflows. This can be helpful when duplicating a similar type of email for a new campaign. Learn more about cloning marketing emails.
Understand limits and considerations
In accounts with a Marketing Hub Starter subscription, the following limits are in place:- You can add up to 10 actions per simple workflow.
- You can create one simple workflow per enrollment trigger.
- You can only perform the following actions:
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- Delay: delay for a set amount of time or until a day or time.
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- Communication: send another marketing email or an internal email notification.
- Task management: create a new task.
- Segment management: add to or remove from a static segment.
- Ads management: add to or remove from an ads audience.
Understand simple workflows
In the email editor, you can create simple workflows on the Automate tab. You select an enrollment trigger - an event or condition associated with that email - that causes the simple workflow to activate. You then select actions that will take place every time a contact meets the enrollment trigger.
The following enrollment triggers are available for simple workflows in marketing emails:
- Email bounced when sent to contact
- Contact clicked a link in email
- Contact marked email as spam
- Contact opened email
- Contact received email
- Contact replied to email
- Contact was sent email
- Contact unsubscribed from email
Create a simple workflow in the email editor
- In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Marketing > Email. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Marketing > Email directly.
- In the top right, click Create email.
- In the dialog box, select Regular.
- In the email editor, click the workflows automate icon in the left sidebar.
- To send an automated reply when a recipient replies to the email, click the Choose automated email dropdown menu and select an email, or click Create new automated email.
- To add contacts to a static segment when they click a link in the email, click the Choose static segment dropdown menu and select a segment, or click Create new segment.
- To create a custom simple workflow:
- Click Create new workflow.
- In the right panel, select an enrollment trigger, then click Next.
- To add a workflow action click the add plus icon. For example, you can add delays, send additional marketing emails or internal notifications, or create tasks.
- In the left panel, click a workflow action.
- Customize the workflow action, then click Save.
- To delete the workflow, click the Actions dropdown menu and select Delete workflow. In the dialog box, click Delete workflow.
- To add additional simple workflows, click Create new workflow and repeat the steps to create an additional workflow. This option is only available in accounts with a Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise subscription.
- When you're finished editing a workflow, toggle the switch in the top right on.
- In the dialog box, click Got it.
- Finish editing your email, then click Review and schedule, Review and publish, or Review and send in the top right.
- Resolve any errors then, click Publish, Schedule, or Send.
Your simple workflows will begin running as soon as the email is published or sent.