Understand contact-based workflow types

• Blank Workflow
• Specific date
• Contact date property

Please note: after you select a contact-based workflow type and click Create workflow, you will not be able to change the workflow type.

Blank Workflow

In Blank workflows, or standard workflows, the first workflow action or delay is relative to the time contacts are enrolled in the workflow when they meet the enrollment triggers, or are manually enrolled into the workflow. Delays added anywhere else in the workflow are relative to the previous action, not to the time the contact was enrolled.

Some examples of Blank workflows are:

• Sending a follow-up email after contacts submit a form.
• Assigning leads to your sales team when they are added to your contact database.
• Automating a series of actions (e.g., creating tasks for the contact owner) after a contact's persona is determined.

Learn how to create Blank contact-based workflows.

Specific date

In Specific date workflows, all workflow actions are centered on a fixed calendar date. Similar to Blank workflows, contacts are enrolled in the workflow when they meet the enrollment triggers, or are manually enrolled into the workflow. 

However, contacts will remain in the workflow until the first action is scheduled to execute, relative to the fixed calendar date. Delays added anywhere else in the workflow are relative to the fixed calendar date, not to the previous action.

Unlike Contact date property workflows, all contacts in a Specific date workflow will execute workflow actions at the same date and time. Some examples of Specific date workflows are:

• Sending holiday emails to your contacts.
• Sending reminder emails to contacts who registered for an upcoming webinar.

Learn how to create Specific date contact-based workflows.

Contact date property

In Contact date property workflows, all workflow actions are centered on a contact date property. Similar to Blank workflows, contacts are enrolled in the workflow when they meet the enrollment triggers, or are manually enrolled into the workflow. However, contacts will remain in the workflow until the first action is scheduled to execute, relative to their contact date property. Delays added anywhere else in the workflow are relative to the contact date property, not to the previous action.

Unlike Specific date workflows, actions in a Contact date property workflow will execute at different times for contacts, based on the date value in their contact date property. Some examples of Contact date property workflows are:

• Sending welcome emails based on a contact's account activation date.
• Sending emails with coupons or personalized offers to contacts on their birthday.
• Automating a series of actions (e.g., creating tasks for the contact owner) based on a contact's trial expiration date.

Learn how to create Contact date property contact-based workflows.