Build your first workflow

Last reviewed October 21, 2026

How workflows work, how to build one from a trigger and a few steps, and how to turn it on safely.

A workflow is follow-up that runs on its own. Something happens (a client books, buys or fills in a form), and Flourivate does the next steps for you: sends an email, adds a tag, waits a day, sends a text. When you're done here you'll have one working workflow and know how to check it.

Before you start

Time: about 20 minutes for a simple workflow.
You'll need: sending email set up if your workflow sends email. Texts need an approved number first, see Register your business for texting.
Faster option: most coaches start from a template. See Start from a workflow template.

How a workflow is put together

Piece	What it does	Example
Trigger	The event that starts it. Every workflow has one.	Form Submitted, Appointment Status, Payment Received
Actions	The steps that run after the trigger, top to bottom.	Send Email, Add Tag, Send SMS
Logic	Steps that wait or branch.	Wait, Condition (if/else), Goal / Exit
Settings	Rules for the whole workflow.	Who can enter twice, when texts may go out

Steps

Go to Workflows (in the sidebar under MARKETING) and click Create. A blank canvas opens in the builder.
Click the workflow name at the top and give it a clear name, such as "Discovery call | Welcome email".
Click Trigger and pick what starts the workflow. Use the search box if you know the name. A blank workflow can't be saved until it has a trigger.
Click the trigger card on the canvas to open its settings. Set Enrollment Conditions (for example Only New Contacts) and any Filters, such as a specific form or calendar. Click Save in the panel.
Click + under the trigger (or Action) and add your first step, for example Send Email. Fill in the panel on the right: subject, message and sender.
Add more steps the same way. To space them out, add a Wait step and set the Duration and Unit (minutes, hours, days).
Open the Settings tab at the top of the builder and set the workflow rules (see the table below).
Click Save at the top right. Saving keeps the workflow as a draft. You'll see "Draft saved", and nothing runs yet.
When every message is ready, switch the toggle at the top right from Inactive to Active.

Workflow settings worth knowing

Setting	Turn it on when
Allow Re-entry	The same person should go through again each time, for example a confirmation email for every booking. Leave it off for one-time sequences like a welcome series.
Stop on Response	Follow-up texts or emails should stop once the person replies to you.
Time Window	Texts should only go out at sensible hours, for example 8am to 8pm in your time zone.

Write dates, not 'tomorrow'

In reminder messages, use the merge fields {{appointment.date}} and {{appointment.time}} instead of words like "tomorrow". A late booking can get the reminder sooner than you planned, and the message still reads correctly.

Check it worked

Back on All Workflows, your workflow's card shows Active and the trigger name (for example Form Submitted), not "Reusable workflow".
Make the trigger happen once yourself (submit the form or book with your own email). The workflow's Enrollment History tab shows you, and the email arrives.

If something's off

"Cannot save workflow": the workflow has no trigger yet. Add one with Trigger, then save.
Nothing happens: the workflow is still Inactive or a draft. Switch it to Active.
The card says "Reusable workflow" or shows no trigger: this happens when a workflow was drafted outside the builder (for example by the Flourivate team or an AI assistant). Open it in the builder, check the trigger, and click Save. It won't start until the card shows the trigger name.
Clicking Save or the switch seems to do nothing: refresh the page, then check the workflow list. The card should show the trigger and Active.
"Recover unsaved workflow?" when you come back: you left with unsaved changes. Choose whether to keep or discard them.
Still stuck: see Find out why a workflow didn't run.