Create a workflow

Workflows let you automate processes in Attio using triggers and steps. This article explains how to create a workflow, configure each step, organize blocks on the canvas, and publish your changes.

Create a new workflowCopy link

You can create a workflow from scratch, start with a copy of an existing workflow, or describe your goal in plain language and let Ask Attio construct it for you. New workflows begin as drafts until you publish them. To create a new workflow:

• Click Automations in the left-hand sidebar, then Workflows.

• Click Create workflow in the upper-right.

• Or click the ⋮ icon next to an existing workflow and select Duplicate workflow.

Build a workflow with Ask AttioCopy link

Use Ask Attio to create your workflow from a natural language description. Ask Attio uses seat credits. Learn more about managing credits.

For new workflows, in the Describe your workflow… input on the canvas, type a description of what you want the workflow to do. Include:

• The trigger: what event should start the workflow

• The object or list involved where relevant: for example, People, Companies, Deals, or a specific list name

• The action: what should happen when the workflow runs

Examples

• "When a company's ARR changes, broadcast a message to the #revenue Slack channel."

• "When a new deal record is created, research the company and post a summary to Slack."

• "Every Monday morning, find all deals that haven't had any activity in 14 days and create a task for the owner to follow up."

Submit your prompt, and watch Ask Attio work as blocks appear on the canvas in real time.

Click any block to inspect or edit its configuration directly, or send additional prompts in the Ask Attio chat with instructions for refining or expanding the workflow. You can also open Ask Attio while viewing any existing workflow and ask Ask Attio to revise it.

To modify what was built, continue to the sections below. When the workflow is ready, skip to publish the workflow.

Name the workflowCopy link

Give the workflow a clear name and description so it is easy to understand later.

• Open the workflow.

• In the top-left corner next to Workflows, click into Untitled Workflow and enter a name.

• If the right-hand panel is focused on a block, click the back arrow at the top of the panel.

• Click Add a description… and enter a short description.

Navigate the workflows canvasCopy link

The workflows canvas is where you add and arrange the trigger and steps that make up your workflow. Before you start building, it helps to know how to move around the canvas and add blocks.

• Pointer mode: This is the default mode. It lets you move around the canvas by scrolling with a trackpad. Press V or click the pointer icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the canvas.

• Drag mode: This mode lets you click, hold, and drag to move around the canvas. Press H or click the hand icon in the toolbar.

• Zoom: Adjust the zoom to magnify or reduce the size of blocks on the canvas. Click the magnifying glass in the toolbar to zoom in, zoom out, or set a zoom percentage. Alternatively, hold command and scroll with your trackpad to zoom in and out. Press command+0 to return to the default zoom of 100%.

• Add block: Press B or click Add block to search for and select a trigger or step to add to the canvas.

Choose a triggerCopy link

A workflow starts with a trigger. The trigger is the condition that causes the workflow to run. For example, a workflow can run when a new record is created or when a Typeform is submitted. To review the available trigger types, see the workflows block library.

To add a trigger:

1. Search for a trigger.

2. Select the trigger you want to use.

Configure the triggerCopy link

After you select a trigger, you may need to configure its inputs. Inputs tell the workflow more specifically when the trigger should run.

For example, if you select the Record created trigger, you can set the Object input to Companies so the workflow runs whenever a company record is created.

1. Select the trigger block on the canvas.

2. Choose the values for each input in the trigger.

Use multiple triggersCopy link

You can add more than one trigger to the same workflow when you want the same steps to run from different starting points.

1. Select the first trigger.

2. Click Add block or press B.

3. Select another trigger.

To connect multiple triggers to the same step, drag from the circle on the right side of each trigger to the step that should come next in the workflow.

When multiple triggers connect to the same steps, those steps may need to handle data from either trigger. In that case, use multiple data sources in the relevant input. This lets the block check more than one trigger output and use the first value available for that workflow run.

Change a triggerCopy link

You can replace a trigger without rebuilding the workflow.

• Select the trigger block.

• Click the ⋮ icon at the top of the right-hand panel.

• Click Replace trigger.

• Select a new trigger.

Add a stepCopy link

A step is an action the workflow runs after the trigger. Steps define what the workflow does once the trigger conditions are met.

Steps can do things like:

• Apply logic, such as filters and delays

• Perform calculations on attributes and records

• Create and modify records, list entries, and attributes in Attio

• Send data to other applications through integrations

For a complete list of available steps, see the workflows block library.

There are several ways to add a step:

• Drag a block from the list onto the canvas.

• Click the + button on the right side of an existing block.

• Click Add block or press B.

• With a block selected, click Select next block at the bottom of the right-hand panel.

• Duplicate an existing block by selecting it and pressing command+C then command+V, or control+C then control+V. You can copy and paste blocks from other workflows, even from other workspaces.

After you add a block, you can optionally add a description under the block name in Add a description….

Configure block inputsCopy link

Each block includes inputs. An input tells the block which data to use. You can either enter a fixed value yourself or use a variable to pull in data from an earlier step.

Use static valuesCopy link

A static value stays the same every time the workflow runs.

For example, in a Filter block, you can set the input to check whether the attribute Country equals Canada. The workflow will only continue when the company record that triggered the workflow has Canada as its location.

Use variablesCopy link

A variable pulls in data from a previous block. A variable can return a different value each time the workflow runs, depending on the record, list entry, or other data in that run.

1. Open the block you want to configure.

2. Click {x} use variable on the relevant input.

3. Select a value from a previous block.

Variables example

For example, imagine a workflow that runs when a deal moves to a new stage. You can use an Adjust time block to calculate a due date a set number of days later, then use variables to populate the task:

• Use the Deal name in the description

• Use the Adjusted timestamp for the due date

• Use the Updated Deal to link the deal to the task

• Use the Deal owner as the task assignee

Use advanced variables and fallbacksCopy link

If a variable may not always have a value, you can add more data sources and a fallback.

• A data source is another place the workflow can look if the first selected value is empty.

• A fallback is a fixed value the workflow uses only if all selected data sources are empty.

To add another data source or fallback:

• Add a variable to the input.

• Click the variable.

• Click Add data source to add another source.

• Enable the Fallback toggle to enter a fallback value.

• Click the trash icon to delete the variable and any associated data sources or fallback values.

If a variable is highlighted in yellow, hover over it to view the warning message.

Advanced variables example

For example, imagine a workflow that runs when a Typeform is submitted. A Switch block routes the submission to one of three Create record blocks, each creating a deal assigned to a different territory. All three branches then connect to a single Post message to channel block that sends an alert about the new deal.

Because the Slack message block can be reached from any of the three branches, you need to tell it where to find the Deal name regardless of which path was taken. Add the Deal name variable for the first case, then use Add data source to include the Deal name output from the other two Create record blocks. Attio will use whichever one resolved during the run.

Connect, reorder, and delete blocksCopy link

As you build a workflow, you can organize the canvas by connecting blocks, removing connections, and deleting blocks you no longer need.

Connect and disconnect blocksCopy link

Connections define the order in which steps run.

• Drag from the small circle on a block to another block to create a connection.

• Click the arrow between two connected blocks. Press the delete key to remove the connection.

Reorder blocksCopy link

To reorder blocks, click and drag a block to a new position on the canvas. Then reconnect the blocks in the correct order. Remove the existing connection, then drag from the circle on the right side of a block to the left side of the block that should come next.

Delete blocksCopy link

You can delete one block or remove several at the same time.

• Select a block.

• Click the ⋮ icon.

• Click Delete step.

To delete multiple blocks:

• Click and drag your cursor across multiple blocks, or hold shift while clicking individual blocks.

• Press delete.

Publish the workflowCopy link

• Click Publish workflow at the top of the page.

• If the workflow has incomplete or invalid blocks, Attio will highlight them with error indicators. Complete any unfinished configurations, then click Publish workflow again.

Once published, the workflow will run each time its trigger conditions are met.

If you update a live workflow, changes don't take effect until you publish them again:

• Click Publish changes to apply your edits.

• Click Discard changes to revert to the published version.

Any runs already in progress will complete on the version of the workflow that was published when they were triggered.

To disable a workflow:

• Open the workflow.

• Click the toggle next to Enable workflow in the upper-right.

While a workflow is disabled, no new runs will be triggered for that workflow, but any runs already in progress will continue to completion.

For next steps, learn how to review runs, resolve errors, and track credit usage in Troubleshooting workflows.

Manage workflow accessCopy link

You can control which team members can view or edit a workflow.

• Open the workflow.

• Click Share in the upper-right.

• Update access for the relevant team members.

Learn how to manage workflow access.

Related resourcesCopy link

To learn the core concepts behind workflows, see Overview of workflows.

To review the available triggers and steps, reference the workflows block library.

To manage who can view or edit a workflow, see Manage workflows.