Set Up HubSpot Workflows (2026)

How to set up HubSpot automation workflows

Quick Answer: To set up HubSpot workflows, navigate to Automation > Workflows in HubSpot, choose a workflow type (contact, company, deal, or ticket-based), define enrollment triggers, add actions (send email, update property, create task), and activate. Operations Hub Professional ($800/month) adds custom-coded JavaScript actions.

How to Set Up HubSpot Automation Workflows

HubSpot workflows automate marketing, sales, and service processes using a visual workflow builder.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Navigate to Workflows

In HubSpot, go to Automation > Workflows. Click "Create workflow" and select the object type:

Contact-based: Trigger on contact properties and behavior
Company-based: Trigger on company properties
Deal-based: Trigger on deal stage changes and properties
Ticket-based: Trigger on support ticket events

Step 2: Set Enrollment Triggers

Define which records enter the workflow:

Filter by property value (e.g., lifecycle stage = "Lead")
Trigger on form submission, page view, or email interaction
Use date-based triggers (e.g., "deal close date is within 7 days")
Combine multiple criteria with AND/OR logic

Step 3: Add Workflow Actions

Add actions in sequence:

Send email: Choose a template or create inline
Update property: Change lifecycle stage, lead score, or custom fields
Create task: Assign a follow-up task to the record owner
Internal notification: Email or Slack alert to team members
Delay: Wait a specified time before the next action
If/then branch: Route contacts down different paths based on conditions

Step 4: Test Before Activation

Use the "Test" tab to preview which contacts would enroll
Review the action sequence for logic errors
Check email templates in the preview pane
Verify branch conditions with sample contacts

Step 5: Activate and Monitor

Click "Turn on" to activate. Monitor performance in the workflow dashboard:

Enrollment count and rate
Completion rate per action
Error and unenrollment tracking

Common Workflow Examples

Workflow	Object	Actions	Outcome
Lead nurturing	Contact	5-email drip + lead score update	Move to MQL
Deal follow-up	Deal	Task creation + email after 3 days	Prevent stale deals
Ticket escalation	Ticket	Reassign if no response in 4 hrs	SLA compliance
Onboarding	Contact	Welcome sequence + property updates	Automated onboarding

Editor's Note: We built a lead nurturing workflow for a B2B SaaS company with 8,000 contacts. The 5-email sequence with if/then branching based on email engagement took 4 hours to build and test. Within 90 days, MQL conversion rate improved from 12% to 19%. The workflow replaced 15 hours/week of manual email follow-up by the sales development team.