Workflows in eCourtDate let you automate multi-step processes by chaining together actions like sending messages, creating events, updating statuses, and assigning clients to groups within a visual workflow builder.

### Overview

The Workflows feature in the Automations module provides a builder interface where you define what happens when a specific trigger fires. Each workflow consists of steps that execute in sequence or branch based on conditions. This is more powerful than a simple auto message or flow because you can combine multiple action types in a single automation, such as sending a message, updating a status, and creating a follow-up task all in one workflow.

- **What it does:** Enables you to build multi-step automated processes using a visual builder with triggers, conditions, branches, and actions.
- **Why it matters:** Consolidates multiple manual tasks into a single automated sequence, ensuring consistency and saving your team significant time.
- **Who uses it:** Agency administrators and supervisors who manage operational processes and client communications.
- **Expected outcome:** A fully automated workflow that handles complex, multi-step processes without manual intervention.

### Prerequisites

Before creating a workflow, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate agency on staging or production
- Super admin access, or the **Manage Automations** permission
- A clear plan for the process you want to automate (trigger, conditions, steps)
- Auto messages or message templates configured if the workflow will send messages
- Client groups created if the workflow will assign clients to groups
- Client records in the system for testing

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Access the Workflow Builder

1. Go to **Admin** > **Automations** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Workflows** tab.
3. Click the **Create** button to open a new workflow.

#### Step 2: Set Up the Workflow Basics

1. Enter a descriptive name in the **Workflow Name** field (e.g., "New Client Onboarding" or "Court Date Reminder Sequence").
2. Enter a description explaining what this workflow does and when it should run.
3. Set the **Status** to **Draft** while you build and test.
4. Click **Save** to create the workflow and open the builder interface.

#### Step 3: Configure the Trigger

1. In the workflow builder, click the **Trigger** block at the top.
2. Select the trigger event from the dropdown:
   - **Client Created**: Fires when a new client is added.
   - **Client Updated**: Fires when a client record is modified.
   - **Event Created**: Fires when a new event is scheduled.
   - **Event Updated**: Fires when an event record is modified.
   - **Payment Created**: Fires when a new payment is recorded.
   - **Payment Updated**: Fires when a payment record is modified.
   - **Case Status Changed**: Fires when a case status changes.
   - **Form Submitted**: Fires when a client submits a form.
3. Click **Save** to apply the trigger.

#### Step 4: Add Conditions and Branches

1. Click the **Add Step** button below the trigger block.
2. Select **Condition** from the step type dropdown.
3. Configure the condition by selecting a field, operator, and value:
   - Example: **Case Type** equals **Traffic**
   - Example: **Event Type** equals **Court Hearing**
   - Example: **Status** equals **Active**
4. To create a branch, click **Add Branch** on the condition step. Branches allow different actions to execute based on whether the condition is true or false.
5. Click **Save** to apply the condition.

#### Step 5: Add Action Steps

Add one or more actions that execute when the trigger fires and conditions are met:

##### Send Message Action

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Send Message**.
2. Select the auto message or message template to use.
3. Configure any delivery options (delay, channel preference).
4. Click **Save** to add the step.

##### Create Event Action

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Create Event**.
2. Enter the event details (title, type, date offset from trigger date).
3. Select the flow to assign to the new event (optional).
4. Click **Save** to add the step.

##### Update Status Action

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Update Status**.
2. Select the record type and the new status value.
3. Click **Save** to add the step.

##### Assign to Group Action

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Assign to Group**.
2. Select the client group from the dropdown.
3. Click **Save** to add the step.

##### Create Task Action

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Create Task**.
2. Enter the task title and description.
3. Assign the task to a user or team (optional).
4. Set a due date offset from the trigger date (optional).
5. Click **Save** to add the step.

#### Step 6: Arrange and Review Steps

1. Review the workflow builder to see all steps in sequence.
2. Drag and drop steps to reorder them if needed.
3. Verify that conditions and branches are configured correctly.
4. Check that each action step has all required fields filled in.

#### Step 7: Test the Workflow

1. Enable **Simulate Mode** at the top of the workflow.
2. Click **Save** to apply simulate mode.
3. Create or update a record that matches the trigger and conditions.
4. Review the **Run History** tab to verify each step executed in order.
5. Check the affected records to confirm the expected actions were applied.
6. For **Send Message** steps, verify messages were created (but not delivered, since simulate mode is on).

#### Step 8: Activate the Workflow

1. Disable **Simulate Mode** once testing is complete.
2. Change the **Status** from **Draft** to **Active**.
3. Click **Save** to activate the workflow.
4. The workflow now runs automatically whenever the trigger conditions are met.

#### Step 9: Add AI-Powered Actions

Workflows can include AI-powered steps that analyze data and make decisions.

1. Click **Add Step** and select **AI Action**.
2. Choose the AI action type:
   - **Classify**: Automatically categorize a record based on its content (for example, classify a message as a complaint, inquiry, or request).
   - **Summarize**: Generate a summary of case notes, messages, or documents.
   - **Recommend**: Suggest next steps based on record data and historical patterns.
3. Configure the input fields the AI should analyze.
4. Map the AI output to a workflow variable that subsequent steps can use.
5. Click **Save** to add the AI action step.

#### Step 10: Configure Approvals and Signatures

Add approval gates and electronic signature requests to your workflow.

1. Click **Add Step** and select **Request Approval**.
2. Select the approver (a specific user, role, or supervisor).
3. Configure what happens when the approval is granted or denied (for example, proceed to the next step on approval, or notify the requester on denial).
4. To add an electronic signature step, click **Add Step** and select **Request Signature**.
5. Select the signer and the document or record to be signed.
6. Click **Save** to add the approval or signature step.

Approval steps pause the workflow until the designated approver takes action. The workflow resumes automatically after approval.

#### Step 11: Integrate with External Systems

Connect your workflow to external services and platforms.

1. Click **Add Step** and select **External Integration**.
2. Choose the integration type:
   - **API Call**: Send data to or retrieve data from an external API endpoint.
   - **Webhook**: POST workflow data to an external URL.
   - **SFTP**: Upload or download files from an SFTP server.
   - **Slack**: Post a message or notification to a Slack channel.
   - **Microsoft Teams**: Post a message to a Teams channel.
3. Configure the connection details (URL, credentials, headers, payload format).
4. Map workflow variables to the request payload and map the response back to workflow variables.
5. Click **Save** to add the integration step.

#### Step 12: Set Scheduled Task Intervals

Configure workflows to run on a recurring schedule rather than a single trigger event.

1. Open the workflow and click the **Schedule** tab.
2. Enable **Scheduled Execution**.
3. Select the interval:
   - **Hourly**: Run every hour (or every N hours).
   - **Daily**: Run once per day at a specified time.
   - **Weekly**: Run on specified days of the week.
   - **Monthly**: Run on a specified day of the month.
4. Set the start date and optional end date for the schedule.
5. Click **Save** to activate the schedule.

Scheduled workflows are useful for recurring tasks like weekly compliance checks, daily report generation, or monthly data cleanup.

### What to Expect

After activating a workflow, it executes automatically each time the trigger event occurs and all conditions are met. Steps run in the order you defined. Branch conditions determine which path the workflow follows. You can monitor each execution from the **Run History** tab, which logs the trigger event, conditions evaluated, and actions performed. All changes take effect immediately after you click **Save**.

### Best Practices

- Start with a simple workflow (one trigger, one condition, one or two actions) and add complexity after confirming it works correctly.
- Use descriptive names that include the trigger and primary action (e.g., "New Client - Send Welcome + Assign Group").
- Always test workflows in **Simulate Mode** before activating them in production.
- Review the **Run History** tab regularly to catch failed or skipped executions early.
- Document your workflow logic (trigger, conditions, actions) so your team can understand and maintain it.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How many steps can a workflow have?**
A: There is no hard limit on the number of steps. However, keeping workflows focused on a single process with a manageable number of steps makes them easier to test and maintain.

**Q: Can I add a delay between steps?**
A: Yes. When adding a step, you can configure a delay (in minutes, hours, or days) before the step executes. This is useful for sending a follow-up message a few days after the initial trigger.

**Q: Can a workflow have multiple branches?**
A: Yes. Each condition step can have a true and false branch. You can also add multiple condition steps in sequence to create more complex branching logic.

**Q: What happens if a step fails during execution?**
A: The workflow logs the failure in the **Run History** tab and continues to the next step (if configured to do so). You can review failed steps and address the issue without affecting other executions.

**Q: Can I duplicate an existing workflow?**
A: Yes. Open the workflow, click **Tools**, and select **Duplicate**. This creates a copy with all the same steps and configuration, which you can modify for a different use case.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Workflow steps execute out of order.
**Symptoms:** Actions happen in an unexpected sequence, such as a status update occurring before the message is sent.
**Solution:**

1. Open the workflow builder and review the step order.
2. Drag and drop steps to rearrange them in the correct sequence.
3. Verify that no delay configurations are causing steps to overlap.
4. Click **Save** and test the workflow again.

**Issue:** Condition branch is always taking the wrong path.
**Symptoms:** The workflow consistently follows the true branch when it should follow the false branch, or vice versa.
**Solution:**

1. Open the condition step and review the field, operator, and value.
2. Verify the record's actual data matches or does not match the condition as expected.
3. Check for typos or case sensitivity issues in the condition value.
4. Test with a record that clearly matches the condition to confirm the branch logic.

**Issue:** Workflow is not triggering at all.
**Symptoms:** Records are created or updated but the workflow does not execute.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the workflow **Status** is set to **Active** (not Draft or Paused).
2. Confirm the trigger event matches the action that occurred (e.g., Client Created vs. Client Updated).
3. Check that **Simulate Mode** is not masking the results.
4. Review the **Run History** tab for any entries, including skipped or failed executions.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [Automations Overview](/automations-overview)
- [How to Build Automated Workflows](/how-to-build-automated-workflows)
- [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [How to Manage Automations](/how-to-manage-automations)