How to Effectively Test Your Workflows

Creating workflows in your CRM is essential for streamlining tasks, but how do you ensure they perform as intended before launching them to your entire contact list? Testing is a vital step in the workflow creation process. By simulating live conditions, testing lets you see how your workflows will operate, helping you identify and correct errors before they impact your audience.

This guide explains why testing matters and walks you through a straightforward method for conducting accurate workflow tests.

Create a Test Contact

To get started, navigate to the 'Contacts' section of the CRM, under the Smart Lists tab click on the “+” icon to create a new contact entry for yourself, including any relevant details that your workflow will utilize (e.g., name, phone number).

Add Your Test Contact To a Workflow

In the newly created contact, scroll to the "Active workflows" section within your test contact's profile, click 'Add', and select the workflow you wish to test from the dropdown menu. You can either start the workflow immediately by leaving the start time blank or schedule it for a later time by selecting a specific start time. Click 'Add' to officially enroll your test contact into the workflow.

Evaluate The Workflow

Within the workflow you're testing pay close attention to, personalized Data by checking whether names, dates, or other custom fields populate correctly, as well as Triggers and Actions, by confirming all automated steps occur as expected. This hands-on approach helps you identify and fix potential issues before your workflow goes live.

If the workflow triggers and actions are firing properly in the Enrollment history tab, you will find the test contact you added to this particular workflow.

Testing workflows is a critical step to ensure your CRM automation functions seamlessly. By creating a test contact and experiencing the workflow firsthand, you can confidently launch workflows that meet your objectives and provide a smooth experience for your contacts.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

• Personalized Data Not Populating: Double-check that the test contact’s profile includes all required details for personalization.
• Workflow Not Activating: Ensure the workflow is set to active. The system will prompt you to activate it during testing if it's inactive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I test a workflow without creating a test contact?

• A: While you can use the 'Send Test' feature, creating a test contact provides a more accurate representation of the live workflow experience.

Q: How do I know if my workflow triggers are working?

• A: Following the live test process outlined above, you can observe firsthand whether triggers and actions within your workflow execute as expected.