Flows are how you automate your client process in Dubsado—sending emails, forms, contracts, and invoices, creating tasks, updating project statuses, and more, all on your own schedule. This guide walks you through creating your first flow template so you can start building automation that works the way you do.
Before you begin
A little preparation goes a long way when building flows. Before you start, make sure you have:
Your client process mapped out. You may have more than one process if you offer multiple services—start with the simplest one.
All the content for that process—packages, email templates, forms, schedulers, and more—already created in your Dubsado account. Taking care of this before you build a flow will save you time.
A solid understanding of how to manage a project manually—sending forms, emails, and invoices—before handing those steps over to automation.
Flows is a Premier feature. If you're on the Starter plan, the Flows app is not available in your sidebar.
Where to find flow templates
To access your flow templates, click Flows in the main sidebar, then click Flow Templates in the left navigation pane.
You can also reach flow templates from inside a project: open the project, click the Flows tab, then select Flow Templates.
The views in the Flows app—All Flows, In Progress, Paused, and the others—show flows that are already applied to projects. Flow templates, where you design and store your automation, live under Flow Templates.
Create a new flow template
Click the + icon at the top of the flow template list to create a new flow template. A new template named New Flow Template is created immediately and the flow editor opens automatically.
To rename your template right away:
Click the editable title in the editor header (it reads New Flow Template by default).
Type your new name.
Press Enter or click away to save.
Add actions in the flow editor
The flow editor is where you build your automation. You'll spend most of your time here adding actions and setting their triggers.
The editor layout
The editor has two panes: the Flow pane, which shows your visual sequence of actions, and the Actions pane, which lists every action available to you. Actions are organized into categories in the Flow Actions panel, and you can search for a specific one using the Search actions box at the top of that panel.
Adding an action
To add an action to your flow:
Find the action you want in the Flow Actions panel.
Click the action card, then configure the action and its When setting.
Click Create. The action is added to the bottom of the flow.
Continue adding actions until your full process is built.
To reorder actions, drag them into position or use the up and down arrows on each action node.
Add as many actions as your process needs. Each action runs automatically when its trigger conditions are met.
Setting a trigger
Every action needs a trigger — the condition that tells Dubsado when to run it. You set this in the When section of each action.
Relative — The action fires based on a condition within the project, such as a contract being signed or an invoice paid. This is the right choice for most templates, since each project runs on its own timeline.
Fixed — The action fires on a specific calendar date. Use this only for promotions or events where every client is on the exact same schedule.
For example, a relative trigger might read "3 days after flow started" or "1 day after contract is signed by client."
Requiring manual approval
If you want to review or edit an action before it sends, turn on Manual Approval when configuring that action. The flow will hold that action until you approve it. This gives you a checkpoint without interrupting the rest of the flow.
What flows can do
Flows cover a wide range of automation across seven categories. Here's an overview of what's available—see the full action reference for details on configuring each one.
Communication: Send an email to your contact
Forms & Contracts: Send a form or send a contract
Scheduling: Send a scheduler
Finance & Billing: Send the primary invoice or create a new invoice
Tasks: Create a task for yourself or a team member
Project Management: Update a project status, add project tags, archive a project, or activate/deactivate the client portal
Flow Control: Pause the flow, hold actions until a condition is met, or start a new flow on the project
Attach a payment plan
If you want a flow action to trigger after a specific invoice installment is paid, you need to attach a payment plan to the flow template. In the flow editor header, use the Payment Plan selector to choose a payment plan template.
When the flow is applied to a project, the selected payment plan is automatically added to the project's primary invoice.
The Payment Plan selector only appears when editing a flow template, not on flows already applied to a project. There is no separate "Apply Payment Plan" action in the Flow Actions list—payment plans attach to the template itself. For more on how payment plans work with flows and how to set up the invoice installment trigger, see the dedicated articles on each topic.
Tips for building flows
Building a great flow takes a bit of thought upfront, but it pays off every time a client moves through your process automatically.
Don't skip the prep. The smoother your process is on paper, the cleaner your flow will be in Dubsado. Take the time to get everything ready before you build.
Your flow doesn't need to be perfect. Draft it, test it, and refine it over time. Your business will evolve and your flows can too.
Be specific with your triggers. The more precisely you define when each action should fire, the more reliable the automation becomes. Think carefully about what really needs to happen before each action runs.
Test on yourself first. Create a test project with yourself as the contact and run through the entire flow before applying it to a real client project.
Applying your flow
Once your template is built, you apply it to a project to put it to work. From there, you can monitor each flow's progress at any time, or manage your running flows to pause, edit, or stop them as needed.
FAQ
Do I have to name my flow template before I can build it?
No. Clicking the + icon creates a template named New Flow Template and opens the editor immediately. Rename it any time by clicking the editable title in the editor header.
Why don't I see Flows in my sidebar?
Flows is a Premier feature, and the Flows app is not available on the Starter plan. To access Flows, you'll need to be on a Premier plan.
How do I make an action wait for me to approve it before it runs?
Turn on Manual Approval when configuring the action. The flow will hold that action until you approve it in Dubsado. For more on how approval works across your flows, see controlling flow automation with approval and tasks.
How do I attach a payment plan to my flow?
Use the Payment Plan selector in the flow editor header—it's only visible when editing a template. This is required if you want an action to trigger after a specific invoice installment is paid.