Updated Sep 4, 2023
After applying a workflow to a project, there are some manual adjustments you can make to customize the automation. These include editing, removing, or forcing actions, and even removing the workflow completely.
This article covers changes you can make to a workflow that is already running inside of a project. Any changes you make to the workflow inside of a project will not impact the workflow template found in Templates > Workflows.
Checkmarks and timestamps
When you view a workflow running inside of a project under the Workflows tab, you will see a large checkmark next to any action that has already run or been marked complete. Dubsado automatically adds these checkmarks for you. After an action has run, you will not be able to stop it or make any further edits to it.
If you see a smaller checkbox, it is from a Create Todo workflow action. You can click on the smaller checkbox to complete the task. Learn more about todos and approvals.
Timestamps will appear as soon as the workflow is able to calculate a trigger time for an action. For example, if an action is triggered by the project date, you'll see a timestamp appear as soon as a project date is set.
Actions that have run will show a timestamp in place of the original trigger. Sometimes, there is a delay between the time an action is triggered and the time it actually runs. If the trigger time has passed but you don't see a checkmark next to that action yet, wait a few minutes then refresh Dubsado.
Edit an action
Click Edit next to an action inside the workflow to change the type of action, trigger, or content being sent. Don't forget to click Apply on the workflow action to save your changes.
Below are some examples of when you may want to edit an action:
Change the trigger to adjust the timing
Clear a Too late to send workflow error
Customize the email to reference specifics about the client’s project
Select a different form or scheduler to send — if you’re changing the form, make sure to first add the new form to the project from the Forms tab)
Other actions in your workflow may be dependent on specific timing or content being sent. Remember to update other actions as needed.
Remove an action
Click Remove to completely delete an action from the workflow.
⛔ As soon as you click Remove, the action will be deleted immediately. Removing an action can’t be undone, so only remove an action when you’re certain you do not want it to run!
Other actions in your workflow may be dependent on the action you are deleting. Remember to update other workflow actions as needed.
Mark an action complete
Click Mark Completed on an action to skip that action in the workflow. A large checkmark will appear as if the action had been completed, but the workflow will not perform that action.
Using Mark Completed is best when you already took that action manually. For example, manually sending an email outside of the workflow that would normally be automated.
If you accidentally marked something complete, it’s not possible to undo the action. To add the action back to your workflow, click the Add Action button to re-add that workflow action.
Force an action to run
Click Force Now to run an action immediately, regardless of its position in the workflow.
There may be a delay of a few minutes before the action is completed. After a few minutes, you can refresh Dubsado to make sure the checkmark appears, indicating that the action has run.
Forcing actions is helpful when a client needs something right away or if you're testing a workflow with actions set to run far into the future.
Add an action
Click Add Action at the bottom of the workflow to add a brand new action to the workflow. After adding the action, you can click and drag it into position.
You may need to add an action when a client needs to be sent an extra email or if you accidentally removed an action and need to replace it.
Archive a workflow
Click Archive Workflow to completely remove a workflow from the project. Only archive the workflow when you're certain you no longer want the workflow on the project.
⛔ Archiving a workflow is permanent and cannot be undone. Archiving a workflow won’t undo any of the actions already completed or delete any of the content already added to the project.
Pause or reactivate a workflow
Click the Active button to pause a workflow. Pausing a workflow prevents it from running any more actions until you manually reactivate it.
If the workflow is paused, click the Paused button to reactivate it. This will allow the workflow to continue running where it left off.
If your workflow has paused due to an error, fix the error and refresh the page before unpausing the workflow.