How to Create & Modify Automated Flows in Dubsado 3.0

Dubsado workflows are one of the most powerful features of the platform - designed to automate both your client communication and your internal systems. A workflow can connect the proposals, forms, packages, payment plans, schedulers, and email templates you’ve already built, and send them out automatically as clients move through each stage.

This saves time, reduces admin work, and gives you a clear, real-time overview of where every client is in their journey.

Workflows don’t just automate emails - they can also trigger actions behind the scenes, like assigning to-dos to you or your team, moving a lead into a project, or archiving a completed client automatically.

With workflows, your business finally runs like a system - organized, intentional, and always in motion, without manual follow-up for every step. Be sure to check out the Flow Appendix at the end of this post where we break down all of the possible Flow Actions, and what their triggers can be.

Here's how to get started with Creating a Flow, or Modifying an Existing Flow:

→ Start by navigating to the Flows tab on the left sidebar

→ Ensure you're clicked into "Flow Templates", though this should be selected by default

→ You can click the "+" sign to create a brand new Flow Template from scratch, or simply select one of your existing Flow Templates from the list

→ Click the pencil icon to Edit the Flow

→ Whether you create a new Flow, or modify an existing Flow, all of your Flow Actions can be found in the right side toolbar.

→ Simply click on a Flow Action to add it to your Flow.

Any new Flow steps will automatically be added to the bottom of your Flow, and you can use the up and down arrows to rearrange the visual Flow order.

**It’s important to note that the flow order is designed to visually map your process, so you can easily understand which steps typically come in what order. However, your workflow steps will ultimately fire based on the trigger conditions you set, not the visual order shown on the page. The sequence here is for clarity, not execution logic.

→ Whether you create a new Flow Action, or modify an existing one, any of the settings, triggers, and email copy can be found in the right side toolbar.

→ Always make sure to hit "Save" when creating or modifying Flow Actions

**You can always set an Action to "Require Manual Approval". In this case, you, the business owner, will receive an email notification each time there is an Action that is due to fire, but requires your approval first. You'll then need to manually approve this step.

Dubsado Flow Appendix

Flow Actions (What the system can do)

All Flow Actions when set to "Relative" timing can be set to fire a specified amount of Hours, Days, Weeks, or Years before or after a particular trigger. (See complete list of Triggers in the next section).

COMMUNICATION

Flow Action	Description
Send Email	Send an email to your contact

FORMS & CONTRACTS

Flow Action	Description
Send Form	Send a questionnaire, proposal, or sub-agreement
Send Contract	Collect your contact's signature

SCHEDULING

Flow Action	Description
Send Scheduler	Send a scheduling link for the contact to book an appointment

FINANCE & BILLING

Flow Action	Description
Send Primary Invoice	Send the primary invoice for the project
Create Invoice	Create a custom invoice for the project

TASKS

Flow Action	Description
Create Task	Create a task to complete (can be sent to the business owner or any team members/collaborators)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Flow Action	Description
Update Project Status	Update the project to a new status
Add Project Tags	Add tags to organize and categorize the project
Archive Project	Move the project to archived
Activate Portal	Allow contact to access their portal
Deactivate Portal	Remove contact's access to their portal

FLOW CONTROL

Flow Action	Description
Pause Flow	Prevent flow actions from being triggered
Hold Actions Until	Hold all subsequent actions until a specific condition is met
Start a New Flow	Trigger a new flow to begin

Triggers (When actions can fire)

WORKFLOW

Trigger	Description	Caveats
After Workflow Starts	After this workflow starts
After All Actions Complete	After all previous actions are completed	If you have any 'Create Task' actions in your Flow, you MUST manually mark those as completed if you want this trigger criteria to be met

PROJECT DATES

Trigger	Description	Caveats
Before Project Start	Before the project start date	You MUST have set a Project Start Date to use this trigger
After Project Start	After the project start date	You MUST have set a Project Start Date to use this trigger
Before Project End	Before the project end date	You MUST have set a Project End Date to use this trigger
After Project End	After the project end date	You MUST have set a Project End Date to use this trigger

FORM/CONTRACT

Trigger	Description	Caveats
After Form Completed	After a form is completed	Form must exist earlier in the flow if dependent
After Form Not Completed	After a form is not completed	Only applies to Questionnaire, Proposal, or Sub-Agreement form types
After Contract Signed	After the contract is signed by the client	Must be the main contract (1 per project)

PRIMARY INVOICE

Trigger	Description	Caveats
Installment Paid	After a primary invoice installment is paid	Requires a Payment Plan Template
Paid in Full	After the primary invoice is paid in full	Requires a Payment Plan Template

APPOINTMENTS

Trigger	Description	Caveats
Appointment Booked	After an appointment is booked	Requires Send Scheduler earlier in the flow
Before Appointment Starts	Before an appointment starts	Requires Send Scheduler earlier in the flow
After Appointment Ends	After an appointment ends	Requires Send Scheduler earlier in the flow