Common mistakes when creating workflows
A guide to avoiding common workflow mistakes
General workflow mistakes
These are structural or logical issues that affect the overall behavior of your workflow:
Incorrect order of conditions and actions
Example: When a product is restocked, you want to send an email only to new customers who have no orders yet.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send email
Condition: Order count = 0 (Customer has not purchased this product)
What goes wrong:
The email is sent before the condition is checked. Even customers who already purchased the product may receive the email, because the workflow doesn’t verify eligibility first.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Condition: Order count = 0 (Customer has not purchased this product)
Action (If True): Send email
Why this works:
The workflow checks the condition first and only sends the email to customers who meet the criteria.
Missing conditions between each step
Example: You want to send a follow-up email only if the customer has NOT purchased after receiving the first email.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Wait: 3 days
Action: Send follow-up email
What goes wrong:
The follow-up email is sent without checking whether the customer has already purchased. Customers who already bought the product may still receive the follow-up email.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product is back in stock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Wait: 3 days
Condition: Order count = 0 (Customer has not purchased this product)
Action (If True): Send follow-up email
Why this works:
The workflow checks the condition after the wait step and only sends the follow-up email to customers who still haven’t purchased.
Using static text instead of dynamic variables
Example: You manually enter a product price in the email instead of using a product variable.
Email content includes static text, for example:
“This product is now available for $49.99”
What goes wrong:
If the product price changes later, the email content does not update. Customers may receive emails with an incorrect or outdated price.
Email content uses a dynamic product variable, for example:
“This product is now available for {{ product.price }}”
Why this works:
The dynamic variable always pulls the current product price, ensuring customers see accurate information.
Mistakes when using conditions in workflows
Errors within your conditions can prevent the workflow from following the right path:
Forgetting to add a Wait step for Condition: an event occurred
Example: You want to send a follow-up email after the customer opens the first back-in-stock email.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Condition: Customer purchased
Action (If False): Send follow-up email
What goes wrong:
The condition is checked immediately, before the customer has had enough time to make a purchase. As a result, the follow-up email might be sent right away.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Wait: 3 days
Condition: Customer purchased
Action (If False): Send follow-up email
Why this works:
The wait step gives the customer time to decide and make a purchase, ensuring the condition is checked correctly before sending the follow-up email.
Creating too many separate conditions instead of using logic
Example: You want to send a back-in-stock email to customers who have placed past orders and have a "VIP" tag.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Condition: Order count > 0
Condition: Customer tags = VIP
Action (If True): Send early bird back-in-stock email
What goes wrong:
Having two separate conditions for related criteria creates unnecessary complexity.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Condition: Order count > 0 AND customer tags = VIP
Action (If True): Send early bird back-in-stock email
Why this works:
By combining the conditions using AND logic, the workflow becomes cleaner and more efficient. It simplifies the logic, making the workflow easier to manage and understand.
Using the wrong AND / OR logic
Example: You want to send a special discount email to customers who have spent more than $100 or have a VIP tag.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Condition: Total spent amount is greater than $100 AND customer tags = VIP
Action (If True): Send special discount email
What goes wrong:
Using AND means both conditions must be true. The workflow will only trigger for customers who have spent more than $100 and have a VIP tag. However, some VIP customers who have spent less than $100 will be excluded from the campaign.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Condition: Total spent amount is greater than $100 OR customer tags = VIP
Action (If True): Send special discount email
Why this works:
Using OR ensures that the workflow triggers for customers who either spent more than $100 or have a VIP tag, broadening the reach of your discount offer.
Using the wrong data type in conditions
Example: You want to create a condition that checks the order count
Order count includes text, for example:
“Compare value = three”
What goes wrong:
Since the value is entered as text instead of a number, the condition won't display the "compare value."
Order count includes number, for example:
“Compare value = 3”
Why this works:
By entering the correct data type (a number), the condition is evaluated correctly, ensuring the workflow functions as intended.
Using the wrong boolean value (True / False)
Example: You want to send a follow-up email to customers who have not made a purchase yet.
Incorrect workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Wait: 3 days
Condition: Customer purchased
Action (If True): Send follow-up email
What goes wrong:
The condition checks if the customer has made a purchase, but by selecting True, the workflow sends the follow-up email to customers who have already purchased, reversing the intended logic.
Correct workflow setup:
Trigger: Product restock
Action: Send back-in-stock email
Wait: 3 days
Condition: Customer purchased
Action (If False): Send follow-up email
Why this works:
By selecting False, the condition correctly targets customers who have not made a purchase, ensuring that the follow-up email is sent to the intended audience.
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