How To Create Workflows in Flodesk

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Ready to skip the manual email grind? Setting up Flodesk workflows is a powerful way to automate your email communication, saving time while building closer connections with every subscriber. If you run newsletters, freebies, or email courses, a good automation does the heavy lifting. Here’s a straightforward guide for building powerful, time-saving automations in Flodesk that help you connect with your audience, grow your list, and keep your inbox stress-free.

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What Are Flodesk Workflows, And Why Use Them?

Workflows in Flodesk are a way to automate email sequences. Think of them as smart assistants for your newsletter. When someone takes an action, like signing up for a freebie, they instantly trigger a chain of emails based on rules you set. This saves time, keeps your audience warm, and helps you deliver a consistent experience.

Here are a few examples of what you can set up with workflows:

• Sending freebie emails (such as checklists or downloadable guides)

• Welcome sequences (introducing new subscribers to you and your offers)

• Multi-day email courses (content delivered in timed steps for deeper learning)

• Nurturing sequences (follow-ups after sign-ups, reminders, or educational content)

• Ecommerce triggers (purchases, cart abandonment follow-ups)

Using automations avoids manual sends and makes sure the right message hits the right person, every time. Whether your goal is to welcome, nurture, educate, or remind, workflows put your email strategy on autopilot.

Finding Workflows in Flodesk

Once you’re inside your Flodesk dashboard, look for the Workflows tab. It’s the home base for all your automated email sequences.

When you begin, you’ll face a choice:

• Create a new workflow

• Duplicate an existing workflow

Duplicating workflows is handy if you’ve already got one set up with the structure you like. This way, you copy the layout, then edit only what’s needed, saving time and keeping everything consistent and on-brand.

How to Duplicate a Workflow

1. Click the ellipse (three dots) beside the workflow you want to copy.

2. Select “duplicate” from the dropdown menu.

3. Edit the duplicated workflow as needed, update emails, triggers, or titles for your new purpose.

Starting a Workflow from Scratch

If you’re starting with a clean slate, choose new workflow. You’ll see a list of email templates, not workflow templates. This is just to help you pick a starting email style. The real workflow builder comes after you select or create your email.

Tip: It’s much faster to create your emails before starting the workflow. If you write or design the emails first, you can easily drop them into your sequence later and keep everything moving smoothly.

Naming Your Workflow

Choose a clear, descriptive name for your workflow. This could be something like “SEO Checklist Freebie” or “5-Day Welcome Sequence.” It’s a small step that keeps your Flodesk dashboard organized, especially once you have several workflows running.

Adding a Trigger to Start the Workflow

A trigger is what kicks off your workflow. It’s the event that tells Flodesk, “Start sending emails to this person.”

Default trigger: Added to segment Most creators stick with this option. Every time someone gets assigned to a chosen segment, usually by filling out a form, they start the workflow.

Alternative triggers:

• Specific form subscription (good if you only want to target people from a certain signup form)

• Ecommerce events (like a purchase or abandoned cart)

For many creators, assigning subscribers to segments is best, especially if you have more than one signup form for the same offer (a pop-up and an inline form, for example).

How to add a segment trigger:

• Type the segment name you want

• Select from existing segments, or hit enter to create a new one

Flodesk lets you set more than one trigger if needed. For most uses, one is plenty, but having more can simplify complex setups.

Adding Emails to Your Workflow Sequence

If you started from a template, an email will already be attached. If you started from scratch, you’ll need to add your emails manually.

How to add an email:

• Choose to write a new email

• OR, duplicate an existing email you’ve already created, then update just the subject or content as needed

Timing your emails:

• By default, the first email sends immediately after the trigger.

• Add a time delay between emails if you want to send follow-ups later (one day later, three days, or even at a specific time).

Making Your Workflow Longer

Flodesk lets you easily expand your workflow. For a nurture sequence or a multi-day course, keep stacking delays and emails. For a 5-day email course, you’d use:

1. Add first email (your course introduction or freebie)

2. Add a time delay (1 day)

3. Add next course email

4. Repeat steps 2-3 until your last email

This means your subscribers get a new lesson, reminder, or tip daily, automatically.

Adding Conditions for Personalization

You can personalize your workflow paths using conditions, which are like “yes/no” questions about your subscribers.

Examples of conditions:

• Did the subscriber open the previous email?

• Did they click a specific link?

If YES: you can send them a bonus tip, offer, or further guidance. If NO: you might end their workflow or resend a reminder.

Example condition in a workflow:

• If a subscriber clicks a link in the checklist email:

  • Yes: Send a thank you or promo email

  • No: Let the workflow end here

This keeps emails relevant and avoids overwhelming your audience.

Adding Actions Within Your Workflow

Alongside emails and conditions, you can set up actions that manage your audience segments as people move through your workflow.

• Add subscribers to another segment (ideal for tagging highly engaged readers)

• Remove subscribers from a segment (helpful for list hygiene or special offers)

You can use these tweaks to filter your audience, start new automations, or keep your communications clean.

Checking Workflow Settings

Before clicking publish, review your workflow’s settings for extra control:

• Allow repeat subscribers to join again: Useful if you want people to receive the sequence each time they sign up (for new launches or challenges)

• Exclude segments or workflows: Makes sure people don’t get emails or offers too often or twice

Publishing Your Workflow

When everything looks good, click publish. Your workflow goes live and will run for every new subscriber who meets your trigger settings.

Remember, if you make edits later, your workflow will pause until you hit publish again. Do your editing in batches, when possible, to keep everything running smoothly.

Testing Your Workflow

Always test before sending to your full audience. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Sign up or trigger the workflow with your own email

• Make sure every email lands as planned

• Check every link and download in each email

• Review the subject lines and preview text for clarity

Final Thoughts

Setting up your first Flodesk workflow might feel a bit overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without automation. Start simple with a basic welcome sequence or freebie, then gradually add more complexity as you get comfortable. Flodesk workflows empower you to automate emails that keep your community engaged, feeling valued, and moving through your content or offers. Whether you're delivering a freebie, curating an educational sequence, or following up after a sale, these tools handle the hard parts for you. With workflows taking care of your email sequences, you'll have more time to create amazing content and connect with your subscribers like never before, all without the hassle.