Workflows and the builder

A workflow is a reusable playbook for your firm: a named sequence of steps (send an email, create a task, request a form, schedule an event, change a status, and more) that you attach to a lead or a matter. Build a workflow once, then attach it whenever you start a new lead or matter so your team always follows the same intake or onboarding process.

This page covers the Workflows area: how to view and search your firm's workflows, create one, edit it in the full-page builder, set its trigger, reorder and remove steps, and archive, restore, or delete a workflow. The individual step types and the ways to attach a workflow each have their own pages (linked at the bottom).

Before you begin

• Workflows are a firm-wide setting, so the steps and rules you build here apply across your whole firm.
• Access depends on your role. If your role does not include View access for workflows, you will not see the Workflows page at all. If it does not include Create, you will not see the New workflow button. If it does not include Update, you can open the builder in read-only mode but cannot change or save anything. Delete access is needed to permanently remove an archived workflow. Firm owners always have full access.
• A workflow only describes what should happen. Attaching it to a lead or matter copies its steps onto that record so your team can work through them. See Assigning and attaching workflows.

What a workflow is and when to use one

A workflow is an ordered list of steps that codify a repeatable process. Each step is one action your team would otherwise do by hand, such as emailing a new client a welcome message, creating a follow-up task, or sending an intake form.

Use a workflow whenever the same set of actions repeats for similar records:

• New lead intake: send a thank-you email, create a "call the lead" task, and send an intake form.
• New client onboarding: send an engagement form, schedule a kickoff meeting, and create the standard opening tasks.
• Lead-to-matter conversion: change the intake status, then convert the lead into a matter.

View and search the Workflows list

The Workflows list is the home for every workflow your firm has built.

1. In the sidebar, open the intake and automation area and click Workflows.
2. The page opens with the heading Workflows and a table of your firm's workflows. By default it shows your Active workflows.

The table has these columns:

• Actions: the Edit button (and a ... menu) for each row. See Edit a workflow in the builder and Archive, restore, and delete a workflow.
• Name: the workflow's name.
• Trigger: either Manual or When a lead or matter is created. See Set a trigger.
• Status: Active or Archived.
• Updated by: who last changed the workflow.
• Last updated: when it was last changed.

Filter by status

Above the table are three tabs:

• All: every workflow, regardless of status.
• Active: workflows that are live and available to attach. This is the default view.
• Archived: workflows you have set aside.

Click a tab to switch the view.

Search

Use the Search workflows box to filter the list by name. Results update as you type. When a search is active, a Clear filters button appears; click it to reset the search and show all rows again.

Sort and adjust columns

• Click a sortable column header (Name, Status, Updated by, or Last updated) to sort by that column. Click again to reverse the order.
• Use the view options button on the right of the toolbar to refresh the list or show and hide columns.
• The list is paginated. Use the pagination controls at the bottom to move between pages and change how many rows appear at once.

Create a new workflow

Creating a workflow is a quick two-field step, after which you land in the builder to add your steps.

1. On the Workflows page, click New workflow.
2. In the Create workflow dialog, fill in:
   • Workflow name (required): a clear name, for example New client onboarding. Names can be up to 128 characters.
   • Trigger (required): choose Manual or When a lead is created. You can change the trigger later in the builder. See Set a trigger for what each option does.
3. Click Create workflow.

When you save, Esqase confirms with a Workflow created message and opens the workflow in the full-page builder so you can start adding steps right away.

Edit a workflow in the builder

The builder is a full-page editor where you set the workflow's name and trigger and assemble its steps. You reach it right after creating a workflow, or any time from the list.

1. On the Workflows page, find the workflow and click Edit in its row. (You can also click Edit in the ... menu.)
2. The builder opens. At the top is a toolbar with:
   • A Workflows link on the left to return to the list.
   • The name field (it reads Untitled workflow until you type a name). Edit the name inline here.
   • A Trigger dropdown. See Set a trigger.
   • A Save button on the right.
3. Below the toolbar is the canvas where your steps appear in order. If the workflow has no steps yet, you will see No workflow items yet with an Add workflow item button.

Add a step

1. Click Add workflow item (in the empty state), or click the round + button between or after existing steps to insert a step at that exact position.
2. The Add workflow item dialog opens showing eight step types to choose from, each with a short description:
   • Email (Send an automated email)
   • Task (Create a task for the team)
   • Task list (Create tasks from a task list)
   • Form (Send a form to a client)
   • Event (Schedule an appointment)
   • Invoice (Create a draft invoice)
   • Status change (Change the intake status)
   • Convert to matter (Convert this lead into a matter)
3. Click the type you want. The dialog moves to a configuration screen for that step.
4. Fill in the step's details. Each step type has its own fields (for example, the Email step asks you to pick an email template). For a full breakdown of every type and its options, see Workflow step types.
5. Click Add to workflow. The dialog closes and the step appears on the canvas as a card with its title and description.

Edit an existing step

1. On a step card, click the ... (more actions) button.
2. Click Edit.
3. The configuration dialog opens, prefilled with the step's current settings. Change what you need.
4. Click Save changes.

Save the workflow

Your changes in the builder are held until you save them.

1. Make your edits to the name, trigger, and steps.
2. Click Save in the top-right of the toolbar.

A few things to know about saving:

• The Save button stays disabled until you make a change, so an unchanged workflow cannot be saved by accident.
• One Save stores the whole workflow at once: the name, the trigger, and every step you added, edited, removed, or reordered.
• On success you see a Workflow saved confirmation.

Set a trigger

The trigger decides when a workflow is meant to be used. You set it both when you create a workflow and later in the builder's Trigger dropdown.

• Manual: You attach this workflow yourself, on demand, from a lead, a matter, or the new-matter wizard. Use this for workflows you only want to run sometimes, or that you want to choose deliberately.
• When a lead or matter is created: This workflow is attached automatically every time a new lead or matter is created at your firm, so its steps are always there waiting for your team. Use this for your standard, every-time intake or onboarding process.

To change the trigger in the builder:

1. Open the workflow in the builder.
2. In the toolbar, open the Trigger dropdown and choose Manual or When a lead or matter is created.
3. Click Save.

Reorder and remove steps

The order of steps on the canvas is the order they appear when the workflow is attached, so a step near the top is meant to be done before one near the bottom.

Place a step in the right position

Steps are ordered by where you insert them:

1. Between (and after) every step card on the canvas there is a round + button.
2. Click the + at the position where you want the new step to go.
3. Choose and configure the step as usual, then click Add to workflow. The step is inserted at that point and the rest shift down.

Remove a step

1. On the step card, click the ... (more actions) button.
2. Click Delete.
3. In the Delete workflow item? dialog, confirm by clicking Delete item.

The step disappears from the canvas. As the dialog reminds you, you still need to click Save for the removal to take effect. Until you save, the step is only removed from your working view.

Archive, restore, and delete a workflow

You manage a workflow's lifecycle from the Workflows list, either one row at a time or several at once.

Archive a workflow

Archiving sets a workflow aside without deleting it. Archived workflows are no longer offered when attaching and are hidden from the default Active view, but you can restore them at any time.

To archive one workflow:

1. On the Workflows page, find an Active workflow.
2. In its Actions column, click the ... menu.
3. Click Archive.

You will see an archived confirmation, and the workflow moves to the Archived tab.

Restore a workflow

1. Click the Archived tab to see archived workflows.
2. In the row's ... menu, click Restore.

The workflow returns to Active and can be attached again.

Delete a workflow

Deleting is permanent and cannot be undone. To keep this safe, a workflow must be archived first before it can be deleted.

1. Click the Archived tab.
2. In the archived workflow's ... menu, click Delete.
3. In the Delete workflow? dialog, confirm by clicking Delete workflow.

Act on several workflows at once

The list also supports batch actions:

1. Select the checkboxes on one or more rows.
2. A batch actions control appears in the toolbar with the available options:
   • Archive (for selected active workflows)
   • Restore (for selected archived workflows)
   • Delete (for selected archived workflows)
3. Choose an action and confirm in the dialog. Archiving and deleting ask you to confirm first; deleting reminds you it cannot be undone.

Common questions

Why is the Save button greyed out? You have not changed anything yet, or your role does not include Update access. The button enables as soon as you make an editable change.

I edited a workflow but an existing lead did not change. Why? Editing a workflow only affects records you attach it to after the change. Records that already had the workflow's steps keep the copies they were given. To update an in-progress record, manage its steps from the lead or matter itself.

Can I delete a workflow that is still Active? No. Archive it first, then delete it from the Archived tab. This prevents accidental permanent removal.

Where do the attached steps actually appear? On the lead or matter you attach the workflow to, where your team can complete, link, and run each step. See Assigning and attaching workflows.

Related

• Workflow step types
• Assigning and attaching workflows
• Managing leads
• Converting a lead to a matter
• Building forms
• Event types (scheduling)