When you start building your Workflow, you first choose a trigger and then you configure the trigger settings to decide where, who, and when this Workflow will run. We'll go through each of these settings below.
Trigger rule
For outbound Workflows (e.g. "When a customer visits a page") you'll need to select when to Show workflow until:
Seen (default) — Send the Workflow to customers once, then not again, whether or not they interact with or dismiss it.
Any interaction happens — Send the Workflow to customers consistently, until they engage with it (choose a Workflow path), open the Messenger, or dismiss the notification.
Engaged with — Send the Workflow to customers consistently until they engage with it by selecting a Workflow path.
If they dismiss the Workflow or open the Messenger, it will be hidden for the remainder of their session. When they start a new session, the Workflow will be shown again, until they engage with it.
If you're using Frequency alongside 'Show workflow until', the Workflow will send again on the next frequency date, even if it's already been Seen, Interacted, or Engaged with.
Channels
Then choose where to show the Workflow from a range of channels:
Web
iOS
Android
If you're using triggers such as:
Customer sends their first message,
Customer sends any message,
Teammate changes the conversation state,
Customer has been unresponsive, or
Teammate has been unresponsive
You'll have additional options to configure which channels these Workflows trigger on - such as Instagram, WhatsApp or Facebook.
Where to send
Choose where to send the Workflow by adding a page rule such as Time on page or URL. This will only trigger the Workflow when the page rule is matched.
For example, you might want to trigger an outbound Workflow whenever a customer spends 60 seconds on your pricing page.
Audience
With audience rules you can define a set of criteria that people must meet to trigger the Workflow. This means the Workflow will only appear if they match the audience filters.
We recommend only using audience rules if you have an additional Workflow to cover everyone who doesn't match.
For example, you might have two Workflows, one in French and one in English, and which one is triggered depends on the user's browser language:
When targeting a specific URL It's a good idea to copy and paste it from your app or site directly, as this will catch any characters hidden in your browser's address bar, like trailing slashes.
You can also target users based on any data you track about them. For example, you could target trial users who signed up 15 days ago.
You should also add multiple filters to ensure you target the right audience. For example, you could add:
‘Last seen’ is less than 14 days ago, so you only target active users.
‘Browser language’ is English, so you target users who speak the language of your message.
The more targeted you make your audience, the more effective your Workflow will be.
Combine 'And' with 'Or' filters if you need more flexible audience targeting.
Preview audience
You'll be able to preview the number and name of existing customers who could match your Workflow once it’s set live
Frequency and scheduling
Choose when to start and stop sending the Workflow to your users.
For example, with a Workflow that stops at the same time that another Workflow starts, or one Workflow during your office hours, and one for outside of office hours:
You can also select Custom times to show your Workflows. Click the start time, then hold 'Shift' key and click the end time. Your Workflow will then show for customers during the selected period.
Note:
Custom times are only available on certain Intercom plans. You may need to upgrade your plan to use this feature.
Trigger times are based on your workspace’s timezone.
To find your busiest times, check out the Conversations report. Then set up a Workflow to help your team, when they need it most.
Goal
Before setting your Workflow live, you should set a goal, so you can accurately measure it's impact. This is the action you'd like your customers to take, or the change that should occur as a result of receiving the Workflow.
For example, if you're using a Workflow to encourage customers to upgrade from a free trial to a paid plan, you might set the goal "plan is paid":
You can also define the time limit for this change or action to occur, e.g. users must match this within 30 days.
The shorter the time period, the more confidently you can attribute the change to your workflow.
💡Tip
Need more help? Get support from our Community Forum
Find answers and get help from Intercom Support and Community Experts