A workflow is an automated sequence of actions that runs when specific conditions are met — instead of a person manually sending an email, assigning a lead, or updating a record. For example: a visitor fills out a form, gets a personalized thank-you email, and is automatically routed down a different follow-up path depending on whether they click. Workflows exist so repetitive, predictable tasks happen on their own.

HubSpot workflows come in four types, each built around a different kind of record: contact-based (lead nurturing, welcome emails, re-engagement), company-based (account-level management like lifecycle updates and territory assignment), deal-based (pipeline automation like stage progression and follow-up tasks), and ticket-based (support routing, escalations, and satisfaction surveys). You choose the type based on what you're trying to automate — a lead journey, an account relationship, a sale, or a support case.

The most common starting points are lead nurturing (sending the right educational content as someone moves through their decision-making) and email automation (triggering a follow-up right after someone downloads a guide or abandons a cart). Beyond that, workflows handle event and webinar follow-ups — confirming registration, then branching attendees and no-shows down different paths — and ongoing A/B testing to see which subject lines or send times perform best.

Sales workflows typically start with lead assignment — automatically routing a new lead to the right rep by territory, industry, or workload, so nothing sits unclaimed. From there, teams automate deal stage updates (moving a deal forward when a milestone like a signed contract happens), task reminders for follow-ups, and re-engagement sequences for leads that have gone quiet.