Troubleshoot a Workflow That Is Not Running
Before changing a workflow, identify where the expected behavior stopped. There are four useful questions—and they are different failure points that require different fixes.
Before changing a workflow, identify where the expected behavior stopped.
There are four useful questions:
Did the event occur? Did the contact enroll? Did the action execute? Did the intended result happen?
These are different failure points and require different fixes.
Define the Failure Precisely
Weak: “The workflow is broken.”
Useful: "The quote form was submitted at 10:15, but the contact did not enroll."
Or: "The contact enrolled, but the reminder is waiting."
Or: "The send action ran, but the email did not arrive."
Write the contact, event time, expected action, and actual result.
Confirm the Source Event
Check whether the expected event actually occurred.
Examples:
- Correct form submitted
- Correct calendar booked
- Correct opportunity stage changed
- Correct field updated
A similar-looking asset may not be the one selected in the trigger.
Check Publication and Trigger Filters
Confirm:
- Workflow is in its intended published state.
- Trigger references the correct asset.
- Filters match the test record.
- The event happened after the relevant configuration was active.
Do not assume publishing a workflow will replay earlier events.
Check Enrollment Rules
Review:
- Re-entry settings
- Existing enrollment
- Exclusions
- Required field values
- Contact state
- Other workflows removing the contact
Use the execution history available in the account to locate the first divergence.
Inspect Waiting Actions
A waiting contact may be behaving correctly.
Review:
- Wait duration
- Business-hour restrictions
- Timezone
- Appointment-relative timing
- Conditions that must become true
- Past appointment dates
- Missing dates
Write the expected release time before deciding the wait is wrong.
Inspect Branches and Field Values
Compare the actual record with the branch condition.
Check:
- Empty versus populated values
- Different field with a similar name
- Different option value
- Opportunity versus contact context
- State changed by another workflow
Avoid adding increasingly complicated branches before checking the underlying data.
Separate Execution from Delivery
An executed message action does not guarantee inbox delivery.
For email or SMS, inspect the available delivery status and relevant provider configuration.
Review:
- Address or number validity
- Sending connection
- Account restrictions
- Channel preferences
- Provider errors
- Suppression or opt-out state
Do not repeatedly resend to a real customer while diagnosing.
Retest One Change at a Time
Use a controlled test contact.
Change one relevant setting, repeat the source event when necessary, and inspect the result.
Keep a short change log so you can undo unsuccessful experiments.
Capture a Useful Support Case
Include:
- Workflow name
- Affected contact identifier
- Event and timestamp with timezone
- Expected result
- Actual result
- Relevant execution details
- Steps to reproduce
- Changes already tested
Redact credentials and unrelated personal information.
Completion Checklist
Tick each item as you go. Progress is saved in your browser.
Most workflow problems start at the entry. See how to build a follow-up system that fails cleanly.