What are Workflows?

A Workflow is a sequence of tasks that are carried out automatically in a specified sequence without requiring manual intervention at every step.

Workflow is pretty much a self-explanatory term:

• Work – A series of various tasks.
  
  
• Flow – Those tasks are carried out in a specified sequence, one after the other.

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In Clappia, you can set up workflows for your apps by first clicking on the desired app in your dashboard to set the workflows for, then go to Design App > Workflows.

There are two main types of workflows.

Traditionally, Workflows in Clappia operate when a user performs an action in the app; for example, creating a new submission, editing an already created submission, or changing the status of a submission. These are called User Based Flows and there are three types:

User Based Flows:(These start only when a user performs an action in the app.)

1. New Submission – Triggered when a new submission is created.
   
   
2. Edit Submission – Triggered when an existing submission is edited.
   
   
3. Review Submission – Triggered when the status of a submission is reviewed or changed.

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Clappia also supports Trigger Based Flows, which operate independently of user activity. This means they can run automatically based on conditions or events such as a set schedule or the arrival of an email, without anyone manually creating or editing a submission.

The main difference between User Based Flows and Trigger Based Flows is that Workflows start when users perform an action whereas trigger based flows run indefinitely until deleted or disabled.

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Workflow Triggers

Workflows can start in different ways depending on the type of trigger you choose:

1. New Submission Flow

Runs only when a user creates a new submission in the app.
When a user makes a submission, this immediately triggers the workflow you’ve set up in ‘New Submission Flow’. If the submission is later edited, the workflow will not run again unless a similar setup of the workflow is in the ‘Edit Submission Flow’.
Example: 

When a user fills out and submits a form, an email is automatically sent to the manager.

2. Edit Submission Flow

Runs only when a user edits an existing submission inside the ‘Submissions’ tab. Creating a new submission will not trigger it.
Example:

When a user updates a delivery date in a submission, a Slack message is sent to notify the dispatch team.

3. Review Submission Flow

Runs whenever the status of an existing submission is reviewed or changed. This is not counted as editing a submission, therefore workflows in ‘Edit Submission Flow’ will not get triggered if a submission’s status is changed.
Example: 

When a submission is marked as “Approved,” a client is emailed.

4. Trigger Based Flows

Triggered automatically without any user action in the app. These flows are ideal for time-based automations or external events like receiving an email. They run continuously in the background, even if no one is using the app at the moment.

Currently supported trigger nodes:

• Schedule – Runs steps automatically at defined intervals (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly).
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• Trigger Email – Starts a flow whenever an email is sent to a system-generated address.
  

More trigger node types will be added in the future.
Trigger Based Flows can run in parallel with other workflows in the same app.

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Note:

This separation ensures workflows behave exactly how you expect, depending on the type of action or event you want to automate.

You can use multiple workflows in the same app. For example, one flow could trigger when a submission is created, while another runs on a set schedule. These run independently and can operate in parallel.

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Basic Layout of Workflows

Start Button

The Start button is the first step of the workflow. Clicking on it shows the Node Selection Box where you choose the starting point for your workflow.

'Add Node' Button

After selecting a workflow node, you can add another node below it, and so on. Hover over the existing node and click the ‘+’ icon to open the Node Selection Box and choose the next step.

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Workflow Nodes

Below are the workflow nodes you can use. Click the linked help guides to learn how to configure each one in detail.

1. Email
   Sends a custom email automatically when triggered. Example: When a field employee submits data, an email with a PDF copy is sent to the manager.
   
   
2. Slack
   Sends a custom message to a Slack channel when triggered.
   
   
3. REST API
   Sends custom data from submissions to an API endpoint.
   
   
4. Mobile Notification
   Sends a push notification to selected Clappia mobile app users.
   
   
5. Wait
   Adds a delay before the next step runs. Example: Wait 10 minutes after submission before sending an email.
   
   
6. If
   Runs different actions based on conditions. Example: If work is complete → notify manager; another if → send overdue alert.
   
   
7. Create Submission
   Automatically creates a new submission in the same or another app.
   
   
8. Edit Submission
   Automatically edits an existing submission in the same or another app.
   
   
9. Repeat (Loop)
   Repeats actions until a condition is met. Example: Send reminders every hour until the task is marked complete.
   
   
10. WhatsApp
    Sends a WhatsApp message to a user when triggered.
    
    
11. AI
    Processes input with AI to generate responses or automate decisions.
    
    
12. Code
    Runs custom code to process or transform data.
    
    
13. Database (DB)
    Pulls from or writes to an external database.
    
    
14. Find Submissions
    Searches for existing submissions in an app based on filters, then passes their data to later steps.
    
    
15. Archive Submission
    Automatically archives a submission so it’s removed from active lists but kept for records.
    
    
16. Approval
    Sends a submission for approval to designated users, with options to approve, reject, or request changes.
    
    
17. SMS
    Sends a text message to specified phone numbers when triggered.
    
    
18. Schedule (Trigger Based Flow)
    Runs workflows automatically at set times without user action.
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19. Trigger Email (Trigger Based Flow)
    Runs workflows when an email is sent to a system-generated address.

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How It Works

• A workflow starts when its trigger condition is met.
  
  
• Each node runs in the order you’ve placed them.
  
  
• You can have multiple workflows in the same app, each with its own trigger and steps.
  
  
• Workflows run on individual submissions or events; one workflow does not interfere with another unless they act on the same data.

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Note on Workflows and Bulk Operations

Workflows in Clappia run on individual submissions, such as when a user submits or manually edits a record. However, when using Bulk Upload or Bulk Edit from the Submissions tab, workflows are not triggered, even though new submissions may be added or existing ones updated.

This is because workflows are designed to process one submission at a time. Triggering them for bulk operations can lead to incomplete or inconsistent results, especially for complex workflows.

If you need workflows to run after a bulk operation, currently you will need to open each submission manually and save it. This will count as an edit and trigger the workflow normally.

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