Workflows automate routine client communication, such as intake forms, reminders, and follow-ups. You can now copy a workflow from the template library, build your own from scratch, and edit every step: the trigger, the wording, the channel, and the timing. Test mode runs a workflow against a real client without sending anything. Your existing workflows keep running unchanged.
You'll need a paid plan, edit access, and a desktop browser. If you can't edit workflows, ask your workspace owner to turn on edit access under Team → Permissions.
In this article
Copy a workflow from the template library
The Templates tab holds 22 workflows built by Carepatron, grouped into four categories. A copy lands in your list switched off, so nothing runs until you activate it.
Go to Workflows and open the Templates tab.
Search by name or filter by Type to find the workflow you need.
Click a card to preview its trigger and steps.
Click Copy to workspace to add an editable copy to your list.
Open your copy and fill in anything it needs, such as which forms and agreements to send.
Available templates
Timings are defaults. Once a workflow is in your list, you can change them and every message.
Category | Workflow | When it runs | Steps |
Appointment management | Appointment cancelled | An appointment is cancelled | Email, SMS |
Appointment management | Appointment request declined | An appointment request is declined | Email, SMS |
Appointment management | Appointment request received | A client requests an appointment | Email, SMS |
Appointment management | Appointment rescheduled | An appointment is rescheduled | Email, SMS |
Appointment management | Inactivity re-engagement | A client has had no upcoming appointment for 30 days | Booking link, email, SMS |
Appointment management | No-show re-engagement | 1 day after a cancelled appointment that hasn't been rebooked | Booking link, email, SMS |
Appointment management | Pre-appointment reminder | 5 hours before an appointment | Email, SMS |
Appointment management | Service confirmation | An appointment is confirmed for the service you choose under Then only run for → Appointment details | Email, SMS |
Client and documentation | First appointment welcome | A client's first appointment is confirmed | Forms and agreements, email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Form reminder | A shared form is still incomplete after 7 days | Email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Intake submission confirmation | A client submits a form | Email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Send intake forms to new clients | A new client is created | Forms and agreements, email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Send intake to active clients | A client's status changes to active | Forms and agreements, email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Send portal invite | A new client is created | Portal invite, email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Tag-triggered intake | A chosen tag is added to a client | Forms and agreements, email, SMS |
Client and documentation | Welcome new client | A new client is created | Forms and agreements, booking link, portal invite, email, SMS |
Care continuity | Client status check-in | 14 days after a client's status changes | Wait, email, SMS |
Care continuity | First session reassurance | A client's first appointment is completed | Email, SMS |
Care continuity | Post-appointment follow-up | An appointment is completed | Email, SMS |
Care continuity | Session milestone | A client's 5th appointment is completed | Email, SMS |
Communication | Birthday greeting | On the client's birthday | Email, SMS |
Communication | New chat message | A client receives a secure message | Email, SMS |
Build a workflow from scratch
Start from an empty canvas when no template fits. The trigger picker is searchable and grouped by area.
Go to Workflows and click New workflow.
Choose a trigger or click Start with a template to begin from one instead.
Click + below any step to add the next action.
Set up each step until its status dot shows it's complete.
Save. An incomplete workflow saves as a draft and can't be activated.
Note: A workflow can hold up to 20 steps, including up to 3 email and 3 SMS steps. Free workspaces can't create or activate custom workflows, and downgrading to Free switches them off.
Edit a workflow
Every workflow opens in the same editor, whether you copied it, built it, or it came with Carepatron. Steps run in numbered order, and branches show where two steps run at once.
+ (add step) — Inserts a new step below the current one
Step toggle — Switches a step off without deleting it
Wait step — Holds the workflow for hours or days before the next step
Then only run for — Adds filters to narrow down the workflow, grouped under Appointment details (such as service) and Client details
Smart chips — Inserts client names, appointment details, or links into messages
Language — Adds a message variant for clients who read another language
⋮ menu — Duplicates or deletes the whole workflow
Note: Steps like Add booking link, Add forms and agreements, and Add portal invite only reach the client through an email or SMS step after them. If you remove every send step after one of these, the workflow still saves but can't be activated. Removing the link, forms, or invite step while keeping the email is fine.
Important: Workflows marked Built-in let you rewrite email and SMS content, switch a channel off, and turn the workflow on or off. You can't add, remove, or reorder their steps, or change their trigger.
Test and activate a workflow
Test mode runs the whole workflow against a real client's record and shows what would have gone out.
Open the workflow and click Test workflow.
Select a client.
Watch each step mark as Triggered, Completed, or Skipped.
Review the email and SMS as that client would receive them.
Click Activate workflow, or activate it from its row in your Workflows list.
Important: A test run sends nothing: no email, no SMS, no forms. Run it as often as you like.
A workflow moves through these states: Draft (incomplete) → Inactive (complete, switched off) → Active (running).
If you turn off an active workflow, any pending waits inside it are cancelled.
Review a workflow's run history
The Runs tab lists every time a workflow ran, with the date, the client, and whether it finished.
Open the workflow and go to the Runs tab.
Search by client or filter by status.
Select a run to replay it step by step on the canvas.
Expand the run to see which clients it reached and which it skipped.
Why a client is skipped
Channel switched off — The client has turned off that channel
Missing contact details — No email address or phone number on file
Plan not covered — The plan doesn't include that channel
FAQs
1. Will my existing workflows change?
No. They keep the same wording, triggers, and timing, and your Reminders page is unchanged. They're now marked Built-in, and you can open them in the editor.
2. Which language does a client receive?
Their own language, if one is set. If not, they get the template's language, or English if the template has none.
3. Which plans can build workflows?
All paid plans, with the same workflow features on each. Free workspaces can't create or activate custom workflows.
4. Is there a limit on workflow runs?
No. Workflow runs are currently unlimited on all paid plans.
5. Do workflows change my email or SMS limits?
No. Your existing email and SMS limits stay the same, and SMS is charged as usual.
Related article: Setting up workflows, automations, and default intake
Open a conversation through the Help channel in your workspace, and our team will help.