# Understanding and setting up workflows Source: https://keenpartner.com/blog/understanding-and-setting-up-workflows Published: 2026-08-10T00:00:00.000Z Category: Product guides A beginner-friendly guide to creating Keen workflows with triggers, actions, integrations, field mapping, activation, and run monitoring. A workflow automates the steps that should happen after an event in Keen or a connected system. Every workflow begins with one trigger. The trigger starts the workflow, and one or more actions run afterward. For example, a new partner lead in Keen can create a contact and deal in your CRM, then notify your team in Slack. Start with a simple process, review the first runs, and expand it after you know the data moves as expected. ## A simple example Imagine that Acme submits a new lead through your partner channel. Your team wants the lead in HubSpot and wants a Slack message so someone follows up quickly. The workflow could be: 1. Trigger: New lead in the Acme referrals channel 1. Action: Create or update the HubSpot contact 1. Action: Create a HubSpot deal 1. Action: Send a Slack message to the sales channel You configure the sequence once. When the workflow is active, Keen runs the same steps for each future matching lead. ## The two parts of a workflow ### Trigger The trigger is the event that starts the workflow. Keen triggers can include: - a new lead; - a lead status change; - a lead update; - a new or updated reward; - a comment on a lead or reward; - a reward report status change. Connected apps can provide triggers for CRM deals, stages, leads, contacts, forms, boards, and other records. A developer webhook can start a workflow from another system. Each workflow has one trigger. If two different events should start the same set of actions, create a workflow for each trigger. ### Actions Actions are the steps that run after the trigger. They can: - create or update leads in Keen; - change a Keen lead status; - create or update records in a CRM; - send a Slack message; - send an HTTP request to another system; - filter out events that should not continue; - branch into different paths. Actions can use information from the trigger and from earlier steps. That is how a lead's name, email, company, channel, or status can flow into another system without being entered again. ## Choose how to create the workflow Keen gives you two starting points. ### Use the visual builder Choose the visual builder when you want to see every step, map fields directly, add filters, or create true and false branches. You select the trigger, add actions to the canvas, and configure each node in the side panel. This gives you the most control. ### Ask Keen to create a draft Use **Ask Keen** when you want guidance or a quick starting point. Describe the outcome, answer the setup questions, and confirm the proposed draft. Ask Keen creates an inactive workflow draft. Open it in the visual builder to review the trigger, actions, channels, integrations, and field mappings before activation. AI-created drafts use a linear sequence. Add filters, branches, or other advanced changes in the visual builder afterward. ## Before you build Write the process as a short sentence: *"When a new lead arrives in the Acme channel, create a HubSpot deal and notify our sales team."* Then identify: - the event that starts the process; - the channel, partner, board, pipeline, or other scope; - each action in the order it should happen; - the information each action needs; - which integration accounts must be connected; - what should happen if a step fails. If the manual process is unclear, automate a smaller part first. ## Connect the required integrations Keen actions and triggers may need access to HubSpot, Pipedrive, Monday, Salesforce, Dynamics, Attio, Slack, or another supported system. When a node requires an integration, the configuration panel shows its connection state. Depending on the app, you may connect through OAuth or provide the required account detail, such as a Pipedrive API token. Connect the correct company account. If you use several CRM environments, check the selected account or production/sandbox setting before activation. You can build and save an inactive workflow while preparing the integration, but the workflow must be valid and connected before it can run successfully. ## Create a workflow in the visual builder 1. Open **Automation** in the Keen sidebar. 1. Select **Workflows**. 1. Select **Create workflow**. 1. Choose the trigger that should start the automation. 1. Configure the trigger. 1. Add the first action. 1. Configure its fields and mappings. 1. Add more actions or logic if needed. 1. Give the workflow a clear name. 1. Save the workflow. A new workflow is inactive. Save it before trying to use the Active switch. ## Configure the trigger For a Keen trigger, choose the channel when the trigger asks for one. This keeps the workflow focused on the intended partnership. For a CRM trigger, choose the relevant account, pipeline, stage, board, object, or filter shown by the integration. For a webhook trigger, save the workflow first so Keen can provide its webhook URL. Use **Listen for test data** to send a sample payload and identify the fields that later actions can use. Check the trigger scope carefully. A workflow that listens to every matching event may affect more channels or records than intended. ## Map information between steps Actions often need values from the trigger or an earlier action. Use the variable picker in a field to select the information you need. Examples include: - lead name from the trigger into a CRM contact name; - lead email into the CRM email field; - Keen lead ID into a dedicated CRM property; - CRM deal ID from one action into a later update; - channel or partner name in a Slack message. Saving the Keen lead ID in your CRM is especially useful. It gives later workflows a reliable way to update the correct Keen lead when the CRM stage changes. Do not map fields only because they are available. Send the minimum information the destination needs, and check that personal data is handled according to your own policies and agreements. ## Use filters and branches A filter allows the workflow to continue only when its conditions pass. Use it when one workflow should ignore events that do not match a rule. A branch creates a true path and a false path. Use it when different conditions need different actions. For example: - If deal value is above your threshold, notify the partnership manager. - Otherwise, send the standard sales notification. Add logic only after the basic trigger and action flow works. Every extra path needs its own review. ## Decide what happens when an action fails For supported actions, you can choose whether an error should: - stop the workflow; or - continue to the next step. Stopping is safer when later actions depend on the failed result. Continuing can make sense when the failed action is optional, such as a notification. Some actions also support step retries. The workflow settings can retry failed runs with a limited number of total attempts. Use retries for temporary integration failures, not for invalid field mappings or missing permissions. ## Save and validate the workflow Select **Save** after configuring the flow. If the workflow has no name, Keen can assign a default name, but a descriptive name is easier to manage. Good names describe the trigger and result: - New Acme lead to HubSpot - HubSpot won deal to Keen status - Qualified partner lead Slack alert Keen validates the workflow when you save or activate it. Nodes with missing or invalid configuration are marked so you can correct them. Saving does not activate a new workflow. This gives you time to review it safely. ## Review before activation Before turning on the workflow, check: - the trigger event and its scope; - the selected channel or integration account; - the order of actions; - every required field; - field and status mappings; - filters and both branch paths; - error and retry behavior; - who will monitor failed runs. For a workflow that writes to another system, consider whether a test channel, test record, sandbox, or clearly marked sample is appropriate. Keen does not provide a general whole-workflow test button. A live active trigger starts the real workflow. Webhook triggers can listen for sample payloads before activation, and completed runs can provide example values for mapping previews. ## Activate the workflow After saving and resolving validation issues, use the **Inactive / Active** switch in the workflow header or list. An active workflow listens for future trigger events. It does not normally process events that happened while it was inactive. If Keen blocks activation, read the validation message and open the marked nodes. Common causes include a missing channel, required field, integration connection, or invalid mapping. ## Monitor the first runs Open the workflow and select **Runs**. The run history shows: - run number and time; - success, failed, or skipped status; - duration; - the input that started the run; - each step and its output; - attempts and error details. Review the first real runs closely. Confirm both that Keen shows success and that the destination system contains the expected result. You can retry a failed run from its details when retrying is safe. Fix configuration errors before retrying, or the run is likely to fail again. Keen can also send workflow-failure notifications. Review your notification settings so the right people know when an automation needs attention. ## Manage workflows over time The Workflows list shows each workflow's trigger, channels, partners, connected apps, last run, and active state. You can filter the list to find workflows related to a specific channel, trigger, partner, or app. Pause a workflow before making substantial changes when you do not want new events to run through a half-reviewed process. Review workflows when: - a channel or partnership process changes; - a CRM field, stage, pipeline, or account changes; - an integration is reconnected; - a team changes notification channels; - failures or duplicate records appear; - an automation is no longer needed. Delete only after confirming that no team still relies on the workflow. ## Common mistakes to avoid - Choosing a trigger that is broader than intended. - Forgetting to select the correct channel or integration account. - Activating before required fields and mappings are complete. - Mapping a display name where a stable record ID is required. - Building a long workflow before testing a simple version. - Continuing after a failed required action. - Assuming save means active. - Assuming inactive periods will be processed later. - Retrying a failed write without checking whether part of it already succeeded. - Ignoring the Runs view after launch. ## Workflow checklist Before activating the workflow, confirm that: - one clear trigger starts the process; - its channel or integration scope is correct; - all required integrations are connected; - actions are in the intended order; - field and status mappings use the correct values; - filters and branches cover the expected cases; - error and retry choices are intentional; - the workflow has a descriptive name; - the workflow saves without validation errors; - the first live runs will be monitored; - the team knows where to find failures and run details. A useful workflow does not need to be complicated. Automate one repeated handoff, verify that it runs reliably, and add more steps only when they create clear value.