Workflows

This guide covers everything you need to build step-by-step automations in Vitae: where to find the workflow builder, how to create a workflow from scratch or from a template, how to add steps, and how to make a workflow live.

Where do I find workflows?

1. In the left navigation, click Workflows under the Automation section.
2. You land on the Workflows list page. The page description reads “Set up step-by-step automations for recruiting and new business. Pick a starting event, then add steps that run on their own.”
3. From here you can see all your existing workflows, filter by status, and create new ones.

Tip: The same Automation section also contains Sequences for multi-step outreach cadences. Workflows handle broader automations triggered by events; sequences are designed for message-based follow-up. See Campaigns for more on sequences.

How do I create a new workflow?

Starting from scratch

1. On the Workflows list page, click New workflow in the top-right corner.
2. The builder opens with a blank canvas and the name “Untitled workflow” pre-filled. Click that name and type your own.
3. The canvas shows “Pick a trigger to get started” — the right rail automatically opens the trigger picker. Continue with the steps in “How do I pick a trigger?” below.

Starting from a template

1. On the Workflows list page, look for the “Start with a template” strip above the filter tabs. Click any template card to open the builder with that template pre-loaded.
2. To browse all templates, click Browse templates (top-right of the list page) or click “See all →” in the template strip. This takes you to the Workflow templates page.
3. On the templates page, search or browse by tag (Recruiting, New business, Admin). Template names include options like “New application review”, “Reach out when a company raises money”, “Send interview prep before each call”, and more.
4. Click Use template on any card to open it in the builder.

How do I pick a trigger?

A trigger is the event that starts your workflow — for example, a candidate moving to a new stage or a company raising money.

1. In the builder, the right rail shows “Pick a trigger” with a search field and grouped trigger options.
2. Browse the groups or type in “Search triggers…” to find what you need. Trigger groups include:
   • Candidates — e.g. “Candidate added”, “Candidate moved to a new stage”, “Offer accepted”
   • Jobs & applications — e.g. “New application received”, “Job posted”
   • New business signals — e.g. “Company raised money”, “BD stage moved to active”
   • Messages — e.g. “Email opened”, “Meeting booked”
   • AI & time — e.g. “On a schedule”, “AI match score is high enough”
3. Click a trigger to add it as the first node on the canvas. It appears as a card labelled “When”.

How do I add steps to a workflow?

Steps are the actions or rules that run after your trigger fires. You can add as many as you need.

1. After your trigger node is on the canvas, click Add step at the bottom of the node chain (or click the “Insert step” button between any two existing nodes).
2. The right rail switches to “Add a step”. Browse by group or search in “Search actions…”.
3. Step groups include:
   • Send a message — e.g. “Send email with Resend”, “Send a Slack message”, “Write a draft for me to review”
   • Scheduling — e.g. “Sync to calendar”, “Draft interview prep notes”
   • AI agents — e.g. “Run Sourcing Autopilot”, “Research with Exa”
   • Jobs & client ops — e.g. “Draft job description”, “Create client portal”, “Create QBR deck”
   • External systems — e.g. “Create DocuSign envelope”, “Start Checkr background check”
   • Update records — e.g. “Move to a stage”, “Add a tag”, “Add to a list”
   • People & tasks — e.g. “Tell the recruiter”, “Create a task”, “Wait for someone to approve”
   • Rules & timing — e.g. “If / else”, “Filter”, “Wait”, “For each”
4. Click any step to add it to the canvas. It appears as a card labelled “Action”, “Condition”, or “Logic” depending on the type.
5. To configure a step, click its card. The right rail shows a config panel with a “Step name” field, a “Detail” field, and any required settings for that step type (for example, an email step asks for a “Resend credential”, “Sender identity”, and “Email template”).
6. Step edits auto-save. A note at the bottom of the panel reads “Step edits auto-save after 5 seconds of inactivity.”
7. To remove a step, open its config panel and click Remove step at the bottom (shown in red).

Tip: Use “If / else” or “Filter” steps under Rules & timing to branch your workflow based on candidate or job data — for example, only send a message if a candidate’s stage matches a certain value.

How do I run or activate a workflow?

Run once (for testing)

1. In the builder top bar, click Run once (the button with a lightning bolt icon).
2. The button shows “Running” while the workflow executes.
3. Switch to the Runs tab to see the result. Each run shows a status such as “Run completed”, “Run failed”, or “Run needs configuration”.

Tip: Run your workflow at least once before activating it to confirm the trigger and steps are set up correctly. The Runs tab explains any issues.

Publish (go live)

1. When your workflow is ready, click the Draft pill in the far-right of the top bar. It will switch to Published (shown in green).
2. The canvas banner changes from “This workflow isn’t live yet” to “This workflow is live”.
3. From now on, the workflow runs automatically every time its trigger fires.

Pause or reactivate from the list

1. Go back to the Workflows list page.
2. To pause an active workflow, open the three-dot Workflow actions menu on its row and click Pause, or toggle the switch on that row to off.
3. To reactivate a paused workflow, open the same menu and click Activate, or toggle the switch back on.

How do I manage existing workflows?

On the Workflows list page, use the filter tabs (All, Active, Paused, Draft) or the “Search workflows…” field to find what you need.

Each row in the list shows the workflow Name, Trigger, Status, Last run, and Runs count. Open the three-dot Workflow actions menu on any row to Edit, Duplicate, Pause / Activate, or Delete (shown in red) a workflow.

Related guides

• Campaigns — sequences and outreach cadences
• Sourcing Hub — AI-powered candidate search
• AI Agent — automating tasks with the Ask Vitae agent
• Integrations — connecting external tools used in workflow steps
• Settings — managing credentials referenced by workflow steps