---
title: Building a Workflow
description: This article walks through creating a workflow on the visual canvas.
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/building-a-workflow/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: HiveCRM
---

# Building a Workflow

This article walks through creating a workflow on the visual canvas.

## Create a New Workflow

1. Go to **Hive CRM → Workflows**.
2. Click **Add Workflow**.
3. Give the workflow a name.

You'll land on the node-based canvas, starting with a **Trigger** node.

## Configure the Trigger

Click the Trigger node and choose:

- **Entity** — the CRM record type to watch (Lead, Deal, Project, Task, Ticket, Invoice/Estimate, Contact (Person or Organization), or Package).
- **Event** — whether the workflow fires when a record **is created** or **is updated**.

## Add Conditions (Optional)

Click **+** below the Trigger node to add a **Conditions** node if you only want the workflow to continue when specific field values match. For each condition, choose:

- A field (a standard field, or a custom field)
- An operator — equals, not equals, contains, greater than, less than, is empty, or is not empty
- A comparison value

All conditions in a Conditions node must match for the workflow to continue.

## Add Actions

Click **+** to add one or more **Action** nodes. Choose an action type and configure it — see [Workflow Action Types Reference](workflow-action-types-reference.md) for every available action and its options.

## Connect the Nodes

Drag from a node's bottom handle to the next node's top handle to connect them in order: Trigger → Conditions (optional) → Action(s). A workflow can branch into multiple action nodes from the same point if you want more than one thing to happen.

## Activate the Workflow

Toggle the workflow to **Active** once you're happy with it. Inactive workflows are saved but never run.

## Review Workflow Runs

Open a workflow and check its run history to confirm it's firing as expected, and to troubleshoot if an action didn't do what you intended.

## Related Documentation

- [Workflow Automation Overview](workflow-automation-overview.md)
- [Workflow Action Types Reference](workflow-action-types-reference.md)