Automation 2.0 helps you create, review, activate, and manage donor engagement workflows in Keela. You can start from a prebuilt template, pick up a suggested workflow where you already work, build from scratch, or describe what you want to automate and Mission Assistant can help turn your instructions into a visible workflow draft that you can review and adjust before anything goes live. Edits in step sidebars and Settings auto-save as you go, so you do not need a separate Save step. Automation 2.0 workflows remain drafts until you complete the required setup. Select Review & Activate when you are ready to make a workflow live. Moving from legacy Automation? See Migrating legacy Automation workflows to Automation 2.0 for one-click migration.
Before you begin
Before creating a workflow, it helps to know:
- What action should start the workflow?
- Who should be allowed into the workflow?
- What should happen after someone enters?
- Whether the workflow should include delays, filters, or split paths?
- Whether the workflow should send an email, add a tag, or complete another action?
- Whether contacts should be allowed to enter only once or every time they qualify?
If you are not sure where to start, describe what you want to happen. Mission Assistant can help turn your goal into a draft.
Create a workflow
You can create a workflow in several ways:
- Start from a template
- Use a suggested workflow
- Generate from a prompt (written instructions)
- Build from scratch
Option 1: Create a workflow from a template
Use a template when you want a common donor journey already laid out — for example a welcome series, win-back path, or stewardship sequence — instead of starting from a blank canvas. When you create a new workflow, open New workflow. You’ll see a prompt box and Choose a starting point, where you can browse templates (All, Essentials, and Keela Intelligence). Each template includes a name and a short description of the journey it covers.
To create a workflow from a template:
- From Automation 2.0, select New workflow.
- Under Choose a starting point, select a template.
- A draft opens with the template’s steps and name already in place. You can rename it at any time.
The template creates a populated draft with triggers, delays, emails, and other steps already in place. Review every step carefully before activation — email steps and other actions may still need content or setup (for example selecting an Email Marketing email). Configure Settings (entry rules, email eligibility, exclusions) as you would for any other workflow. You can edit the draft after it is created: add or remove triggers, change delays, update filters or split paths, and swap actions. Templates are a starting point, not a locked journey.
Option 2: Use a suggested workflow
Suggested workflows help you find a relevant starting point based on your contacts, without browsing the full template library. You may see suggested workflows where you already work in Keela. On the Contacts and Transactions tables, select Suggested workflows to open a drawer of Mission Assistant ideas tailored to your data — each card shows a category, why it was suggested, and a short description.
Select a suggestion to open a draft with its name and steps already in place. Review and adjust the draft before selecting Review & Activate. Suggestions are built from the same template library, so every suggestion opens as an editable workflow draft you can run after review. Use them when you want a quick, relevant starting point; use the full template chooser when you want to browse every available journey.
Option 3: Create a workflow from written instructions
Use written instructions when you know what you want the workflow to accomplish, but do not want to manually build every step. For example, you might write:
“When someone makes their first donation, wait two days, then send them a welcome email.â€
Mission Assistant will help turn your instructions into a draft workflow with supported steps, such as a trigger, filter, delay, and action. If your workflow should start in more than one way, include each trigger in your instructions — for example, “Start this workflow when a contact is added or when a contact is tagged Volunteer.†Mission Assistant can set up multiple triggers in the draft. You can also add triggers yourself on the canvas — see Add more than one trigger below. After the draft is created, review each step carefully. You may still need to complete required setup, such as selecting an email or confirming filter criteria. You will also need to configure workflow settings manually.
Option 4: Create a workflow from scratch
Use Start from scratch when you already know the workflow structure you want to build manually. When creating from scratch, you can add and configure the workflow steps yourself. Depending on the workflow, this may include:
- One or more triggers
- One or more actions
- Filters
- Delays
- Split paths
- Workflow settings
Even when starting from scratch, you can use the Mission Assistant chat on the right side of the workflow builder to ask for help as you work.
What is a trigger?
A trigger is the event or condition that starts a workflow. Every workflow needs at least one trigger, and a workflow can have more than one. Triggers tell Keela when a contact should enter the workflow. For the full list of triggers, actions, and options (including Smart triggers and Donor is lapsed), see Triggers & Actions on Automation 2.0 below. For entry rules, email settings, and exclusions, see Automation 2.0 Settings below.
Examples of triggers may include:
- A transaction is received (Transaction received)
- A contact is added
- A contact is tagged
- A scheduled check finds matching contacts, such as contacts in a saved segment
For example, if you want to send a welcome email after a first donation, the trigger might be Transaction received.
How to set up a trigger
To set up a trigger:
- Create or open a draft workflow.
- Select the trigger step.
- Choose the event or condition that should start the workflow.
- Complete any required trigger details.
- For example, you may need to choose the donation source, segment, tag, or other setup information.
- Review the trigger summary to make sure it matches your intent.
If the trigger is incomplete, the workflow cannot be activated until the required details are finished.
Add more than one trigger
A workflow can start in more than one way. For example, you might want the same welcome journey to begin when a contact is added or when a contact is tagged. Instead of building two copies of the workflow, add both triggers to one workflow. You can ask for multiple triggers in your written instructions to Mission Assistant, or add them on the canvas with + (Add trigger). On the Workflow canvas, triggers appear together under Any of these triggers. Every trigger in this group leads into the same shared steps below it.
To add another trigger:
- Open the workflow. If it is active, pause it first.
- On the Workflow canvas, select + (Add trigger) beside the trigger cards under Any of these triggers.
- Choose the event or condition for the new trigger, then complete its settings.
- Repeat for any other triggers you need.
Good to know:
- Each trigger has its own settings. Changing one trigger does not change the others.
- You can use the same trigger type more than once — for example, two Contact is tagged triggers with different tags.
- When any of the triggers fires for a contact, the contact starts one run through the shared steps. If more than one trigger matches the same activity, the contact still starts only one run.
- Workflow entry rules (Every time, Only once, or Custom interval) apply to the whole workflow, whichever trigger started the run.
- To remove a trigger, select its card and remove it. The workflow must keep at least one configured trigger before it can be activated.
- If you create a workflow from written instructions, you can describe every trigger you want in your prompt and Mission Assistant can add them to the draft. You can also add or change triggers on the canvas at any time using the steps above.
For the full list of available triggers, see Triggers & Actions on Automation 2.0 below.
What is an action?
An action is what the workflow does after a contact enters and meets the workflow conditions. Actions are the outcomes or tasks the workflow performs. For example, an action might send an email, add or remove a tag, or complete another supported follow-up step. Examples of actions may include:
- Send email
- Notify users
- Update contact field (currently Priority, Assignee, or Notes)
- Add or remove tags
- Add To-do
How to set up an action
To set up an action:
- Add or select an action step in the workflow.
- Choose the action type.
- Complete the required fields for that action.
- Review the action summary on the workflow canvas.
For example, if you add a Send Email action, you may need to select the Email Marketing email that should be sent. Donor-facing email actions require setup and review before activation. Need to use a new email in your workflow? Automation 2.0 uses emails that already exist in Keela Email Marketing. You cannot create a new email directly inside the workflow builder. If you need a new email for your automation, create it in Email Marketing and either send it or enable the draft for automation. Then return to your Automation 2.0 workflow and select that email in the Send email action. For details, see Using Email Marketing emails in Automation 2.0. If an action needs more information, you will see an “Action required†pill on the card. Complete all required action settings before activating the workflow.
What are filters?
Filters help decide which contacts should continue through a workflow by setting additional conditions the contacts must meet once they are in the workflow. Use a filter when you want only certain contacts to move forward. Filters are helpful when the trigger is broad, but the workflow should only apply to a specific audience.
For example:
- Only first-time donors
- Only contacts with a specific tag
- Only donors who have given more than a certain amount
- Only contacts who match a specific engagement or giving condition
How to use filters
To use a filter:
- Add or select a filter step.
- Describe the criteria contacts must meet.
- Review the interpreted criteria.
- Confirm that the filter summary is clear and accurate.
In Automation 2.0, you can use plain language to describe filter criteria. For example:
“Only include donors who are giving for the first time.â€
Mission Assistant can help interpret that into workflow logic. You should always review the criteria before activating the workflow. If filter criteria are missing or unclear, Review & Activate may block the workflow until the filter is completed.
What are delays?
A delay tells the workflow to wait before moving to the next step. Use delays when timing matters. For example, you may want to wait two days after a donation before sending a welcome email, or wait one week before sending a follow-up message.
How to use delays
To use a delay:
- Add a delay step where you want the workflow to pause.
- Choose the amount of time the workflow should wait.
- Review the workflow sequence to make sure the timing is correct.
Delays affect when the next step happens. Make sure the delay fits the donor experience you want to create.
Wait Until
Wait Until pauses the workflow until a contact completes a specific event — for example opening an email, clicking a link, receiving an email, or another supported trigger — or until a maximum wait time you set. When a Wait Until follows a Send email action, you can choose Email sent in previous step so the wait tracks that exact email, not any email.
For the full list of triggers that support Wait Until, see Triggers & Actions on Automation 2.0 below.
What are split paths?
Split paths let contacts follow different paths in a workflow based on criteria. Use a split path when different groups of contacts should receive different follow-ups. For example, you may want major donors to follow one path and smaller donors to follow another. You can create as many split paths as needed.
Examples of split path criteria:
- Donors who gave more than \$500 vs. donors who gave less
- Contacts with a specific tag vs. contacts without that tag
- Engaged contacts vs. disengaged contacts
- First-time donors vs. repeat donors vs. recurring donors
- Donors who gave \$500 or more, \$100–\$499, or less than \$100
How to use split paths
To use a split path:
- Add or select a split path step.
- Define the criteria for each path.
- Describe who should follow each path in plain language. A path can have no further steps if those contacts should simply exit the workflow.
- Review the split path criteria.
- Add actions, delays, or other steps to each path.
- Confirm that every path has the follow-up steps you want.
For example, you might create a split path that says:
“If the donor has given more than \$500, send them a personal stewardship email. If not, send the standard thank-you email.â€
Review each path carefully before activation so you understand what will happen to each contact group.
Adjust workflow settings
Workflow settings control how the workflow behaves beyond the individual steps. Open the workflow and select the Settings tab. You can edit Settings when the workflow is in Draft or Paused. Settings include:
- Workflow entry rules (Every time, Only once, or Custom interval)
- Email settings: choose which subscription statuses can receive workflow emails. Only opted-in contacts receive them by default.
- Exclude segments
- Exclude contacts
To adjust settings:
- Open the workflow.
- Select the Settings tab.
- Update the settings you want to change. Changes auto-save as you go.
- Review the workflow again before activation or reactivation.
For full details on entry rules, email settings, and exclusions, see Automation 2.0 Settings below.
Workflow entry rules
Workflow entry rules control how often a contact can enter the workflow. Common options include:
- Every time: Contacts can enter the workflow every time they qualify. Use this when the workflow should run each time a relevant event happens. For example, you may want a workflow to run every time a transaction is received.
- Only once: Contacts can enter the workflow only one time. Use this when the workflow should not repeat for the same contact. For example, a welcome workflow for first-time donors should usually only run once per contact.
- Custom interval: Contacts can re-enter the workflow only after a waiting period you set. Use this when a journey may repeat, but should not restart immediately — for example, a stewardship or win-back workflow that should wait before the same contact can enter again.
- Set the custom interval in the workflow’s Settings tab under entry rules: choose an amount and a duration in months or years (for example, 9 months or 1 year). The workflow enforces that interval when deciding whether a contact who already entered is eligible to enter again.
For full Settings details, see Automation 2.0 Settings below.
Choosing the right entry rule
Before activating a workflow, ask:
- Should this workflow happen every time the trigger occurs?
- Would it be a problem if the same contact entered more than once?
- If contacts can re-enter, how long should they wait before they are eligible again?
- Is this a one-time journey, such as a welcome series?
- Is this an event-based workflow, such as donation follow-up?
When a linked form, segment, tag, or email is deleted or archived
If a form, segment, tag, or automation email used by a workflow is deleted or archived, Keela automatically pauses the affected workflow so it does not keep running with a missing resource. The workflow shows as Paused in the list, and you get an in-app notification. A system pause shows a distinct alert-style Paused chip in the workflow list. Hover the chip to see why the workflow was paused. Update the workflow to use a valid resource (or remove the dependency), then reactivate when you are ready. Both the workflow creator and the user who deleted or archived the form, segment, tag, or email receive the in-app notification. Selecting the notification opens Automation 2.0 so you can fix the setup and reactivate.
Review & Activate: a built-in readiness check
Workflows never activate on their own. When you select Review & Activate, Mission Assistant runs a check across your entire workflow - every trigger, filter, delay, split path, action, and setting - to confirm the workflow is complete and able to run. Think of it as a second set of eyes before anything goes live. If no issues are found in review, the workflow will be activated.
What the review looks for
The review scans for anything that would stop the workflow from running as intended, such as:
- Missing or incomplete trigger setup
- Actions that still need configuration, for example, a send email action without a selected Email Marketing email
- Missing or unclear filter criteria
- Split paths without defined criteria. A path with no further steps is allowed.
- Workflow settings or entry rules worth confirming before launch
What happens if something is missing
If the review identifies an issue, the workflow will not activate and Mission Assistant will tell you exactly what it found in the chat. You will see which step needs attention and what is missing, so you can go straight to the fix rather than hunting through the workflow yourself. Results come back in two forms:
- Blockers must be resolved before the workflow can activate.
- Warnings will not stop activation, but are worth reviewing before you continue.
Once you resolve any blockers, click the Review & Activate button again to run the check and activate.
How to review and activate
- Open the draft workflow.
- Select Review & Activate.
- Read through the readiness results, including any blockers or warnings.
- Resolve anything flagged as a blocker.
- Select Review & Activate again to run the check again.
- If no issues are found, the workflow will be activated.
You can also review the workflow yourself at any point before activating - Review & Activate is there to catch what is easy to miss, not to replace your judgment on donor-facing content.
Edit a workflow
You can make edits to a workflow when you need to update its logic, timing, actions, or settings. Examples of edits include:
- Changing, adding, or removing a trigger
- Updating a filter
- Adjusting a delay
- Editing split-path criteria
- Changing an action
- Updating workflow settings
- Adjusting entry rules
- Excluding a segment or contact
How to edit a draft workflow
To edit a draft workflow:
- Open the workflow.
- Select the step or setting you want to change.
- Make your update.
- Review the full workflow again.
- Use Review & Activate when you are ready to launch.
Draft workflows are not live, so your changes will not affect contacts until the workflow is activated.
How to edit an active workflow
To edit an active workflow, you must first pause it. When you select to edit a workflow, you will see a pop-up confirmation message to pause the workflow so you can make changes. Pausing does two things:
- No new contacts can enter the workflow.
- Any contacts currently moving through the workflow are paused where they are.
Once the workflow is paused, you can make your edits and Review & Activate when you are ready to make the workflow active again. Contacts already in progress resume from where they paused and follow the workflow as it was when they entered. Your changes apply only to contacts who enter after you reactivate the workflow.
Pause or deactivate a workflow
After a workflow is live, you may need to pause or deactivate it.
When you pause or deactivate a workflow:
- No new contacts can enter the workflow..
- Contacts who are currently moving through the workflow are paused at their current step. They are not removed from the workflow.
When you reactivate the workflow, contacts who were already in progress continue from where they left off on the path they entered on. Pause or deactivate a workflow when:
- You need to make edits to an active workflow
- The workflow is no longer needed
- The campaign, donor journey, or process has ended
- You are replacing the workflow with a newer version
- You do not want contacts to continue entering the workflow
Before pausing, review the workflow's activity so you understand whether any contacts are currently in progress and whether any time-sensitive follow-up is expected.
Bulk actions on Automation 2.0 workflows
From the Automation 2.0 workflows list, select one or more workflows with the checkboxes, then open Actions to apply a bulk change. Available bulk actions are Archive and Delete.
Review workflow activity after activation
After a workflow is activated, you can review workflow activity to understand what happened and confirm the workflow is behaving as expected. The Activity area includes two tabs:
- Contacts
- Entries
These tabs show you contacts entering the workflow, which steps they moved through, where they may be waiting or stopped, and how each entry turned out. Both tabs offer the same options: a search bar, status filters, and a total row count displayed next to the table title. All timestamps are shown in your organization's timezone rather than UTC. This is useful for monitoring performance, answering donor or team questions, and troubleshooting unexpected results.
Contacts tab
The Contacts tab gives you an overview of each contact who has entered the workflow, including their most recent activity. The Contacts table shows:
- Contact: the contact’s display name with their primary email
- Entries count: how many times the contact has entered the workflow
- Last entry date: the date of the contact’s most recent entry in this workflow
- Last entry stage: the current step of the contact’s most recent journey through the workflow.
- Details: key information about the contact’s most recent entry
Use the Contacts tab to review the contact’s overall workflow activity:
- Which contacts entered the workflow
- How many times each contact has entered the workflow
- When contacts last entered the workflow
- Which stage the contact’s last entry reached and how it performed
Entries tab
The Entries tab shows each separate journey through the workflow. If the same contact enters three times, they have three entries. Select an entry to see its steps and progress. The entry table shows:
- Entry ID: Identifier for each entry into the workflow
- Contact: the contact's display name with their primary email
- Started: when the entry began
- Details: key information about that specific entry
Select a row to open the entry details. Steps appear as the contact reaches them, so you can follow an active journey in real time. You can also open a completed entry to see the path the contact took and what happened at each step. This is helpful when a contact can enter a workflow more than once, when you want to confirm which split path a contact went down, or when you want to troubleshoot a specific workflow entry. Use the Entries tab to review a workflow entry for record keeping or when an entry did not complete as expected. Select the entry to view full details to understand:
- Which step failed or stopped
- Why the step failed or stopped
- What action the workflow attempted
- Where the contact was in the workflow when the issue happened
- Whether the issue may be related to workflow setup, settings, filters, split paths, or action configuration
Stopped vs Failed: When a run stops because of an intentional workflow setting (for example, subscription or consent rules), the status shows as Stopped. Failed is reserved for real errors.
How to review workflow activity
To review activity:
- Open the activated workflow.
- Go to Activity.
- Choose either the Contacts or Entries tab.
- Review the list of contacts or workflow entries.
- Use the search bar or status filter to narrow the list, then select a contact or entry to see more detail.
- Select an entry to open its Entry details card and gather more information about that specific run.
- Review the steps completed and where the contact may have stopped.
- Use the information to confirm the workflow is behaving as expected or identify what needs attention.
If something does not look right, review the workflow steps, settings, entry rules, filters, split paths, and action setup. You may need to pause the workflow to make any required changes.
Best practices for creating workflows
- Start with the donor outcome you want.
- Prefer a template or suggested workflow when a common journey already fits — then customize.
- Keep the first version simple.
- Use filters when you want only some contacts to continue in the workflow.
- Use delays to make follow-up feel timely and intentional.
- Use split paths when different groups need different follow-ups.
- Review donor-facing email actions carefully.
- Choose workflow entry rules intentionally.
- Check settings before activation.
- Monitor the Contacts and Entries tabs in Activity after activation to understand what happened.
Example workflow
Here is an example of a simple donor welcome workflow:
- Trigger: Transaction received
- Filter: Donor is giving for the first time
- Delay: Wait 2 days
- Action: Send welcome email
- Entry rule: Only once
- Email settings: Keep the default of opted-in contacts only, or include contacts with an unknown status if appropriate for your consent practices
- Review & Activate: Confirm the workflow is ready
- Activate: Workflow begins running for eligible contacts going forward
This workflow welcomes new donors after their first gift. Review email settings to make sure the welcome email reaches the intended contacts in line with your consent practices.
Important things to know
- Workflows remain drafts until you activate them.
- You can start from a template, a suggested workflow, written instructions, or from scratch — every path creates a draft you review before activation.
- Template- and suggestion-created workflows may still need action setup (for example selecting emails) before they are ready to run.
- Every workflow needs at least one configured trigger. You can add more than one, and any of them can start the workflow.
- Actions must be fully set up before activation.
- Filters and split paths should be reviewed carefully to make sure the right contacts follow the right path.
- Delays and Wait Until steps affect when the next step happens.
- Entry rules affect whether contacts can enter once or multiple times.
- Edits auto-save as you work in step sidebars and Settings.
- Review & Activate helps catch any missing setup before a workflow goes live.
- Mission Assistant can help draft, refine and review workflows, but you stay in control of activation.
- For the full list of triggers and actions (including Smart triggers and Donor is lapsed), see Triggers & Actions on Automation 2.0 below.