How to create workflow automations on Pipedrive

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Create workflow automations in Pipedrive by navigating to Settings > Automations, selecting a trigger event, and defining actions like email sending, task creation, or field updates. Set up conditions to control when automations run and test thoroughly before activating.

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Prerequisites

Active Pipedrive account with admin or user permissions
Basic understanding of your sales pipeline stages
Knowledge of your team's sales processes
Familiarity with Pipedrive's deal and contact management

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access the Automations Settings

Log into your Pipedrive account and click on your profile icon in the top-right corner. Select Company settings from the dropdown menu. In the left sidebar, navigate to Automations under the Tools section. Click Create automation to start building your first workflow.

Ensure you have the necessary permissions to create automations, as this feature may be restricted to admin users in some accounts.

Choose Your Automation Trigger

Select the event that will trigger your automation from the available options. Common triggers include Deal created, Deal stage changed, Activity completed, or Person added. Click on your chosen trigger to proceed. You can also set up time-based triggers like Deal updated X days ago for follow-up automations.

Start with simple triggers like stage changes before moving to more complex time-based or activity-based triggers.

Set Up Trigger Conditions

Define specific conditions that must be met for the automation to run. Click Add condition to specify criteria such as deal value, pipeline, owner, or custom field values. Use operators like equals, greater than, or contains to refine your conditions. Multiple conditions can be combined using AND or OR logic.

Be specific with your conditions to avoid unwanted automation triggers and ensure the workflow only runs when truly needed.

Define Automation Actions

Select the actions you want to perform when the trigger conditions are met. Click Add action and choose from options like Send email, Create activity, Update deal, Create note, or Change deal owner. Configure each action with specific details such as email templates, activity types, or field values to update.

You can add multiple actions to a single automation, and they will execute in the order you define them.

Configure Email Templates and Content

If your automation includes email actions, click Create email template or select an existing one. Customize the subject line and body content using merge fields like {{person.name}} or {{deal.title}} to personalize messages. Set the sender as yourself or another team member, and configure reply-to addresses as needed.

Test email templates with sample data to ensure merge fields populate correctly before activating the automation.

Set Automation Timing and Frequency

Configure when the automation should run by selecting Immediately or setting a delay using Wait conditions. For delayed actions, specify the time period (minutes, hours, days) and choose business days only if needed. Set frequency limits using Only once per deal or similar options to prevent spam or duplicate actions.

Use delays strategically to avoid overwhelming contacts with immediate responses or to allow time for manual review of important deals.

Test and Activate Your Automation

Review your automation setup in the summary panel, checking all triggers, conditions, and actions. Click Test automation to run it against existing data and verify it works as expected. Make any necessary adjustments based on test results. Once satisfied, toggle the Active switch to enable the automation and click Save automation.

Monitor your automation's performance in the first few days after activation to ensure it's working correctly and not causing unexpected issues.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Automation not triggering despite meeting conditions

Check that the automation is Active and verify all trigger conditions are correctly configured. Ensure the triggering events are happening in the specified pipeline or with the correct data values.

Email automation sending to wrong recipients

Review your trigger conditions and verify the person email field is populated. Check if you're using the correct merge fields like {{person.email}} and ensure the email template sender settings are configured properly.

Automation running too frequently or creating duplicates

Add frequency limitations using Only once per deal options or refine your trigger conditions to be more specific. Consider adding additional conditions to prevent the automation from running on already processed items.

Custom field updates not working in automation

Verify that custom fields exist and have the correct field type. Ensure you have permission to update the fields and that the values you're setting match the field requirements (text, number, dropdown options, etc.).

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