# Build a workflow

Turn a clear task into a visual automation, choose the right starting point, and save and enable it deliberately.

## Plan availability

| Feature | Free | Starter | Pro | Enterprise |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Active workflows | 3 | 10 | 45 | Unlimited |

Allowances follow the [published Chatigram pricing page](https://chatigram.com/pricing/). Your organization’s Billing & Plans screen confirms its subscription and current usage. Plans can change. Plan information reviewed 2026-11-10.


## Decide what success looks like

Start with one sentence: “When this happens, do this.” For example, “When a new customer conversation begins, send a welcome message.” Decide what should happen if an input is missing or a connected service fails.

A small flow that handles its outcomes is easier to maintain than a long flow that assumes every action succeeds.

## Choose a starting point

Open **Workflows** and create a workflow. The source selection offers these starting points when the corresponding resources are available:

| Starting point | Use it when | What you choose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Blank Workflow** | You want to design the flow yourself | Select a trigger, then build the steps |
| **Official Templates** | You want a prepared Chatigram starting point | Choose an available workflow or project template |
| **Copy Existing Workflow** | You want to adapt work already in your organization | Select a standalone workflow, or a project to copy its workflows |
| **My Collection** | You want to use a product from your collection | Choose an installed product where offered |
| **Paste/Import Workflow** | You have portable workflow JSON | Paste the definition or use the clipboard option |

Template and existing-workflow sections appear when matching resources are available. Choose a source, continue with **Next**, and review the name, configuration, and setup before completing creation.

Templates and pasted workflows still need review. Check Properties, app connections, database selections, statuses, and any required setup shown before activation.

### Copy an existing workflow

Select **Copy Existing Workflow** and choose the workflow you want to duplicate. Copying a project can duplicate all of its workflows, so check the selected source before continuing. Give the new copy a clear name and inspect its trigger, Properties, nodes, account selections, and resource mappings.

The copy is a separate definition; it does not grant new permissions to accounts or resources. Check its enabled state and Line assignment before testing. Use [copy and paste workflows](/workflows/copy-paste/) when you want to share JSON or import a recipe instead.

## Choose the trigger first

The trigger supplies the event and context for the rest of the flow. A customer-facing Send Text Message node needs a conversation. A Manual workflow can run a business task without a customer conversation.

Use [the trigger guide](/workflows/triggers/) to compare the available starting events.

This is the currently documented selection. Chatigram continues to add nodes, triggers, App Connections, and integrations. Use each page’s review date and the current application selectors to check what is available now; this catalog is not a fixed limit on future features.

## Build in small steps

1. Add the first action after the trigger.
2. Configure its fields in the inspector.
3. Add a second step that uses the first step’s result, if needed.
4. Connect every meaningful decision, error, and timeout path.
5. Give important nodes clear names before inserting their variables into later steps.

Use the [node directory](/reference/nodes/) to find actions by task or connected service.

## Save and enable

Saving stores the editor’s configuration. Enabling allows the saved workflow to run when its trigger conditions are met. Conversation workflows must also be eligible for the Line where the conversation happens.

Test with controlled inputs before using customer data. Check [Workflow Activity](/workflows/activity/) to confirm the actual outcome.

## Expand without losing clarity

Use [Properties](/workflows/properties/) for reusable settings and [custom node types](/workflows/custom-nodes/) for repeatable groups of steps. Where a task uses several related workflows, use the project or automation structure offered by the application rather than hiding unrelated tasks inside a single long branch.