If you've ever opened a HubSpot workflow and quietly whispered “what the hell is this?”, you’re not alone.
Workflows are supposed to automate the boring stuff. Instead, they often automate chaos. Missed triggers. Logic loops. Contacts stuck in limbo. Entire pipelines nuked by one rogue delay.
Let’s fix that.
Here are the most common (and costly) HubSpot workflow mistakes — and how to avoid them without needing a three-hour Loom from the person who built it.
The mistake: Using vague or overly broad enrolment triggers like “Form submission” or the dreaded "Contact Create Date is Known" (shudder). Or worse, using a page view or list membership with no context.
The result: Thousands of contacts dumped into a workflow they were never meant to see, and a cascade of other flows triggering. Congrats, you just sent a “Thanks for booking a demo” email to someone who downloaded your ebook in 2019.
Fix it:
Be specific. Always. Trigger on precise actions, not vibes.
Add filters: “Contact submitted [Form A] AND Lifecycle Stage is [MQL]”.
Use test lists first. Seriously.
The mistake: Forgetting to set unenrollment or goal criteria. AKA “set it and forget it” logic.
The result: Contacts stuck in a nurturing sequence they should’ve exited three weeks ago. You’re still emailing them tips on scheduling a demo after they already booked it.
Fix it:
Add goal criteria that actually matter (e.g. form submission, deal stage change, lifecycle movement).
Use “Remove from workflow” steps or suppression lists for exits.
Don’t assume HubSpot will do this for you. It won’t.
The mistake: One workflow to rule them all. Contains delays, branches, random property updates, and the kitchen sink.
The result: A 97-step automation monstrosity that no one understands — not even the person who built it. One edit and the whole thing collapses like a poorly coded Jenga tower.
Break it up. Use smaller, modular workflows with single, clear objectives.
Use enrollment in secondary workflows instead of adding more branches.
Label each one clearly so someone besides you can follow the logic.
The mistake: Creating enrolment criteria that read like “Contact filled out Form A OR is from the UK OR clicked an email.”
The result: Contacts who barely qualify are getting roped in — and your SDRs are wondering why a random student from Glasgow is now marked as an SQL.
Fix it:
Review every criteria group. Double-check your logic.
Use test contacts to see who actually qualifies.
When in doubt, build a list with the same filters and see who shows up. If it's weird — your logic is.
The mistake: Not enabling re-enrollment when you should — or enabling it when you really shouldn’t.
The result: Either no one ever re-enters the workflow (bad for reminders, follow-ups, alerts), or one poor contact keeps re-enrolling every time they blink (bad for everyone).
Fix it:
Use re-enrolment deliberately. Great for things like:
- Missed meeting follow-ups
- Form resubmissions
- Campaign alerts
Avoid it for long nurture workflows unless you're very sure of the logic.
And always test — seriously, just test.
The mistake: “Workflow 23 - New Trigger Test V4.” No description. No context. Just vibes.
The result: Nobody knows what it does. Someone deactivates it. Something breaks. Sales blames marketing. Everyone loses.
Fix it:
Use naming that explains what it actually does. Ex: MQL-Nurture-2024-Q2-EN. (use our free tool!)
Add internal notes in the workflow editor. Write like someone else will need to edit it. Because they will.
Bonus: Tag ownership. “Created by [Name] – for [Team]”.
The mistake: You built the whole thing, didn’t test it with dummy contacts, and hit “Turn On.”
The result: A pipeline fire. Or worse — nothing at all. Because your trigger logic excluded everyone.
Always use test records. Clone them from real records which should and shouldn't go through the automation.
Use “enrol record” manually and walk through every step. And do it more than once!
Check personalization tokens, delays, and goals.
And yes, run it past someone else. You’re not immune to blind spots.
Just because you can automate something doesn’t mean you should. Not everything needs to be part of a 14-email sequence. Sometimes a human needs to… talk to another human.
Use workflows to assist, not replace, actual sales conversations or customer engagement.
If your workflows feel like a fragile web of logic, they probably are. Simplify them. Document them. Test them.
And if you don’t want to spend hours clicking through enrollment triggers and if/then branches, let HubPerfect do it. Our app finds broken workflows, weird logic, and zombie automation — in seconds. No sales call. No drama. Just clear, fixable insights.