What workflows are and how automation works in SAMI OS
Understand how workflows automate follow-up: a trigger enrolls a contact, then a sequence of steps runs on its own.
Workflows are the automation engine in SAMI OS. Each one watches for something to happen, then runs a sequence of actions for a contact automatically — so the right text, email, or AI phone call goes out without you lifting a finger.
The core idea
Every workflow is two things: a trigger and a sequence of steps. The trigger is the event that starts it (for example, Contact Created or Tag Added). The steps are the actions that run in order once it starts.
When a contact matches a trigger, they're enrolled — added to the workflow — and the steps begin running for that one contact. That individual pass through the steps is a run, and each enrolled contact gets their own run, tracked separately.
You can see how many contacts are currently enrolled on each workflow card in Workflows — the "active" count next to the step count.
What steps can do
Steps are how a workflow actually touches your business. Common ones include:
- Send SMS and Send Email — reach the contact directly.
- AI Phone Call — hand the conversation to a SAMI Bot to call and qualify.
- Add Tag / Remove Tag and Change Stage — keep Contacts and the Pipeline organized as a lead moves.
- Create Task and Send Notification — loop in your team when a human needs to step in.
- Wait / Delay — pause between actions so follow-up feels natural, not robotic.
Steps run top to bottom, with waits and branches controlling the pace and path. This is what ties SMS, email, AI calls, tags, stages, and tasks together into one hands-off sequence.
Draft vs. active
A new workflow starts as a draft, which means it's safe to build and edit without enrolling anyone. Nothing runs until you set it to active. You can flip the status from the workflow card, and filter the list by All, Active, or Draft to find what you need.
Keep a workflow in draft while you build it, then switch it to active only after you've reviewed every step. You can pause an active workflow later without deleting it.
Build your first one
Open Workflows
Head to Workflows and click Create Workflow. If you manage org-wide automation, you'll choose whether it's an organization or personal workflow.
Pick a trigger
Choose the event that should start the workflow — like Contact Created, Tag Added, Stage Changed, or SMS Received.
Add steps
Drag in actions such as Send SMS, AI Phone Call, Add Tag, or Wait / Delay, and arrange them in the order they should run.
Activate it
Review the sequence, then change the status from draft to active so contacts start enrolling.
From here, dig into how triggers decide who gets enrolled and the full catalog of steps you can chain together.
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Last updated 2026-06-21