What Are Marqet Workflows?

Workflows are perfect when you need custom automation logic, multi-step processes, or complex integration requirements that go beyond what Forms and Playbooks offer.

What You'll Learn

How Workflows differ from Forms and Playbooks
What the App Builder AI assistance does
When to use Workflows
Common Workflow use cases
What's possible with Workflows

How Workflows Work

Workflows are built in the App Builder and consist of triggers, actions, and steps that you configure.

Basic Workflow Structure

1. Trigger

Something that starts the workflow:

Form submission: Workflow runs when someone submits a form
Background event: Workflow runs based on scheduled time or system events

2. Actions and Steps

What the workflow does:

Create a project from a template
Export the project
Send content to destinations (Slack, email, etc.)
Process data with AI
Map data to smart fields

3. Configuration

Settings for each step:

Which templates to use
Where to send output
How data flows between steps
AI processing instructions

AI-Assisted Workflow Building

One of the most powerful features of the App Builder is AI assistance that helps you create workflows quickly.

How AI Assistance Works

Instead of manually configuring every step, you can describe what you want in plain language and the AI sets up the workflow for you.

Example:

You tell the AI: "I want it to create a project, export it, and send to Slack to me"

The AI:

Creates the workflow structure automatically
Adds the necessary steps (create project, export, send to Slack)
Sets up basic configurations
Connects the steps together

You then: Fine-tune the configuration details for your specific needs

What AI Can Help With

The AI assistant can help you:

Generate workflow structure: Create the sequence of steps from your description
Add processing steps: Insert AI data processing where needed
Set up configurations: Populate initial settings for steps
Map variables: Connect data flow between steps

Benefits of AI Assistance

Faster workflow creation: Minutes instead of hours to build complex flows
Lower learning curve: No need to be an automation expert
Fewer errors: AI handles technical configuration details
Exploration: Quickly test different workflow approaches

When to Use Workflows

Workflows are ideal when Forms and Playbooks don't provide the flexibility or complexity you need.

Choose Workflows When You Need:

Multi-Step Processes

Your automation requires multiple actions in sequence beyond simple content generation and delivery.

Example: Create project → Export as PDF → Upload to cloud storage → Send link via email → Post notification in Slack

AI Data Processing

You need AI to process, validate, or transform form submissions or other data before creating content.

Example: User submits form with raw data → AI processes it to check for errors and structure it → Clean data populates project

Custom Logic

Your workflow requires conditional logic, branching, or decision-making that simple automations can't handle.

Example: If data meets certain conditions, create one type of content. Otherwise, create different content or skip generation.

Complex Integrations

You need to integrate with multiple systems or services beyond basic data source connections.

Example: Pull data from CRM → Generate content → Post to specific Slack channel based on deal type → Update CRM with link to content

Custom Triggers

You need triggers beyond form submissions or scheduled runs.

Example: Webhook from external system triggers workflow, or complex event conditions need to be met.

Workflows vs Other Marqet Tools

Workflows vs AI Forms

Choose Workflows when:

You need to process or validate form data with AI before creating content
Form submission should trigger multi-step processes
You need complex logic based on form inputs
Output needs to go to multiple destinations with conditional logic

Choose AI Forms when:

Simple user-initiated content generation is all you need
No complex processing or multi-step workflow required
Quick setup is important

Workflows vs Playbooks

Choose Workflows when:

You need more than simple scheduled data checking
Conditional logic determines what content to create
Multiple systems need to be coordinated
Custom processing of data is required

Choose Playbooks when:

Simple scheduled automation checking data source is sufficient
No conditional logic or complex processing needed
Straightforward "check for new records, generate content" workflow

Learn more: Choosing the Right Marqet Tool

What You Can Build with Workflows

Form-Triggered Workflows

Use forms to collect data, then workflows to process and act on that data in sophisticated ways.

Example workflow:

User submits form with project details
AI step processes submission to check for errors and format data
Create project from template with processed data
Export project as PDF
Send to Slack channel
Email PDF to user

Event-Driven Workflows

Trigger workflows based on background events or scheduled times.

Example workflow:

Scheduled trigger runs daily at 9 AM
Pull yesterday's sales data
AI generates summary and insights
Create report project with data and AI analysis
Distribute to management team via email

Data Processing Workflows

Use AI to intelligently process data before generating content.

Example workflow:

Receive data from form or API
AI step: "Process the form submission, make sure there's no errors, structure a little bit more"
AI outputs cleaned, validated data with defined variables
Variables map to project smart fields
Generate content with high-quality structured data

AI Processing Steps in Workflows

One of the unique capabilities of Workflows is the ability to add AI processing steps.

What AI Processing Does

You can add a step where AI processes data according to your instructions:

Data validation: Check submitted data for errors or missing information
Data transformation: Restructure or reformat data
Content generation: Generate text, summaries, or analysis from input data
Error checking: Identify and flag issues before content generation

How It Works

You add an AI processing step to your workflow
You provide a prompt describing what the AI should do
The AI processes input data according to your instructions
AI outputs variables that you can use in subsequent steps
Variables map to smart fields in your templates

Example prompt: "Process the form submission, make sure there's no errors, structure a little bit more"

The AI would then validate the submission and output structured data ready for use in project generation.

Getting Started with Workflows

Creating a Blank Workflow

To start building a workflow:

Navigate to your Marqet workspace
Create a new blank workflow
You'll see the App Builder interface
Start by selecting your trigger type

Using AI to Build Your Workflow

Instead of manually adding each step:

Use the AI assistant in the App Builder
Describe what you want your workflow to do in plain language
The AI generates the workflow structure for you
Review and adjust the configuration
Test your workflow

What You'll Need

To build workflows effectively:

Clear requirements: Understanding of what your workflow needs to accomplish
Templates with smart fields: For content generation steps
Integration details: If connecting to external services (Slack, email, etc.)
Data sources: If workflow pulls from CRM, databases, or other systems (optional)

Learn more: Building Your First Workflow

Workflows and Complexity

Start Simple

While Workflows can handle complex processes, start with simple workflows and add complexity as needed:

Begin with basic trigger → create project → send output
Test to ensure basic flow works
Add AI processing or additional steps incrementally
Test after each addition

When Workflows Might Be Overkill

Don't use Workflows if simpler tools will work:

Use Forms instead if you just need simple user-initiated content generation
Use Playbooks instead if you just need scheduled data checking and content creation
Use Workflows only when you genuinely need the additional flexibility and capabilities

Simpler tools are faster to set up and easier to maintain.

Common Workflow Use Cases

Validated Form Submissions

User submits form → AI validates and structures data → Generate content only if data is valid → Send to multiple destinations

Multi-Channel Distribution

Create project → Export in multiple formats → Send PDF via email, post image to Slack, save to cloud storage

Conditional Content Generation

Check data conditions → If condition A, create template X. If condition B, create template Y → Route to appropriate recipients

Data Enrichment

Receive basic data → Pull additional details from CRM or database → Combine data sources → Generate comprehensive content

Approval Workflows

Generate content → Send for manager approval → If approved, distribute. If rejected, notify submitter

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need technical skills to build Workflows?

The AI assistant helps significantly, allowing you to describe workflows in plain language. However, complex workflows may benefit from technical understanding or assistance from your Marq team.

Can Workflows do everything Forms and Playbooks can do?

Generally yes - Workflows are the most flexible tool. However, Forms and Playbooks are simpler to set up and maintain for their specific use cases.

How do I know if I need a Workflow vs a Form?

If you're adding "and then..." or "if this, then that..." to your requirements, you probably need a Workflow. Simple "user submits → content generates" scenarios are better as Forms.

Can I use AI to process any kind of data?

AI processing steps are very flexible. You provide instructions via prompts, and AI processes data accordingly. The quality depends on clear instructions.

Are Workflows more expensive or slower than other tools?

Workflows can involve more processing steps, but performance depends on what you're doing. Simple workflows run just as fast as Forms or Playbooks.

Can I convert a Form or Playbook into a Workflow?

You'd rebuild it as a Workflow, but you can reuse the same templates and data sources. The underlying templates and smart fields work across all Marqet tools.

Next Steps

Learn to Build Workflows

Ready to create your first workflow?

Building Your First Workflow - Step-by-step guide to using the App Builder

Understand the Fundamentals

Workflows use the same foundational concepts as other Marqet tools:

Compare All Marqet Tools

Not sure if Workflows are right for your use case?

Choosing the Right Marqet Tool
Marqet Overview - Complete platform guide

Need Help?

If you have questions about whether Workflows are right for your use case or need assistance building complex automations, contact Marq support or your account team.

Visit our Help Center for more articles and resources.