At a glance
How it works
The recipe uses two short workflows: one for the welcome and setup help, one for the upgrade prompt. This diagram shows how activation decides which messages each trial user gets.Before you start
- Connect Flowella to HubSpot and store WhatsApp numbers in international format, such as
+447700900123. See Phone number format. - Use contact-based workflows. Flowella’s actions only run on contacts, so copy trial data from companies or deals to contact properties first.
- Only message trial users who agreed to receive WhatsApp messages from you, for example with a tick box at sign-up. Meta requires opt-in before you message anyone.
- Your product must write the trial dates and activation to HubSpot, and your billing system must set Account status to Paid when the customer pays.
- Flowella doesn’t take payments, connect to Stripe or show a plan picker in the chat. Customers choose and pay for a plan on your own billing page.
Map Trial end (text) into templates, not Trial end date: Flowella sends HubSpot dates as
dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm in UTC.
Create the templates
Choose each category with Meta’s template categorisation guidelines. The welcome confirms the user’s new account and promotes nothing, so it can be Utility. Meta lists nudges to use a feature and offers to upgrade as Marketing, so the other two are Marketing. Meta makes the final decision.{{1}} is the first name and {{2}} is Trial end (text).
The Choose a plan button works because every contact gets the same link. If each account needs its own checkout link, store it in a contact property and map it into a body variable instead. HubSpot sends can’t give a button a different link for each contact.
Build the workflows
1
Start the welcome workflow
Create a workflow that enrols contacts when Trial start date is known. Set its goal to Account status is Paid, so contacts leave as soon as they pay.
2
Send the welcome
Add Send WhatsApp Template with the welcome. Map Template Variable 1 to first name and Template Variable 2 to Trial end (text).
3
Check activation on day 3
Add Delay for a set amount of time: 3 days. Then add a Branch on Activated. Activated contacts finish this workflow here.
4
Offer setup help
On the not-activated path, add Send WhatsApp Template with the setup help template, then Delay until event: Text Reply, for up to 2 days. If the contact replies, add Create task for customer success to answer in the inbox. The reply opens the 24-hour window, so you can also add Send WhatsApp Message:
Thanks. Someone from our team will message you here today.5
Start the upgrade workflow
Create a second workflow that enrols contacts when Trial end date is known, with the same goal. Add Delay until a date: 4 days before Trial end date.
6
Send the upgrade prompt
Add a Branch on Activated. Activated contacts get Send WhatsApp Template with the upgrade prompt. For the rest, add Create task for the account owner to call: asking an inactive trial to pay rarely converts.
Thanks, {{1}}. Your plan is now active. A payment confirmation is a transaction update, so it can be Utility.
Test the workflow
Enrol a test contact with your own number, a trial end date 5 days away and Activated cleared. Shorten the delays while you test. Reply Help me set up and check that the task appears, then tick Activated and check the upgrade prompt arrives. Finally set Account status to Paid on another test contact part-way through and check that it leaves both workflows.Troubleshooting
Related
- HubSpot workflow actions: every Flowella trigger and action used here.
- Customer onboarding: guide paying customers to first value.
- Template variables: fallback values, dates and mapping from HubSpot.
- Pricing and message categories: how Utility and Marketing templates are charged.