Adaptive AI Knowledge Base
Contacts, CRM & Pipelines
This article walks you through how to filter contacts (e.g., by tag) and add them to a workflow in bulk using the Add to Automation feature. You’ll find a step-by-step guide, details on the available scheduling modes, and answers to common questions.
What is Bulk Adding Contacts to a Workflow?
The Add to Automation feature lets you select contacts from the Contacts page and enroll them into a workflow in bulk. Instead of waiting for contacts to enter a workflow through a trigger, you can manually push a batch of contacts into any published workflow – all at once, at a scheduled time, or in a drip pattern.
The most common use case is filtering your contact list by a specific attribute (such as a tag), selecting the filtered results, and adding them to a workflow for targeted outreach, re-engagement, or batch processing.
Key Benefits of Adding Contacts to a Workflow in Bulk
How to Add Contacts to a Workflow in Bulk
Step 1: Filter Your Contacts
Step 2: Add to Automation
Step 3: Configure the Automation
Scheduling Modes
The Mode setting controls when the selected contacts are enrolled into the workflow. There are three options:
Send All at Once
All selected contacts are added to the workflow immediately. This is the default mode and works well when timing is not a concern.
Additional fields: None.
Send at Scheduled Time
All selected contacts are added to the workflow at a specific date and time that you choose. Useful for aligning enrollment with a campaign launch or business hours.
Additional fields:
Field | Description
Pick a Start Date & Time | The date and time when all contacts will be enrolled. Displayed in your account’s timezone.
Contacts are enrolled in batches over a period of time rather than all at once. Ideal for large contact lists where you want to stagger enrollment to avoid overwhelming your workflow or to spread out communications.
Additional fields:
Field | Description
Pick a Start Date & Time | The date and time when the first batch of contacts will be enrolled.
Number of Messages per Batch | How many contacts to enroll in each batch.
Repeat after | The interval between batches. Set the number and unit (Days, Hours, or Minutes).
Tracking Progress
After submitting, you can track the bulk action on the Bulk Actions page. Navigate to Contacts > Bulk Actions to view all your bulk action requests.
The Bulk Actions page shows:
You can filter the Bulk Actions page by date range, status, action type, and user to quickly find any specific request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I filter contacts by other fields besides tags?
Yes. The Advanced Filters panel supports filtering by any contact field (email, city, contact source, created date, opportunity stage, etc.) as well as custom fields. You can combine multiple filters and nested filters to precisely target the contacts you want to enroll.
Q: Does the workflow need to be published?
Yes. Only published workflows appear in the Workflow dropdown. Make sure your workflow is published before using this feature.
Q: What is the difference between Send at Scheduled Time and Send in Drip Mode?
Send at Scheduled Time enrolls all selected contacts at a single chosen date and time. Send in Drip Mode staggers enrollment by sending contacts in batches at regular intervals – useful for spreading out communications over days or hours.
Q: Where can I track the progress of my bulk action?
Navigate to Contacts > Bulk Actions. You’ll see all your bulk action requests with their current status,
timestamps, and a statistics breakdown.
Q: Can I save a Smart List filter and reuse it for future bulk imports?
Yes. After applying your Advanced Filters, you can save the filtered view as a Smart List. The next time you need to enroll the same segment, just open that Smart List, select the contacts, and trigger the automation.