Workflow Steps

Steps are the steps that execute when your workflow triggers. You can chain multiple Steps together, and they'll run in sequence from top to bottom.

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Send Message

Send a Threadly message to users or channels. This is the most common workflow action.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Message	Compose your message with rich text formatting
Destination	Choose where to send it (see options below)
Image (optional)	Attach an image to the message
Action Buttons (optional)	Add forms, links, or calendar booking buttons
Sender (optional)	Override who the message appears to come from

Destination Types

Destination	Description	Example Use Case
User who triggered workflow	DM the person who caused the trigger	Welcome message to new channel member
Channel the workflow was triggered in	Post to the same channel	Respond in the channel where someone joined
Specific channels	Post to selected public channels	Announce to multiple team channels
Specific users	DM selected users individually	Notify specific team members
Multi-DM	Create a group DM (up to 8 users)	Loop in a small team together
Conversation Group	Send to a saved static or dynamic group	Message all managers or a custom segment

Using Variables in Messages

Make your messages dynamic by including variables:

Hey {{user}}! Welcome to {{channel}}!

We're glad you're here. Here's what you need to know...

Variables are replaced with actual values when the message sends.

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Delay

Pause your workflow for a set amount of time before the next step runs. Use delays to space out messages or create drip sequences.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Duration	Enter a number (1-9999)
Unit	Seconds, Minutes, or Hours

Example: Onboarding Drip Sequence

1. Send Message — Welcome message (immediate)

2. Delay — Wait 24 hours

3. Send Message — Day 2 tips and resources

4. Delay — Wait 48 hours

5. Send Message — Check-in message

Multiple delays accumulate. A 5-minute delay followed by a 10-minute delay means the third step runs 15 minutes after the workflow starts.

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Send Webhook

Trigger an external system by sending an HTTP POST request. Use this to integrate with custom applications or services.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Webhook URL	The HTTPS endpoint to call
Custom Headers (optional)	Add authentication or custom headers

Payload Structure

When the webhook fires, it sends this JSON payload:

{
  "type": "threadly_workflow_trigger",
  "step": { ... },
  "user_who_triggered_workflow": "U123ABC",
  "team_id": "T456DEF",
  "channel": "C789GHI",
  "event_type": "new_member_joins_channel"
}

Example Use Cases

• Log workflow events to your analytics system

• Trigger internal tools or custom integrations

• Send data to a database or data warehouse

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Send to Zapier

Kick off a Zapier automation (Zap) using this workflow as the trigger. Perfect for integrating with thousands of apps.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Zapier Webhook URL	Your Zap's webhook URL (from Zapier's "Webhooks by Zapier" trigger)

Example Integrations

• Add form responses to Google Sheets

• Create Notion pages for new channel members

• Update Salesforce records when workflows trigger

• Send emails via Gmail or Mailchimp

• Create tasks in Asana or Monday.com

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Add User to Segment

Automatically add the user who triggered the workflow to a predefined static segment. Use this to segment users for future targeting.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Group	Select the Conversation Group to add them to

Example Use Cases

• Add users who complete onboarding to an "Onboarded" group

• Segment users by the channel they joined

• Build lists for future campaigns based on actions

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Remove User from Segment

Automatically remove a user from a static segment — useful for managing segments based on steps or time-based rules.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Group	Select the Conversation Group to remove them from

Example Use Cases

• Remove users from "New Hire" group after 30 days

• Move users between segments based on activity

• Clean up groups when users take certain actions

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Add Threadly to Channel

Add Threadly as a member of a channel if it isn't already. Useful when your workflow needs to post to channels Threadly hasn't joined yet.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Channel	Select the channel to add Threadly to

When to Use This

• Before sending messages to channels via "Channel Meets Criteria" workflows

• When scaling across many channels that may not have Threadly added

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Update HubSpot Contact

Update fields on a HubSpot contact record based on workflow events. Requires an active HubSpot integration.

Configuration

Setting	Description
Fields to Update	Map HubSpot field names to values

Available Variables

Variable	Description
{{user_id}}	Slack user ID
{{user_email}}	User's email address (from Slack)
{{user_joined_channel_date}}	Date they joined the channel (YYYY-MM-DD)
{{channel_name}}	Name of the trigger channel
{{workflow_name}}	Name of this workflow

Example Use Cases

• Update "Slack Onboarded" field when user joins #general

• Set "Last Slack Activity" date on contact records

• Track which channels contacts have joined

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Step Availability by Trigger

Not all steps work with every trigger type. Here's the compatibility matrix:

Action	User Joins Channel	Channel Meets Criteria	On Schedule	Form Submission	Message Posted
Delay	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Send Message	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Send Webhook	✓	✓	—	✓	✓
Send to Zapier	✓	✓	—	✓	✓
Add Threadly to Channel	✓	✓	—	✓	✓
Add User to Segment	✓	—	—	✓	✓
Remove User from Segment	✓	—	—	✓	✓
Update HubSpot Contact	✓	—	—	✓	✓

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Tips for Effective Steps

1. Start with Send Message — It's the most common and easiest to test

2. Use delays strategically — Space out messages to avoid overwhelming users

3. Test webhooks first — Use a tool like webhook.site to verify payloads

4. Combine actions — Chain multiple steps for powerful automations

5. Consider the destination — Match your destination type to your use case

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