How do I build a workflow in Pest AI?
Short answer
A workflow in Pest AI is one trigger plus the actions that follow it. Open Automation, create a workflow, choose the trigger event (a form submission, a missed call, a pipeline stage change), then add the actions you want in order — send an SMS, wait 15 minutes, assign an owner, move the opportunity. Test it against a real contact record before you publish it, because a live workflow starts firing the moment it is switched on.
Before you start
- Access to the Automation area of your Pest AI account.
- The pipeline, tags, or custom fields the workflow will read or write already created.
- At least one test contact record you are safe to send messages to.
- A registered sending number or email domain if the workflow will send messages.
Step by step
Open Automation and create a blank workflow
Go to Automation and create a new workflow. Start from blank rather than a recipe the first few times — recipes hide steps, and you want to see the whole path while you are learning the builder. Name it for what it does and who it touches, like "Web lead — first 24 hours", so the list stays readable at forty workflows.
Tip: Prefix names by system: "VOICE —", "SMS —", "PIPE —". Sorting alphabetically then groups them by function.
Choose the trigger event
The trigger decides when the workflow starts. Common triggers for pest control operations are form submitted, inbound call completed, call status is no-answer, tag added, and opportunity stage changed. Pick exactly one trigger per workflow; if you need two entry points that do the same thing, add a tag from both and trigger on the tag.
Watch out: A trigger with no filters fires for every contact that matches, including old records that get edited. Always narrow it in the next step.
Add trigger filters so it only fires on the right records
Inside the trigger, add filters: source equals your web form, service type equals termite, contact does not have the tag "existing-customer". Filters are evaluated once, at entry. Anything you want checked later in the sequence belongs in an if/else branch instead.
Lay out the actions in order
Add the actions the way you would describe the follow-up to a new CSR: send an SMS, wait 15 minutes, if no reply send an email, assign to the sales owner, create an opportunity in the New Lead stage. Each action runs top to bottom, and wait steps hold the contact in place until the timer clears.
Tip: Put the fastest, highest-value action first. A text that lands in under a minute outperforms a perfectly written one that lands in ten.
Branch on the outcomes that matter
Add an if/else after the first wait to split replied from not-replied, or booked from not-booked. Keep branches shallow — two levels is usually enough. Deep nesting is the main reason a workflow becomes impossible to debug six months later.
Set the re-entry and stop rules
In workflow settings, decide whether a contact can enter more than once. For nurture sequences, allow re-entry so a repeat lead gets fresh follow-up. For onboarding, block it. Then add a stop condition — reply received, appointment booked, or unsubscribed — so nobody keeps getting chased after they convert.
Watch out: Without a stop condition the sequence keeps running after a customer books. That is the fastest way to earn an opt-out.
Test it against a real record
Use the test mode or manually add your own contact record to the workflow, then watch the execution log step by step. Confirm the message text renders your merge fields correctly, the wait timers are what you intended, and the record lands in the right pipeline stage.
Publish and watch the first day
Switch the workflow from draft to published. Check the enrollment history at the end of the first day: how many contacts entered, how many are stuck in a wait step, and whether anybody exited on the stop condition. Adjust the timing before you touch the copy — timing moves the number more.
Common mistakes
- Publishing without a stop condition, so booked customers keep getting follow-up messages.
- Using a wait step measured in hours when the lead expects a reply in minutes — the first touch should be near-instant.
- Testing with a fake contact that has no phone or email, which silently skips every send action and makes the workflow look like it works.
- Building one giant workflow for the whole customer journey instead of several small ones that hand off with tags.
Where this fits
This task lives inside PestCRM — the AI Sales System. If you would rather not build it yourself, we set it up during implementation and hand it over documented — partners run the systems, we handle the hard parts. Existing partners can also reach the team through support.
Frequently asked
Want this built for you instead? We configure it with your services, your calendar, and your data, then train your team on it.
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