Step 1: Create your workflow Go to Automation > Workflows in HubSpot. Click Create workflow from scratch in the top right-hand corner. Give the workflow a clear name, e.g. “Form submission – [content name]” or “Form submission – [action]”, so it’s easy for your team to identify later.
Name the workflow, something sensible e.g. Type, action etc.
Step 2: Choose your trigger
Select Form submission as your trigger.
Pick the form (or forms) you want to use. You can clone this group later to choose other forms.
In the settings, allow re-enrolment so that contacts can enter the workflow again if they submit the form more than once in the future.
Top tip: under Settings, assign someone to receive a notification if the workflow requires review.
Step 3: Add your actions
This is where HubSpot automation does the hard work for you.
Set to marketing contact – ensures you can send marketing emails, such as thank-you emails, newsletters or event invites ‘future proofing’.
Send an automated thank-you email – if you haven’t built this yet, you can still create the workflow and add the email later. This step also helps validate email addresses. For example, if the email bounces, sales know not to pursue it and marketing can see which leads are legitimate.
Notify the contact owner – choose your preferred channel (email, MS Teams, Slack or HubSpot notifications). For this example, we’ll use email and HubSpot notifications. Make it clear by pulling through key properties such as the contact’s name, form completed, email address, and phone number, and set expectations for what to do next. You can also if needed assign a contact owner depending on your business too.
Set the lifecycle stage – move the contact forward in the funnel (e.g. from Subscriber to Lead). HubSpot automation only pushes contacts forward, so you don’t need to worry about Sales Qualified Leads being moved backwards. You’ll find this action under Edit record.
(Optional) Add to a static list – useful if you want a fixed list of everyone who submitted the form. You can then use this list for reviews, campaign reporting, or tracking performance over time.
You can now publish the workflow, you can set this enroll contacts who meet the criteria, retro, or just starting from now who meet the criteria after turning on.
Summary
This simple workflow ensures that when someone downloads a piece of content, they’re thanked promptly, tracked accurately, and guided into the next step of your marketing journey. It saves your team time while making sure every lead is followed up consistently.
By Carl Griffiths