Workflows 101: How to Build, Modify, and Run at Scale

Welcome to Copy.ai, the world's first-ever GTM AI Platform.

Mastering Workflows can save your team hundreds (or even thousands) of hours by automating tedious, labor-intensive processes, such as:

• Account research
• Deal health
• Sales call insights
• Sales coaching
• SEO-content generation
• Thought leadership content

And much more.

But as with any new technology, getting started can sometimes be the hardest part. That's why, in this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know in order to build, modify, and run your Workflows at scale.

Feel free to use the table of contents on the left-hand side of this post to navigate to the section you need help with.

Let's start with the basics: what are Workflows?

1. What Is a Workflow?

Automating tasks has become increasingly popular with the rise of AI and chat tools.

But Workflows takes things to the next level by allowing you to automate entire processes, rather than just one-off tasks.

Here's how you can leverage Workflows to streamline your team's operations:

1. Understand Workflows: Unlike traditional chat tools that automate single tasks like writing a LinkedIn post or drafting an email, Workflows automates complete processes. It can research your prospects, infer their job responsibilities, and then create personalized content to engage them effectively.
2. Access Prebuilt Workflows: Copy.ai offers a library of prebuilt workflows that you can access and use right away. One example is the "Lead Contact Enrichment from LinkedIn Profile" workflow, which scrapes a prospect's LinkedIn profile, summarizes their work history, extracts education and location details, and recommends use cases based on your product knowledge.
3. Customize Workflows: While prebuilt workflows are handy, you can also create custom workflows from scratch. Workflows allows you to modify actions, change language models, and add context using an infobase to get richer output tailored to your needs.
4. Align Your Team: By automating processes, Workflows ensures that your entire team is aligned and working towards the same goals. You can send data to different departments via Slack or email, update CRMs, and eliminate silos to improve your go-to-market efforts.
5. Focus on Strategy: With Workflows handling the grunt work, you and your team can focus on higher-level strategies that drive growth and move the needle for your business.

Workflows is a powerful tool that can revolutionize the way you operate, enabling you to automate entire processes, align your team, and concentrate on strategic initiatives that truly matter.

2. Chat vs Workflows

Copy.ai offers two powerful features - Chat and Workflows - to streamline your content creation process. Here's how you can leverage them:

a. Using the Chat Feature

1. Open the Chat tool in Copy.ai. You'll see the language model (GPT-4) being used displayed at the top.

2. Use the chat as a brainstorming buddy. Type in a prompt like "Give me some good ideas for a blog post on go-to-market strategies."

3. The AI will instantly provide you with relevant ideas and suggestions that you can use as a starting point.

4. The Chat feature is best used for one-off tasks like writing a single blog post, crafting a LinkedIn post, or getting ideas on a specific topic.

b. Using the Workflows Feature

1. Navigate to the Workflows section in Copy.ai. Here you can create automated processes for content creation.

2. Choose from pre-built workflow templates or create a custom one from scratch.

3. Input the relevant information (e.g. keyword, topic) that the workflow requires.

4. The workflow will then execute a series of tasks autonomously, such as:
‍
   - Searching Google for the topic
   - Extracting top results and headings
   - Finding related keywords
   - Building a content brief and outline
   - Writing a long-form blog post

5. You can customize each step of the workflow to suit your needs.

Workflows allow you to automate entire content creation processes efficiently, while Chat is ideal for quick, one-off tasks. Leverage both features to streamline your go-to-market content strategy.

3. Welcome to the Workflow Library

Getting started with Copy.ai workflows is simple and straightforward.

The platform offers a Workflow Library filled with pre-built workflows that cater to various use cases, such as prospecting, deal management, expansion and retention, enablement and training, operations, marketing, and more.

Here's how you can take advantage of the Workflow Library:

1. Access the Workflow Library: From your Copy.ai dashboard, locate the left-hand side menu and click on "Workflow Library." This will take you to the Workflow Library, where you'll find a collection of pre-built workflows organized by category.
2. Browse and Select a Workflow: Once in the Workflow Library, you can browse through the available workflows based on your specific needs. We are continuously expanding the library, so you'll find new workflows added regularly.
3. Try a Workflow! When you find a workflow that aligns with your requirements, click the "Try This" button. This will prompt you to fill in the necessary inputs for the workflow.

For example, if you're trying a workflow related to prospecting, you might need to provide a LinkedIn URL, a description of your company and value proposition, and any additional context to help the AI connect your offer with the specific LinkedIn profile.

1. Provide Inputs: After clicking "Try This," you'll be asked to fill in the required inputs for the selected workflow. These inputs vary depending on the workflow you've chosen, but they typically include details such as product names, descriptions, or any other relevant information needed for the AI to generate the desired output.
2. Explore and Refine: While the pre-built workflows in the Workflow Library are designed to work out-of-the-box, Anthropic also provides the ability to refine and customize these workflows in the "Build" view. This feature will be covered in a separate video tutorial.
3. Scale with Tables: Later in this post, we'll show you how to run these workflows at scale using tables, enabling you to process large amounts of data efficiently.

Anthropic encourages you to explore the Workflow Library, try out different workflows, and provide feedback on your experience. As the platform continues to evolve, more comprehensive and powerful AI-powered productivity tools will be added to the library.

4. How to Build a Workflow from Scratch

You no longer need to be a coder or programmer to automate tasks and build powerful workflows.

With the right no-code platform, you can create sophisticated workflows using simple natural language instructions, just like describing a task to an intern. Here's how it works:

Step 1 - Access the Workflow Builder‍

Log into Copy.ai and navigate to the workflow builder section. Look for an option to "Add a Workflow" in the top right hand corner.

Step 2 - Describe Your Desired Workflow

When prompted, describe the workflow you want to build in plain English. Be as clear and specific as possible, just like you would explain a task to someone.

For example, "Given a LinkedIn URL, tell me about this person's role and the most likely pain points they experience within that role."

Step 3- Let the Platform Build the Workflow

After entering your instructions, let the no-code platform work its magic. It will automatically generate a multi-step workflow based on your description, usually within 60-90 seconds.

Step 4 - Test the Workflow

Once the workflow is built, test it out by providing the required input, such as a LinkedIn URL in the example case. The platform will execute the workflow, scraping data, analyzing information, and generating the desired output.

Step 5 - Review and Refine

Check the workflow's output to ensure it meets your expectations. If needed, you can modify individual actions within the workflow to improve accuracy and results.

That's it!

With this approach, you can build powerful, automated workflows for all sorts of tasks – from data processing to content generation – all without writing a single line of code.

The key is clearly describing what you want the workflow to do, and letting the platform handle the technical implementation details.

5. What are Actions?

Actions are the building blocks of workflows. They represent the individual steps that make up a workflow.

In the workflow building process, you'll frequently encounter the term "Actions" as you add and modify the various steps.

Here's how to work with actions when building workflows:

1. Identify Existing Actions: Each step in your workflow is considered an action. For example, scraping LinkedIn data, extracting role information, and inferring likely pain points are all actions.
2. Add New Actions: To add a new action to your workflow, click the "Plus" icon. This will bring up a library of pre-built actions across different categories like images, research, text, integrations, and more. Simply select the action you want to add.

Alternatively, you can type in the action you want to add.

For instance, if you want to draft an email after extracting role information and inferring pain points, simply type "draft an email" and a new action will be added.

1. Modify Actions: Once you've added an action, you can modify it by clicking on it. This allows you to customize the prompt, background information, and advanced settings for that specific action.
2. Remove Actions: If an action is no longer needed, you can remove it from the workflow by clicking the delete option.

By understanding how to identify, add, modify, and remove actions, you gain full control over building efficient and effective workflows tailored to your needs.

6. How to Customize Your Workflow

As you build and polish workflows, you'll likely find that the initial output doesn't give you exactly what you want right away.

That's okay – it's part of the process of working with AI.

The key is to do some upfront work to refine the workflow so that you can save hundreds of hours on the backend.

Here's how you can modify and refine the individual actions within a workflow to get the desired output:

a. Modify the Prompt

The prompt is where you tell the AI what you want it to do in that specific action step. Click on the action you want to modify, and you'll see the prompt field.

• Use highlighted text to pull in context from previous steps, like extracted headings, the original keyword, or related keywords.
• Add the # (hashtag) symbol to reference workflow inputs, actions, or info base entries to provide more relevant context.

For example, if you want the content outline to include related keywords, you can type "#related keywords" and instruct the AI to position them appropriately.

b. Update the Background

The background is where you tell the AI what kind of expert it is for that particular task. Provide details on the role it should take (e.g., content strategist) and what it's skilled at (e.g., building detailed outlines).

You can also include examples or outline the desired structure for the output you want.

For blog posts, you might specify a narrative flow like: introduce the concept, explain its importance, share pain points before AI, and suggest how AI makes it easier.

c. Adjust Advanced Settings

In the advanced settings, you can:

• Choose which language model to use (e.g., GPT-4, Claude)
• Set the temperature (creativity level) of the output
• Specify a max/min character or word length

d. Rinse and Repeat

Go through each action, updating the prompt, background, and advanced settings to refine the workflow.

Don't forget to save your changes and publish the updated workflow.

The more you refine and customize the actions, providing relevant context and examples, the better the AI will understand your requirements and generate higher-quality output tailored to your needs.

7. How to Use Infobase in Your Workflows

Infobase is a powerful feature in the tool that allows you to quickly add context and relevant information to your prompts.

This can help you get higher quality output tailored to your specific needs. Here's how to use Infobase:

1. Access Infobase: In your home dashboard, click on "Infobase" in the left-hand menu.
2. Add a New Entry: Click "Add Info" in the top right corner to create a new Infobase entry.
3. Name the Entry: Give your entry a descriptive name related to the context you want to provide (e.g., "GTM Bloat").
4. Add Content: You can either upload a relevant document (PDF, etc.) or paste text directly into the entry. This could include explanations, examples, guidelines—anything you want the AI to reference.
5. Save the Entry: Once you've added all the relevant content, click "Save."
6. Use the Entry: in a Workflow When running a workflow, you can pull in your Infobase entry using the "#infobase" tag, then typing the entry name. You can add instructions like "Be sure to touch on all aspects of GTM bloat in each post."
7. Add Examples (Optional): You can also create Infobase entries with example content to train the AI on your desired brand voice, style, etc. Use the "#examples" tag to reference these entries in your prompts.

With Infobase, you can ensure your AI outputs incorporate the critical context and guidance you need without having to retype everything manually.

This saves time and leads to more consistent, high-quality results.

8. How to Test Your Workflow (for 0 Credits)

Testing your workflows before publishing and running them at scale is an essential step to ensure you get high-quality outputs. [Product Name] makes this process incredibly simple.

Here's how you can quickly test your workflows:

1. Go to the Workflow Library: In the Workflow Library, locate the workflow you want to test. For this example, we'll use the "URL to Ad Copy" workflow.
2. Navigate to the Build Section: Click on the "Build" tab to access the workflow builder.
3. Enter Test Data: In the designated input field, enter the data you want to test the workflow with. In our example, we'll use a blog URL: www.copy.ai/blog/gtm-ai.
4. Run Workflow Test: Click the "Test" button, then "Run Flow" to initiate the test run. This will execute the workflow with your provided input data.
5. Review Test Results: The test will run, and you'll see the output generated by the workflow. In our example, it scraped the page, brainstormed reader interests, and generated ad creative.
6. Modify Workflow (Optional): If you need to tweak the workflow, you can modify the actions and prompts directly in the builder. For instance, you could update the "Generate Ad Creative" action to specify requirements like character limits or platforms.
7. Re-Test as Needed: After making any changes, you can re-run the test workflow to verify the new outputs. Don't forget to save and publish any changes you make.

The best part? Testing workflows doesn't consume any credits, so you can iterate and fine-tune with confidence before publishing and running at scale.

By following these simple steps, you can ensure your workflows deliver the high-quality results you need, every time.

9. Run a Workflow and Scale with Tables

Running individual workflows is useful for testing purposes, but to truly harness the power of Copy.ai Wofkflows, you'll want to run workflows at scale.

This allows you to process large datasets or automate repetitive tasks efficiently.

Here's how you can do it:

1. Start with a Workflow: From the Workflow library, select the workflow you want to run at scale. For this example, we'll use the "Enrich a Person from a LinkedIn Profile" workflow.
2. Test the Workflow: Before running at scale, test the workflow by running it once in the Build view. This ensures it's working as expected with sample data.
3. Move to the Table View: Switch to the Table view by clicking the "Table" button at the top. This view allows you to import and run data in bulk.
4. Import Your Data: If you have a CSV file containing the data you want to process (e.g. a list of LinkedIn profile URLs), click "Import" and upload the file. The data will automatically map to the workflow's input parameters.
5. Run the Workflow at Scale: With your data imported, simply click "Run Workflow" to execute the workflow across all rows in the table. Anthropic's AI will process each row in parallel for maximum efficiency.
6. Review the Results: As the workflow runs, you'll see the output for each row populate in the table. Inspect the results to ensure everything ran successfully.
7. Export or Integrate (Optional): When you're satisfied with the results, you can export the table's data to a CSV file. Alternatively, use Anthropic's built-in integrations to send the data where you need it - to a CRM, marketing platform, Slack, email, etc.

By running workflows at scale, you can automate processes like lead enrichment, content generation, data processing and more with just a few clicks. The Table view makes it easy to work with large datasets efficiently.

10. How to Integrate Workflows into Your Tech Stack

Copy.ai is a powerful AI writing tool that allows you to create custom workflows for a variety of use cases.

One of the key features of Copy.ai is the ability to integrate your workflows with other tools and platforms, streamlining your processes and ensuring that the right information gets to the right place.

Here, we'll walk you through how to set up workflow integrations:

Step 1: Identify the Integration You Need: Copy.ai offers native integrations with popular tools like Slack, Gmail, Salesforce, and Google Calendar. To access these integrations, simply navigate to the "Integrations" tab from the left-hand side menu in your dashboard. Then click on the integration you want to set up.

If you don't see the integration you need listed, don't worry! Copy.ai also integrates with Zapier, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other apps and services.

Step 2: Set Up the Integration: For native integrations, you'll typically just need to add the connection and allow the necessary permissions. For example, to set up the Slack integration, click on "Slack," then follow the prompts to authorize the integration with your Slack workspace.

For Zapier integrations, you'll need to create a new "Zap" (a workflow that connects two apps). Here's an example of how to set up a Zap to send Copy.ai workflow outputs to a Slack channel:

1. Create a new Zap in Zapier and choose "Copy.ai" as the trigger app.
2. Select the "Completed Workflow Run" trigger as the event and authenticate your Copy.ai account.
3. Choose the specific workflow you want to monitor.
4. Test the trigger to ensure it's working correctly.
5. Select the app you want to connect with. In this example, we used Slack, and chose the "Send Channel Message" action.
6. Authenticate your Slack account and choose the action you want to occur (in this example, we have a Slack channel we want to send messages to).
7. Customize the message text as desired, using dynamic fields to pull in data from your Copy.ai workflow.

Step 3: Customize and Automate: Once you've set up your integration, you can customize it further to suit your specific needs. For example, you might want to send different workflow outputs to different teams or channels based on the content or use case.

The beauty of Copy.ai's integrations is that they allow you to create end-to-end processes that improve your team's workflows and combat "GTM Bloat" (the accumulation of too many disparate tools and processes).

11. How to Use Forms With Workflows

Forms in the platform allow you to easily share your workflows with your audience and gather valuable feedback and insights.

Here's how to use them:

1. Build Your Workflow: Start by building the workflow you want to share in the "Build" tab. For example, you could create a workflow that enriches a person's profile from their LinkedIn URL.
2. Access Your Form: Once your workflow is ready, go to the "Form" tab. Here you can create a form to capture the necessary inputs for your workflow from users.
3. Embed or Share the Form: You have two options to share the form:
   1. Embed Code: Copy the provided iframe code to embed the form on an existing web page.
   2. Full Page Link: Use this link to create a standalone landing page just for the form.
4. Customize Form Settings: Tailor the form experience with these additional options:
5. Show/Hide Outputs: Control what outputs from the workflow are visible to form users.
6. Rate Limiting: Set limits on how frequently the form can be submitted to control usage.
7. Branding: Turn off the "Powered by" branding if desired.
8. User Submissions: When users submit the form, their inputs run your workflow behind the scenes. Their submission data is captured in the "Tables" view for your reference.
9. Leverage Form Data: The form data provides insights into your audience. You can use it to learn about users' roles, pain points, etc. Or, require an email signup to gate access to your workflow tool.

Forms make it easy to share workflows publicly or internally.

Embed them on pages, create dedicated landing pages, control visibility - the options are limitless! Use forms to both share your work and gather valuable audience data.

Benefits of Using Copy.ai Workflows

Implementing advanced AI-driven workflows can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of go-to-market (GTM) teams.

Here are some of the key benefits these teams might experience:

Increased Efficiency‍

By automating routine and time-consuming tasks such as data entry, prospect research, and content generation, GTM teams can focus more on strategic activities. This not only speeds up the market entry process but also reduces the potential for human error in repetitive tasks.

Enhanced Personalization‍

Workflows can process and analyze large datasets to generate insights about customer preferences and behaviors. This enables GTM teams to tailor their marketing and sales strategies to meet the specific needs and preferences of different customer segments, improving engagement and conversion rates.

Better Alignment Across Teams‍

Automated workflows ensure that different functions within the GTM team—such as sales, marketing, and customer support—are consistently updated with the latest data and insights. This synchronization helps in maintaining a unified approach towards market entry and customer interaction strategies.

Scalability‍

As business needs grow, workflows can be scaled to handle increased loads or to integrate new processes without significant additional resource allocation. This scalability supports businesses in managing growth effectively without compromising on efficiency or customer experience.

Data-Driven Decision Making‍

With workflows automating the collection and analysis of market and customer data, GTM teams have access to real-time insights. These insights can guide decision-making processes, from identifying market opportunities to optimizing marketing campaigns and improving product offerings.

Cost Reduction‍

Automating tasks reduces the need for manual labor, which can lead to significant cost savings. Additionally, the increased accuracy and efficiency of automated workflows can reduce costs associated with errors and inefficiencies in manual processes.

Faster Time to Market‍

By streamlining and automating many of the steps involved in launching products or campaigns, GTM teams can reduce the time it takes to go from concept to market. This quicker time to market can provide a competitive advantage, especially in industries where speed is critical.

Continuous Improvement‍

AI-driven workflows can learn from outcomes and continuously refine processes based on feedback and changing market conditions. This capability of ongoing optimization ensures that GTM strategies remain effective and relevant over time.

Enhanced Customer Experience‍

Automated workflows can provide quicker and more consistent responses to customer inquiries and issues. This responsiveness can enhance the customer experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

By integrating such AI-powered workflows into their operations, go-to-market teams can not only achieve more with less but also innovate and adapt to market changes more swiftly and effectively.

Final Thoughts and Follow-up Resources

The adoption of AI-driven workflows presents a transformative opportunity for go-to-market teams.

The benefits extend across multiple aspects of GTM strategies—from enhanced personalization and improved alignment between teams to more informed decision-making and faster market entry.

Plus, these workflows help in reducing operational costs and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

With the ability to tailor marketing and sales efforts based on deep insights and real-time data, GTM teams can better meet the evolving demands of the market and their customers.

For more information, check out these helpful resources:

• What Is GTM AI?
• What Is GTM Bloat?
• AI Sales OS 

These articles will have all the information you need to get started with workflows and scale your GTM success!