Using the Testing Features in Workflows

Overview

Testing workflows is a critical step before putting them live. It ensures your automation performs as expected, prevents errors, and gives you confidence that leads and patients will have a smooth experience. PXME includes built-in testing tools to help you preview, troubleshoot, and refine your workflows.

Why Test Workflows?

Testing helps you:

• Verify Functionality – Confirm every action (emails, SMS, tasks, reminders, updates) fires correctly.

• Identify Errors – Catch misconfigurations, missing custom values, or broken links.

• Refine Logic – Ensure waits, delays, conditions, and branches behave as intended.

Pro Tip: The most reliable test is to simulate the real scenario—adding a contact to a workflow through its actual trigger. This mirrors real-world conditions more accurately than manual testing alone.

Key Features and Benefits

• Test Workflow Button – Run workflows manually using a test contact.

• Execution Logs – Track actions step by step, with details on successes, errors, and skipped items.

• Manual Step Advancement – Move a contact forward manually to test conditions or delays.

• Allow Re-Entry Awareness – When testing multiple times, you’ll need fresh contacts or allow re-entry in workflow settings.

Part 1: Workflow Testing Setup

Step 1: Access the Test Workflow Feature

1. Navigate to Automation > Workflows.

2. Select the workflow you want to test.

3. Click Test Workflow inside the builder.

   • This bypasses the trigger and lets you run through actions directly.

Step 2: Select a Test Contact

1. Choose a test contact from your system.

2. Click Run Test to start.

Note: Because the trigger is skipped, certain actions may behave differently than in a live trigger situation.

Part 2: Reviewing Execution Logs & Advancing Steps

Step 3: Review Execution Logs

• Open the Execution Logs tab to see each action.

• Review successes, failures, and skips.

• Click View Execution History for a detailed breakdown.

Pro Tip: If an action fails, check for missing data in custom values, improper conditions, or delivery issues.

Step 4: Manually Move Contacts Through the Workflow

• Use manual advancement to move contacts past wait steps or test conditions.

• This is especially helpful for “Wait Until Reply” or time-based workflows.

Part 3: Testing Specific Actions

SMS Testing

• Use Send Test SMS to preview message content.

• Notes:

  • Links may not populate correctly.

  • Custom values might not render in test mode.

  • Spam filters may block test messages.

Email Testing

• Use Send Test Mail to check email design and content.

• Notes:

  • Custom values may not populate.

  • Links can break in test sends.

  • Always test with a secondary email account to avoid spam flagging.

Part 4: Post-Testing Cleanup

Step 5: Handle Test Data

• Remove test contacts from workflows after testing.

• Clear outdated data to prevent it from interfering once workflows go live.

Additional Tips

• Use Fresh Contacts – For multiple tests, either allow re-entry or create new test contacts.

• Test Organically – Trigger the workflow naturally (via form, calendar, etc.) for the most accurate results.

• Check Execution History – After any edits, review the execution logs closely to confirm changes worked.

FAQs

Q: Why should I test workflows before going live?
A: To ensure accuracy, catch errors early, and confirm automation behaves correctly.

Q: What’s the best way to test?
A: Organically, by triggering the workflow with a test contact the same way real patients would.

Q: Can I test workflows without a trigger?
A: Yes. Triggerless workflows help you test logic and actions directly.

Q: What if an action fails during testing?
A: Review execution logs to identify issues like missing custom values or incorrect setup.

Q: Will the Test Workflow button skip the initial trigger?
A: Yes. It starts with the first action, not the trigger.

Q: How do I keep my workspace clean after testing?
A: Remove test contacts from the workflow to prevent clutter or interference with live data.