Discover how to "simulate" scenarios so that you may test your triggered workflows on-demand
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Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes
Estimated Configuration Time: 10 - 20 Minutes
Sections in this Article
Introduction 🧑💻
Testing workflows is a crucial element of the build process
Even if you are meticulous with your configuration, there will be settings or scenarios that you may not notice until the workflow is being used
This is why you should run end-to-end tests, experiencing & interacting with the workflow as every stakeholder would in real circumstances
This article shows how to cover one of the basic elements of testing, making it easier & faster for you to try out your workflows!
Specifically, this article covers how to initiate a test on a Triggered workflow, simulating a real-life scenario as closely as possible
The main benefit of this applies to testing Date-based Triggered workflows
Because Gatekeeper's Date-Trigger polling job only runs once per hour, after creating your test records, you could wait up to an hour for your process to initiate!
While this is not the biggest issue for a single test, if you spot issues, make configuration updates, then wish to test again, you could be waiting another hour!
Configuration & Execution 🛠
These configuration steps will show how to add a dummy "Custom Field" to your records which can be populated to instantly trigger the workflow for your Contract/Vendor records - almost like flipping a switch!
Configuration Video Coming Soon...
Part 1 - Adding the "Status" Field
Step 1) Navigate to Settings > Configuration > Custom Data
Step 2) Hit Add > Add Custom Group
We recommend adding a new group for this since an existing group may be in use on live workflow forms and cause confusion if your dummy field is added to these forms
Step 3) Title this "Workflow Testing" (or something similar) & allocate the group to Contract or Vendor, depending on your workflow
We'll be removing the group after testing, so don't stress about naming conventions too much
Step 4) In this new group, hit Add > Add New Custom Field
Label: Workflow Trigger
Type: Multi-pick Dropdown List
Options: [Name of the workflow/s you wish to test]
Part 2 - Configuring the Trigger
Step 1) Go to the Workflows page
Step 2) Click to edit the workflow then select the Workflow Triggers option
Step 3) Hit ➕ ADD TRIGGER
Step 4) Name your trigger "Manual Test" then hit ✅ Create
Step 5) Hit ➕ Add and choose the new field as the single condition with the dropdown value being this workflow
Step 6) Switch the Trigger Status from Pipeline to Live
Part 3 - Testing the Workflow
Step 1) Select (or Create) a Contract/Vendor record you wish to test
Step 2) Ensure all the valid data is set which will be used during your workflow
For example, if the Internal Contract Owner will be dynamically assigned to perform actions on the workflow, ensure they are populated for this record before the next step!
Step 3) Edit this record and populate the "Workflow Trigger" field then hit ✅ Save
Step 4) Your record should now be immediately pulled onto the workflow board as if one of your real triggers had fired. You may now test the workflow process!
Reverting to Normal ↩️
When you are finished testing, it is good practice to undo all of the steps above so that your users will not see a messy system, nor assume that it is still "Under Construction"
Part 1 - Undoing the Trigger
Step 1) Go to the Workflows page
Step 2) Click to edit the workflow then select the Workflow Triggers option
Step 3) Click your test trigger
Step 4) Hit the 
Delete icon to remove the Condition
Step 5) Hit < Back then hit the Delete icon to remove your trigger
Part 2 - Undoing the field
Step 1) Go to Settings > Configuration > Custom Data, then open your Test Custom Group
Step 2) Hit the Delete icon to remove the custom field
Step 3) Go back to the Custom Groups List then hit the Delete icon to remove Group
Part 3 - Deleting dummy records
If you created records specifically for testing the workflow:
Step 1) Go to the workflow & open your test card/s
Step 2) On the Controls tab, hit Delete
FAQ 💬
Q: Can I use this to trigger multiple records onto my workflow at once?
A: Yes, using our bulk-update feature, you can trigger many vendors or contracts onto your workflows instantly
Q: Which key testing scenarios does this method work for?
A: Renewal workflows are the main scenario where you can leverage this.
It is also especially useful for Market IQ triggered workflows which are almost impossible to test
See 📖 Create your own - MarketIQ Monitoring & Escalation Workflow
Q: Does this method apply to any other scenarios than "testing"?
A: Some of our clients use this method of triggering workflows in their BAU processes, often for connecting multiple workflows as part of a Vendor/Contract Lifecycle Management "Ecosystem"
See these articles from our ⚡️Parallel Workflows - Expert Series:
📖 Parallel Workflows - Contract Request ⓧ Automated Vendor Onboarding
📖 Parallel Workflows - Vendor Onboarding ⓧ Automated NDA
Additional Reading 📚
Configuring a Workflow Trigger