A workflow (business process) in Bitrix24 is a scenario of sequential steps — conditions, actions, approvals and waits — built in the visual designer and executed automatically. Unlike an automation rule, which performs one action on a stage change, a workflow carries a case end to end: it validates data, branches on conditions, requests approval and writes results back to the card. Here is when you need a workflow rather than a rule, how to build your first one, and where ready-made robots save hours in the designer.
How is a workflow different from an automation rule?
An automation rule is a single action bound to a stage: an email, a task, a field change. A workflow is a chain with logic: "if the amount is above the threshold — send for manager approval, otherwise — invoice right away." A workflow can start manually, on record creation or modification, work with documents and wait for events for days. The selection rule is simple: if the scenario fits one sentence without "if" and "then", an automation rule is enough; once it has branches and stages, you need a workflow. The workflow designer is available on the higher Bitrix24 plans.
How do I build a workflow in the designer?
Open CRM → Settings → Automation rules and workflows → Workflows, pick the entity (lead, deal, contact, company or a smart process) and click Add template. Drag actions from the right panel onto the canvas: Condition, Task, Notification, Modify document. Each action takes parameters — use Insert value to reference document fields and results of previous steps. Save the template and configure auto-start: on creation, on change, or manual. Test the first run on a sandbox deal — the workflow log shows which step executed and with what values.
What variables and conditions are available?
A template declares variables (type, default) and start parameters filled by whoever launches the workflow. Conditions compare document fields, variables and action results. The stock Condition block compares values pairwise and sprawls quickly: "amount over 100,000 AND source is website OR ads" becomes three nested branches. The ready-made Compound condition robot evaluates such checks in one step with AND/OR/NOT grouping and returns Y/N for a single branch point. For short forks like "if empty — substitute a default" there is the ternary operator.
How do I call external systems and reach other deals?
The designer has no stock action for calling an external API — the HTTP request robot closes that: it sends GET or POST with headers and a body, returning the response and status code into workflow variables. Finding another deal by filter (say, an open deal of the same contact, to avoid creating a duplicate) is what the Find deal robot does — it returns an ID the next steps use for updating or linking. Your workflow stops being locked to a single card.
Why doesn't my workflow start? A checklist
Start with the log: CRM → Settings → Workflow log — it shows whether the workflow failed on a step or never started. If it never started: check the auto-start trigger (creation is not modification), the launching user's permissions, and the concurrent workflow limit of your plan. If it failed on a step, the culprit is almost always an empty field the step expected filled: add a condition check or a default value before it.
Where to start
Take one real procedure — discount approval, new lead intake, deal closing — and write its steps on paper. Half of them will map to stock actions; for the rest, check the robot catalog: robots drop into a workflow like any other action. If the one you need is missing, describe the task — we build it for free and add it to the shared library.