Create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce Workflow Rules : Bijay Kumar

September 01, 2025 September 01, 2025

Create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce Workflow Rules
by: Bijay Kumar
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## Summary of Creating Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce Salesforce Workflow helps automate various business tasks, like sending reminders, updating fields, and creating tasks. Often, businesses need these actions to happen at specific times, and Salesforce offers a feature called **Add Time Trigger** in Workflow Rules to make this happen. ### Key Steps to Create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions: 1. **Create an Email Template**: - Go to “Setup,” search for “Email Templates,” and click on “Classic Email Templates.” - Design your email with a subject, body, and merge fields (like Account Name or Contract End Date) to personalize the message. 2. **Set Up an Email Alert**: - Search for “Email Alerts” in the Quick Find Box. - Choose your recipients (like the Account Owner or Contract Owner) and link it to the email template you created. 3. **Create a Time-Dependent Workflow**: - Search for “Workflow Rules” and click on it. - Click “New Rule” and select the object (like Contract). - Name the rule and set evaluation criteria (e.g., run the workflow when Contract Status = Activated and End Date is greater than today). 4. **Add Time Trigger**: - In the workflow, specify when actions should occur using the “Add Time Trigger” button (e.g., 3 days before a Contract End Date). - Save the trigger. 5. **Link Actions**: - Under your time trigger, select “Add Workflow Action,” choose “Email Alert,” and select the existing alert you previously set up. 6. **Activate the Workflow**: - After setting everything up, make sure to activate your workflow to ensure it works automatically at the scheduled times. ### Conclusion: By following these steps, you can efficiently create time-dependent workflows in Salesforce to automate reminders and updates, enhancing your business processes. ### Additional Context: This guide is essential for Salesforce users looking to improve operational efficiency through automation. Mastering these features can save time and help maintain good customer relationships through timely communications. ### Hashtags for SEO: #Salesforce #WorkflowAutomation #SalesforceTips #BusinessAutomation #EmailAlerts #TimeDependentWorkflow #SalesforceWorkflow #CRM #SalesforceTraining

We use Workflow in Salesforce to automate business processes, such as sending reminders, updating fields, and creating tasks. However, sometimes we need these actions to occur at a specific time rather than immediately.

To achieve this, Salesforce provides the Add Time Trigger feature in Workflow Rules. With this, we can schedule actions to run hours or days before or after a date field on the record.

For example, you can send a reminder email three days before a Contract End Date, create a follow-up task one day after a Case is closed, or update a field five days before a Renewal Date.

In this article, we will learn about how to create time-dependent workflow actions in Salesforce workflow rules. In this, I will explain the steps to create a workflow and how to add a time trigger to execute the workflow at a specific time.

Create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce Workflow Rules

Below, I will explain the components we need to prepare so that we can use them in a Workflow. Next, we will walk through the process of building the workflow rule step by step.

Create Email Template in Salesforce

First, we need to create an Email Template, which we will later use in the Workflow.

To create the email template, click on “Setup.” -> Home Page. -> In the Quick Find Box, Search for Email Templates. -> Click on Classic Email Templates.

The email template contains the subject and body of the message that Salesforce will send automatically. You can also add merge fields such as Account Name, Contract End Date, or User Name to personalize each email.

Create Email Alert in Salesforce

Next, we need to create the Email Alert, in which we can add who will get the email and which email template will be used.

Here, you can choose the recipients, such as the Account Owner, Contract Owner, or a specific User or Role. This way, the right person will receive the reminder at the correct time.

To create an Email Alert, in the Quick Find Box, search for “Email Alerts.” You will see an option under Process Automation. -> Click on Email Alerts.

Create Time-Dependent Workflow in Salesforce

Now, let’s create a Time-Dependent Workflow in Salesforce. A Workflow Rule is where we set the condition for when the workflow should run. After that, we add a Time Trigger to determine when the action should occur, such as 3 days before a contract’s end date.

To create the Workflow Rule in the Quick Find Box, search for “Workflow Rules.” You will see an option under Process Automation. -> Click on Workflow Rules.
- Click the New Rule button to create a new workflow rule in Salesforce.

Then, select the Object from the dropdown. This is the object on which you want to create the Workflow. Here, I have selected a Contract object. Then click the Next button to proceed.

Select Object in Salesforce Workflow Rule

Next, provide the Rule Name and choose the Evaluation Criteria. For time-dependent workflows. I have added:
- Created, and any time it’s edited to subsequently meet criteria.
- This makes sure the workflow runs only when the record starts matching the condition.

Next, add the criteria as per your requirement so that the workflow runs only when those conditions are true. For example, we can set the criteria as:
- Contract Status = Activated
- End Date is greater than TODAY()

This means the workflow will only run for active contracts that have a future end date. After adding the criteria, click Save & Next to proceed.

Rule Criteria in Salesforce Workflow Rule

After that, we need to Specify Workflow Actions. In this step, we have the option to add Time-Dependent Workflow Actions, which allows us to schedule actions that will run before or after a specific date field.
- Click the Add Time Trigger button to schedule actions.

Here, you can choose when the action should run, such as a certain number of days or hours before or after a specified date field.
- For example, set it to 3 Days Before Contract End Date. Once saved, this trigger ensures the action occurs exactly at that time.
- After adding the time trigger, click the Save button.

Add Time Trigger in Salesforce Workflow Rules

To send an email, we need to click on the “Add Workflow Action” dropdown under the time trigger. Since we already created the Email Alert, just select Existing Action and choose that Email Alert from the list.
- This way, the workflow will use the email alert and send the reminder at the scheduled time.

In the Action Type, we need to select Email Alert, and from the Available Actions, select the email alert we created earlier. Then click Add to move it to the selected actions list.

Select Existing Action in Workflow Rules

In this way, we can add the Email Alert to the Time Trigger and create a Time-Dependent Workflow in Salesforce.
- Once everything is set up, activate the Workflow Rule so that it starts working. After activation, Salesforce will automatically schedule and run the actions at the defined time.

Create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce Workflow Rules

Conclusion

I hope you have got an idea about how to create Time-Dependent Workflow Actions in Salesforce, step by step. With this feature, you can easily schedule reminders, updates, or tasks to run at the right time and make your business processes more automated.

In this, I have explained the steps to create a workflow and how to add a time trigger to execute the workflow at a specific time.

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