Automation workflows, tested before recommended

We build small-business automation workflows on real accounts, run them, break them on purpose, and publish what happened: operation counts, failure modes, costs, and the exported scenario.

run recordclient-intake v1 + v2 / 2026-08-16 and 2026-08-20

2026-08-16 00:50New lead: form to contact, deal, link, acknowledgement6 opssuccess

2026-08-16 00:51Same lead again: update path, no second email3 opssuccess

2026-08-16 22:15Broken association step, no handler: scenario deactivated5 opserror

2026-08-20 21:33Broken association step, with handler: lead still acknowledged7 opssuccess

2026-08-20 21:35Duplicate 29 ms after original: caught, one alert, one email4 opssuccess

Current lab: client intake for solo consultants and small agencies, on the free plans of Tally, Make, HubSpot and Brevo. Every page below names its test date and evidence pack.

Build it

Tested workflowTally to HubSpot to follow-up: a tested client-intake workflow for solo consultantsTested 2026-08-16

Tested workflowWhat a HubSpot Free form actually does with a client intake, measured over two runsTested 2026-08-23

TemplateThe client-intake Make blueprint: download, import, and what to change before it runsTested 2026-08-21

When it breaks

What breaksWhat breaks in a no-code client-intake automation: 7 failure modes we observed, and the fixes we testedTested 2026-08-16

TroubleshootingMake scenario deactivated after an error: why it happens, and the fix we testedTested 2026-08-21

Decide

Who should skip itHubSpot's free form, or a form plus automation stack: what the tests sayTested 2026-08-23

Who should skip itWho should not automate client intake with Tally, Make, HubSpot and BrevoTested 2026-08-23

ToolClient-intake cost calculatorRuns in your browser; numbers from our measured runs

Run records

Run recordEvidence record: client intake on Tally, Make, HubSpot Free and Brevo (v1)Case by case, with what we did not test

Run recordEvidence record: error handling and alerts for the client-intake chain (v2, v2.1, v2.2)Case by case, with what we did not test

Run record"Evidence record: a CRM's own free form as the whole intake (native form, no automation layer)"Case by case, with what we did not test