How We Build Abandoned Application Workflows

Win back applicants before they walk

Someone starts a loan or account application, then stops. An abandoned application workflow follows up with a timely, helpful nudge to bring them back and finish.

Why it matters: These applicants already raised their hand. Recovering even a small share of them is one of the fastest, most measurable wins in HubSpot — and with the right datestamps, you can show exactly how many completed applications and funded loans the workflow drove.

How the workflow is built

Enrollment trigger — The contact submits the "step 0" form (the first step of the application, where we capture name and email).

Suppression — We exclude anyone who has viewed the final application/confirmation page in the last 2 days, so people who already finished never get a "come back" email. We also suppress the standard non-marketing groups: hard bounces, unsubscribes, and members flagged "do not market" in your core.

Re-enrollment — On. If someone abandons again weeks or months later, they get the sequence again.

Goal — The contact leaves the workflow as soon as they finish. We set the goal using whichever signal is available, in this order:

Completion page view — The contact viewed the application confirmation page URL.
Custom event — A custom event that fires on that same confirmation page view (useful when the URL is shared or dynamic).
LOS data — If we don't have page tracking but do have a loan origination system (LOS) integration, the goal is an associated deal with the matching product type (e.g., an Auto Loan deal).

Workflow steps:

Delay — A short wait (typically a few hours to a day) so applicants have time to finish on their own before we follow up.
Set enrollment datestamp — Set "Date Enrolled in Abandoned App Workflow" (e.g., "Date Enrolled in Auto Abandoned App Workflow") to the current date.
Email series — Typically 2–4 emails spaced over 1–2 weeks, each linking back to the application and answering common hesitations (rates, documents needed, help from a real person).

Data requirements

Required:

Step 0 form on the application page — A HubSpot form that creates or updates the contact with at least first name, last name and an email address.
HubSpot tracking code on the application pages, including the final confirmation page.
Confirmation page URL — A consistent, identifiable "application complete" URL (or a custom event built on it).
Enrollment datestamp property — "Date Enrolled in [Product] Abandoned App Workflow" (date picker, contact object).

Required for attribution (at least one):

Application submission date — From your LOS integration, stored on the deal or contact. Used to attribute completed applications.
Account/loan open date — From your core integration on a deal or custom object, with a product type. Used to attribute opened products.

Helpful:

Product type on the form or URL — Lets us split workflows by product (auto, mortgage, HELOC, credit card) so messaging stays relevant.
LOS application status — Lets us tell "submitted" from "approved" or "funded."

Pre-launch checklist

Step 0 form identified and tested; submissions create contacts
Tracking code confirmed on all application pages, including the confirmation page
Confirmation page URL (or custom event) verified with a test submission
Suppression in place: confirmation page view in last 2 days, bounces, unsubscribes, core "do not market"
Re-enrollment turned on, using the step 0 form submission as the re-enrollment trigger
Goal set (page view, custom event, or associated deal by product type)
Initial delay set
Enrollment datestamp action placed after the delay and before the first email
Emails reviewed, approved, and linked to the correct application
Attribution source confirmed (LOS submission date or core open date)
Attribution window agreed (e.g., 30 days)

How we report on it

What we compare: "Date Enrolled in Abandoned App Workflow" vs. the outcome date.

Two ways to measure success — we build whichever matches what you want to see:

Completed applications attributed to the workflow — Compares the enrollment date to the application submission date from your LOS.
Opened products attributed to the workflow — Compares the enrollment date to the open date of a matching account (e.g., an auto loan).

How it's built: A formula field in a custom report checks whether the outcome date falls after the enrollment date and within the attribution window. Contacts that pass are counted as attributed conversions.

Typical dashboard tiles:

Contacts enrolled
Applications completed after enrollment
Products opened after enrollment, by product type
Email engagement (open and click rates) to show which message moves people

Important Notes & Limitations

Re-enrollment overwrites the datestamp — Each new abandonment resets the enrollment date. Attribution reflects the most recent abandonment, which is usually what you want.
No email, no workflow — If the step 0 form doesn't capture an email address and create a contact, we can't follow up.
Cross-domain applications need care — If the application lives on a vendor domain (e.g., your LOS), the HubSpot tracking code must be installed there, or we rely on LOS data for the goal and reporting.
Custom events require Enterprise — Without them, we use the confirmation page URL or LOS data.
No backfill — Attribution reporting starts the day the enrollment datestamp goes live.