Workflows: Append Values to Multi-Select Fields

TL;DR

The 'Update Contact Field' action in HighLevel workflows now supports appending values to multi-select contact fields. This means existing selections will not be overwritten. No immediate action is required unless your workflows rely on replacing multi-select values, which is still the default 'Update field data' operation.

Who this affects

HighLevel has not confirmed who this specifically affects. Anyone using or building workflows that update multi-dropdown or multiple-checkbox fields should note this change.

What changed

HighLevel has updated the 'Update Contact Field' action within workflows.

Here are the specifics:

• The 'Update Contact Field' action now includes a new 'Add' action type.
• This 'Add' action type enables appending new values to multi-dropdown and multiple-checkbox fields.
• When the 'Add' action type is selected, the field picker will exclusively display multi-dropdown and multiple-checkbox fields.
• Previously, any update to a multi-select field would replace all existing selections with the new input.
• HighLevel now offers three distinct operations for field data:
  • 'Update field data': This operation replaces any current values in the field.
  • 'Add to field data': This new operation adds to existing values without removing them.
  • 'Clear field data': This operation empties the field entirely.

HighLevel has not confirmed any limits, plan gating, or the rollout status for this feature.

Where to find it

This update is found within HighLevel's Workflows.

Specifically, navigate to a workflow, add or edit an action, and select 'Update Contact Field'. The new 'Add' action type will be available within this action's settings.

How agencies will use this

Agencies can use this to build more flexible data collection and management in workflows. For example, consider a contact filling out multiple forms over time, each indicating different product interests (e.g., 'CRM', 'SMS', 'Email Marketing'). Instead of overwriting previous interests, a workflow can now append these new interests to a multi-select custom field called 'Product Interests'.

When a contact submits a 'Product Interest Form', a workflow can trigger. The 'Update Contact Field' action within this workflow would be configured to 'Add' the newly selected product interest to the existing 'Product Interests' field. This ensures a comprehensive history of a contact's interests is maintained without needing to consolidate responses manually or through complex conditional logic.

Our take

This is a standard workflow enhancement. It addresses a specific point of friction for agencies needing to append, rather than replace, values in multi-select fields. While not a groundbreaking feature, it provides more granular control over contact data management, making workflows slightly more powerful for specific use cases. It's an incremental improvement that solves a common data management problem within the platform. Agencies should note the new 'Add' option for relevant workflows but it does not warrant an immediate audit of all existing setups.