SQL Workflow — Cloning MQL & Adding Criteria Groups

Overview

When a client already has a working MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) workflow in HubSpot, the fastest and most reliable way to build an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) workflow is to clone the MQL workflow and layer additional qualification criteria on top. This avoids rebuilding shared logic from scratch and keeps the two workflows structurally consistent.

This pattern was developed during ^[1] HubSpot automation work, where the goal was to add BANT-based qualification as the gate between MQL and SQL status.

The Pattern

1. Ensure Prerequisite Fields Are Checkbox Type

SQL criteria that will be evaluated in workflow logic should be checkbox fields, not text or dropdown fields. Checkboxes allow simple true/false evaluation in HubSpot workflow conditions.

For BANT qualification specifically, create four separate checkbox fields on the Deal object:

Add a fifth supporting field:

Why checkboxes? Text and dropdown fields require matching specific string values, which is brittle. A checkbox evaluated as is true is unambiguous and easy to maintain.

2. Clone the MQL Workflow

In HubSpot Workflows:

1. Navigate to Automations → Workflows
2. Locate the existing MQL workflow
3. Hover over the workflow row — a Clone option appears
4. Clone it; rename the copy to reflect SQL (e.g., "SQL — Sales Qualified Lead")

Cloning preserves all existing enrollment criteria and actions, so the SQL workflow inherits the full MQL qualification logic automatically.

3. Add a New Criteria Group to the Top Tile

The top tile of a HubSpot workflow defines the enrollment trigger — the conditions a record must meet to enter the workflow.

1. Open the cloned SQL workflow
2. Click the top tile (enrollment trigger)
3. Scroll to the bottom of the existing criteria
4. Click Add criteria group (creates an AND group — all groups must be satisfied)
5. Add one condition per BANT checkbox field: [Field] is true

The resulting logic reads:

[All existing MQL criteria]
AND
[Budget is true]
AND
[Authority is true]
AND
[Need is true]
AND
[Timeline is true]

A contact or deal will only enter the SQL workflow after satisfying every MQL condition plus a completed BANT assessment.

4. Update Workflow Actions

Review the cloned workflow's action steps and update anything MQL-specific:

• Change the lifecycle stage or lead status value being set (e.g., from Marketing Qualified Lead → Sales Qualified Lead)
• Update any notification or task names to reference SQL
• Adjust any internal notification copy

Key Decisions & Rationale

• Clone rather than rebuild — the MQL criteria are a strict subset of SQL criteria. Cloning enforces this relationship and reduces maintenance surface area.
• Criteria group in the top tile, not a branch — all qualification logic lives in the enrollment gate. This keeps the workflow body focused on actions, not conditional routing.
• BANT as checkboxes, not a composite score — for this use case, all four BANT dimensions must be confirmed. A simple all-true gate is more transparent to sales teams than a weighted score.

HubSpot Access Note

Verifying that deal properties appear correctly on deal records requires access to the CRM Deals view (via the address book / CRM section), not necessarily the Sales Workspace. If a Sales seat is unavailable, the main CRM Deals tab provides sufficient visibility to confirm property display and values.

See also: ^[2]

Related

• ^[3]
• ^[4]
• ^[5]