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Which Automation Features Does Your Plan Include? Check Before You Build

Learn how to verify which automation features your plan includes before building, so you avoid drafting flows with actions or triggers you cannot actually use.

MeshLine TeamOctober 16, 2026

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Building an automation flow takes real effort.

You map the trigger, write the emails, configure the branches, and test the timing.

It is frustrating to discover at the end that a key action, such as SMS messaging or a webhook step, is not available on your plan.

The good news is that this is avoidable.

A short verification pass before you build tells you exactly what your subscription supports.

This article walks through how to check plan availability in Mailchimp and HubSpot.

It also gives a general checklist you can apply to any automation tool.

The goal is simple: confirm the features you need before you invest design time.

Why plan checks come before flow design

Automation platforms gate features by subscription tier, and the gates are not always obvious from the builder interface.

Mailchimp's help documentation states that, depending on your plan, you may not have access to all marketing automation flow tools.

It points readers to the pricing page to see what each plan includes Mailchimp.

The same pattern appears for classic automations, where automated email series are limited to certain pricing plans Mailchimp.

HubSpot works differently but has the same underlying reality.

Workflow enrollment triggers are available with Professional and Enterprise subscriptions across its hubs, except where noted HubSpot.

Individual actions also carry subscription conditions, which we will look at below.

The practical takeaway: the builder may let you draft a step your plan cannot run.

Verifying first saves rework.

How to check availability in Mailchimp

Mailchimp gives you two reliable signals: the pricing page and the builder itself.

Start with the pricing page

Mailchimp's own help articles repeatedly direct users to the pricing page to find out what features are included in each plan Mailchimp.

Before you design anything, list the specific capabilities your flow needs, such as email series, SMS actions, or webhooks.

Confirm each one against the current pricing page for your tier.

Watch for feature-specific prerequisites

Some capabilities depend on more than your tier.

Mailchimp's SMS actions require an approved SMS Marketing program, and you need SMS credits for the messages to send Mailchimp.

You can create a flow draft with a Send SMS action while your application is still processing, but the action will not work until approval and credits are in place.

E-commerce flow templates similarly require a connected store Mailchimp.

So a complete check has two layers: does your plan include the feature, and does the feature have its own setup requirements?

Know what the builder will and will not block

Webhooks are a useful example of partial access.

On Mailchimp's Free or Essentials plans, you can set up a webhook and see the feature, but you will be prompted to upgrade before enabling the step.

Webhooks require the Standard or Premium plan Mailchimp.

That means a visible option in the builder is not proof of usable access.

If you can configure a step but not activate it, treat that as a plan signal and confirm against pricing.

How to check availability in HubSpot

HubSpot documents subscription conditions at the level of individual workflow actions, which makes verification more precise but also more detailed.

Check the action list for your hub and tier

HubSpot's workflow actions documentation marks each action with the subscriptions that support it.

The Send email action, for example, is available with Marketing Hub and Service Hub Professional and Enterprise only HubSpot.

Internal marketing emails are limited to Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise, and only in contact-based workflows HubSpot.

There are also edge cases worth knowing.

HubSpot notes that some users may see the Send email action section in the Workflows tool even when the emails are not available to use.

The action is limited to specific scenarios, such as sending automated emails when a ticket is received or closed HubSpot.

Seeing an action listed is not the same as being able to use it in the way you intend.

Check add-ons separately from tiers

Some actions depend on an add-on rather than a hub tier.

The Send SMS message action in HubSpot requires the Marketing SMS Add-On HubSpot.

If you cannot add an SMS step to your flow, the cause may be a missing add-on rather than your base subscription.

Check object-type conditions too

Availability is not only about plan.

Property management actions depend on the record type.

Contact, company, and deal properties can be managed in all products and plans that include workflows.

Lead properties require Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise, and ticket properties require Service Hub Professional or Enterprise.

Custom object properties require Enterprise accounts HubSpot.

If you are deciding which object type your workflow should build on, plan conditions are part of that decision.

A general checklist for any automation platform

Whatever tool you use, the same verification pattern applies.

Work through these questions before building:

Core triggers. Does your plan support the enrollment or entry trigger you need? In HubSpot, webhook-based enrollment triggers are only available with Data Hub Professional and Enterprise HubSpot.
Message actions. Can your plan send the message types you need, whether email series, SMS, or WhatsApp? Each carries its own subscription condition HubSpot.
Channel prerequisites. Does the channel require separate approval, a connected store, or credits before it will send Mailchimp?
Object and record support. Does your subscription cover the record types your workflow will manage HubSpot?
Permissions. Some triggers depend on user permissions. In HubSpot, if your user account lacks Forms permission, the form submission enrollment trigger will not display HubSpot. Confirm your own access, not just the account's plan.
Re-enrollment behavior. By default, records enroll the first time they meet the triggers or are enrolled manually; re-enrollment requires separate configuration HubSpot. Confirm how your platform handles repeat enrollment before designing around it.

An illustrative verification pass

Here is how this looks in practice.

Suppose an operator plans a flow that sends a welcome email series, follows with an SMS reminder, and notifies the sales team internally.

Before designing, they check three things.

First, whether their plan includes automated email series.

Second, whether an approved SMS program and credits exist.

Third, whether internal notifications are available on their tier.

The check reveals that email series and internal notifications are covered, but the SMS program application has not been submitted.

They can draft the full flow now, submit the SMS application, and schedule activation for after approval, rather than discovering the gap on launch day.

This is an illustrative scenario, not a reported customer result.

The value of the pattern is that every blocker is found while it is still cheap to fix.

What to do when a feature is missing

If your check turns up a gap, you have a few options, each with tradeoffs:

Upgrade the plan or add the add-on. This is the direct fix, but weigh the cost against how central the capability is to your program.
Redesign the flow. Replace an unavailable action with one your plan supports. An SMS reminder might become a plain-text email, accepting a different open pattern.
Route around the platform. A webhook step can hand events to another tool that performs the action, but this adds integration maintenance and requires the webhook capability itself Mailchimp.
Defer the step. Launch the flow without the missing action and add it once the plan, add-on, or approval is in place.

The right choice depends on how important the capability is to the flow's goal, not on any universal rule.

Common mistakes when checking plan features

Trusting the builder alone. As the Mailchimp webhook example shows, you can sometimes configure a step you cannot enable Mailchimp.
Ignoring prerequisites. An approved program, connected store, or sufficient credits can block an action even when the plan includes it Mailchimp.
Assuming one check covers everything. Plan tier, add-ons, object types, and user permissions all affect availability, and they are verified in different places.
Checking once and never again. Plans change, and platforms adjust packaging over time. Re-verify against current pricing and documentation when you plan a new flow.

Where this fits in your build process

Plan verification is the first gate in a sound automation build.

Once you know what your subscription supports, the next decisions follow naturally.

Which trigger type fits the situation, whether to start from a template or build from scratch, and which object type the workflow should manage.

Each of those choices is easier when the feature boundaries are already clear.

Treat the check as a short, specific exercise: list the triggers, actions, and channels your flow needs.

Confirm each against current pricing and documentation, and note any separate approvals or credits required.

Only then start designing.

The time spent is small compared with rebuilding a flow around a feature you cannot use.

Verify the plan before the design.
A flow built on confirmed capabilities ships once; a flow built on assumptions ships twice.

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