Each step of your automation will include an action and a trigger. We'll cover all of the actions and triggers that are available to you, and what they mean, below.
đŁ Note
This article references automations, available for Essentials and Premium plan members. Learn more about the features included in each plan here.
Actions
An action is a specific event that takes place in a particular automation step.
đŁ Note
Your account may look a little different, depending on whether your account has smart files. If you do have smart files, you may not see the Send file via email option. If you don't, click here to learn more about smart files and add them to your account.
Send email
The Send email action allows you to select one of your existing email templates, or create a new email template, to include in a step of an automation.
After selecting or creating an email template, you can click Preview & edit > Edit This email to adjust the language of the email for the automation. Any changes you make to the email from the automation will only affect the email in the automationâthis wonât change your original email template.
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Editing an email within an automation untethers it from its template, so no future edits made to the original template will be reflected in the automation. If you opt to not edit the email within the automation, the selected email will remain tied to its template. Then, if you make changes within the original email template, those changes will be reflected in the automations in which that email has been left unedited.
Create task
The Create task action allows the automation to add a task to your (or a member of your team's) task list, using the trigger and timing to assign the due date. When the automation reaches that step and the trigger occurs, the assignee will see the task appear. Your clients will not be able to see your task list.
Send file via email
đŁ Note
You may not see this option if your account only has smart files, our newest file experience offering more power and customization.
The Send file via email action allows you to select your legacy file template of choice (a brochure or questionnaire) for that step of the automation. Youâll also choose an email template for this step, since legacy files always need to be sent with an email.
As with the Send an email action, you can click Preview & Edit > Edit This Email to adjust the language of the email template for the particular automation. At the moment, however, you will not be able to individually edit the legacy file template for specific automations.
Send smart file via email
The Send smart file via email action allows you to select one of your existing smart templates to include in a step of an automation. Youâll also choose an email template that will go out with the smart file.
As with the Send an Email action, you can click Preview & Edit > Edit This Email to adjust the language of the email template for the particular automation. At the moment, however, you will not be able to individually edit the smart template for specific automations.
Move Pipeline stage
The Move Pipeline stage action allows the automation to move the associated project to a particular pipeline stage when the chosen trigger occurs.
đ Tip
This action takes manual work out of moving projects through your pipeline. If you have a unique trigger (such as: after a smart file is completed, after a session ends) that signals a pipeline stage move, you can use this action to have the stage move occur automatically.
Remember to also set up pipeline automations for full control over your pipeline.
Triggers
Triggers allow you to dictate which event causes a step in an automation (the action) to occur, and when the action should take place. Once youâve added an action to an automation, youâll be prompted to select the trigger.
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At this time, some triggers are available only for smart files, and some only for legacy files. If a trigger is available only for legacy files, a note will be included below.
After activating the automation
The action will trigger a set amount of time after the automation has been activated in a project. An automation can be activated automatically when a contact form is submitted, when a lead form is submitted, or you can activate by manually applying it to an individual project.
Before a project date / after a project date
The âproject dateâ will either be the single date associated with the project, or the start date (if an end date is set). The action will trigger a set amount of time before or after the project date occurs, as it is set in the project details.
Before a project end date / after a project end date
The âend dateâ will need to be specified in your project details, in conjunction with a start date. If an end date is set, the action will trigger a set amount of time before or after the end date occurs.
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If no end date is set, steps with an "end date" trigger will be skipped.
After the previous step is complete
The action will trigger a set amount of time after the previous step in the automation has completed. This is the only trigger that is dependent on other steps in the automation.
After a contract is signed
The action will trigger a set amount of time after a contract has been signed by a client in the project. If the contract includes multiple signature lines for multiple clients, the action will trigger after the first signature has been added.
After a questionnaire is submitted
The action will trigger a set amount of time after a questionnaire has been submitted by a client in the project.
After the invoice is paid in full
The action will trigger a set amount of time after the final payment in a payment schedule has been made. A few notes:
If the payment schedule only contains one payment (versus multiple payments), the action will trigger after the sole payment
The payment file must be active (i.e., not expired) in order for the trigger to function
If a file contains a recurring invoice, the trigger will only occur after the final payment date, if there is an end date set
If your automation includes both a âfirst paymentâ and âpaid in fullâ trigger and the automation is applied to a project with a single-payment smart file or legacy file, both automation steps will trigger when the sole payment is made
Manually marking a payment as paid will not activate this trigger
After the first payment is made
The action will trigger a set amount of time after the first payment in a payment schedule has been made. A few notes:
If the payment schedule only contains one payment (versus multiple payments), the action will trigger after the sole payment
The payment file must be active (i.e., not expired) in order for the trigger to function
If your automation includes both a âfirst paymentâ and âpaid in fullâ trigger and the automation is applied to a project with a single-payment smart file or legacy file, both automation steps will trigger when the sole payment is made
Manually marking a payment as paid will not activate this trigger
After a project has been moved to the âCompletedâ stage
The action will trigger a set amount of time after the project has been moved into the Completed stage in your project pipeline. Moving a project here will need to be done by manually changing the project stage.
After a brochure is submitted
đŁ Note
At this time, this trigger is not available for smart filesâonly for brochure legacy files.
The action will trigger a set amount of time after a brochure legacy file has been submitted by a client.
After a smart file is completed
The action will trigger after a smart file is completed. If you select this option, you can select the specific template(s) that will apply to this trigger, or all.
đ Tip
A smart file is considered completed once the client has completed all actions and mandatory questions and navigated to the final page of the smart file. However, if the final page contains questions or actions, the client must submit the final page in order for the file to be considered completed.
You can also manually mark a smart file in which the client has completed all required actions as completed. Learn how here.
After all required signatures are signed
The action will trigger a set amount of time after all of the required signatures in a contract have been signed.
After session is scheduled
The action will trigger after a session is scheduled by a participant in the project.
When setting up your automation, you'll have the option to select which session types (including team members') will activate this trigger, or all.
After session starts
The action will trigger after the project's session begins.
When setting up your automation, you'll have the option to select which session types (including team members') will activate this trigger, or all.
After session ends
The action will trigger after the first session scheduled in the project ends.
When setting up your automation, you'll have the option to select which session types (including team members') will activate this trigger, or all.
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