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How to create an automation
How to create an automation

All about creating and activating an automation

Updated over 2 weeks ago

📣 Note

This article references Automations 2.0, our new automations builder that comes with conditional logic, 3rd party app integrations, and more. Haven't switched to Automations 2.0 yet? Request to switch with our Support team: click the question mark icon "?" on any page and chat in "Talk to a person."

Automations allow you to automate actions in your projects’ lifecycles, at the trigger and timing of your choice. We’ll cover how to create a new automation and activate it below.

There are seven key components to creating an automation and setting it live. Click the anchor links below to be brought to the instructions for that step.

  1. Create a new automation (required)

  2. Set the trigger (required)

  3. Add the first action (required)

  4. Add waits (optional)

  5. Add additional actions (optional)

  6. Add a condition (optional)

  7. Activate the automation (optional, but required for the automation to start running in projects)

📚 Tip

Prefer a guided course? Check out the Academy: I didn't know I could automate that!

Create a new automation

  1. From your top navigation bar, click Automations

  2. Select Create Automation

    1. Or, select one of the automation templates, which you can quickly customize to fit your business

  3. Click into the title field to the top left of your screen and rename it

Set the trigger

A trigger is the event and conditions that will cause the automation to start running in projects. Each automation starts with one trigger.

  1. From your automation, click Set a trigger in the sidebar

  2. From the sidebar, set the automation trigger

    1. Depending on the trigger you select, you may also be prompted to select additional criteria, such as session type(s), file template(s), or lead form(s)

    2. Learn more about the triggers available to you here

  3. Choose whether the trigger will apply for Any project type or Specific project types

    1. If you select Specific, select the project type(s) for which the trigger will apply

Add an action

An action is something that happens when the automation runs.

  1. At the appropriate point in your automation, click the large plus (+) icon > select Action

  2. Click Set an action in the sidebar

  3. From the sidebar, click the drop-down and select the action

    1. Depending on the action you select, you may also be prompted to select or enter additional information, such as the email or file template

    2. Learn more about the actions available to you here

Add a wait

A wait is a wait time or delay between the automation trigger and first action, or an automation action and the following action. A wait can be either time-related or event-related.

  1. At the appropriate point in your automation, click the large plus (+) icon > select Wait

  2. From the sidebar, define the wait. You can choose either:

    1. Set wait time (time-related)

      1. If you choose this option, enter a number and select the unit of time: minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months

    2. Wait until... (event-related)

      1. If you choose this option, select the event

        1. The automation run will wait until the event happens in the project

Add a condition

A condition allows you to branch your automation to different steps, based on if a criteria is met.

Learn how to add a condition to your automation here.

Activate or deactivate an automation

📣 Note

An automation will not "run" in projects until you've activated it by following the steps below.

  1. First, either:

    1. Click Tools in your top navigation bar > Automations > locate the automation that you’d like to activate or deactivate from your full automations list

    2. Or, open the automations builder for the automation that you’d like to activate or deactivate

  2. Toggle the Active status ON or OFF

    1. If toggled ON, the automation will start running in any of the selected project type(s) whenever the trigger takes place

      1. You can track your automations’ runs by navigating to Tools > Automations > Activity tab

      2. Triggers do not work retroactively–your automation will run only when the trigger criteria is met moving forward

    2. If toggled OFF, the automation will stop working

      1. Any runs already triggered will continue

        1. If needed, you can manually cancel an automation in a project from the Activity tab

Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!

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