Building your first automation
An automation connects a trigger (what starts it), optional conditions (filters), and actions (what happens). You'll build the whole thing in a visual node editor by dragging nodes onto a canvas and connecting them. Here's a walkthrough that creates a task and sends a welcome email every time a specific form gets submitted.
Step 1: Create a new automation
- Open the Automations section from the main menu.
- Click "New" to open the visual builder with an empty canvas.
Step 2: Add the trigger
The trigger determines what event starts your automation. Trigger options include task created, task completed, task status changed, invoice paid, proposal signed, form submitted, and more.
- Drag a trigger node onto the canvas.
- Select "Form submitted" as the trigger type.
- Choose which form to watch in the trigger settings. The automation only fires for submissions to the form you pick, not every form in your workspace.
Step 3: Add the first action (create a task)
Actions define what happens when the trigger fires. Available actions include create task, send email, send notification, update field, move task, create invoice, and more.
- Connect a new action node below the trigger.
- Select "Create task" as the action type. The field mapping panel opens.
- Map form fields to task fields. For example, map the form's "Name" field to the task title, and the form's "Description" field to the task body.
- Set fixed values for project and assignee, so every task created by the automation lands in the right project with the right person assigned.
Step 4: Add the second action (send an email)
- Chain a second action node below the first.
- Select "Send email" as the action type. The template editor opens.
- Set the recipient to the form submitter's email address.
- Write the subject line and body. You can include variables like the submitter's name and the task title that was just created.
Step 5: Add conditions (optional)
Conditions filter which entities actually trigger the automation. For example, you could add a condition so the automation only runs when the form submission includes a specific answer. Conditions sit between the trigger and actions in the flow.
Step 6: Save and activate
- Click "Save" to store the automation as a draft. You can review and test the flow before making it live.
- Activate the automation to make it live. The next form submission triggers the full chain: a task gets created with the mapped form data, and the submitter receives a personalized email, all within seconds of hitting submit.
