Creating an Automation

In this article, you will learn how to:

1. Create a new automation

2. Activate an automation

Create a New Automation

1. Click on Automations in the Board Settings menu on the left.

2. Click + New Automation.

3. Enter a descriptive title. We like to include the action + condition in the title. For example: New Lead: Send Email

4. Assign the Automation to a folder. Folders help you organize your automations. Some users organize by action; others organize them by stage.

5. Next, you’ll set up the trigger and its conditions (this is similar to a filter - the automation will fire on any card that meets the condition criteria within the trigger).

Triggers and Conditions

Automations can be triggered in multiple ways. Refer to the following table to understand each trigger type.

Trigger	Definition	Condition
On Stage Change	When a card moves from one stage on the board to another	Select the stage.
On Reply	When an email address associated with a card receives an inbound message	• Select the trigger frequency. Only run once will only trigger the Automation upon the first reply while Run on every reply will trigger the Automation every time you receive an email reply. • Define the stage(s) the card is present at time of reply that should qualify for the trigger. If you would like all stages to qualify, leave the stage as is. • Select the senders whose emails should be available to qualify for this trigger. • Define what will happen if the card happens to be archived. You may either ignore replies sent to archived cards or reopen the card.
Custom Condition	When a card field meets your selected conditions and their corresponding criteria	• Select the field(s) you want to observe • Define the criteria that the field needs to meet for the trigger. • Conditions can be stacked using an AND operator by selecting the + And condition button. • Conditions can be deleted by clicking the three dots located at the top-right corner of the condition card. • Aptly will calculate which existing cards match your defined criteria. Click the View button to preview the matching cards. 💡 Take caution that you are not defining custom conditions that may result in an unwanted loop.
Field Group Completion	When all fields within a specific group are completed	Select the field group that should trigger the automation when all fields are completed.
Task Completion	When a task has been marked complete	Select the task template that should trigger the automation when all selected tasks are completed.

6. Select the Action that you want the automation to complete for you. You can add additional actions that you want to fire when meeting the conditions set in the trigger.

Actions

After a trigger has been activated, there are various actions that can take place. Refer to the following table to understand each action type.

Action	Description
Archive Card Archive Card & Conversations	Typically used when a card enters a closed stage, you can have the card archived immediately or after a certain amount of time. Additionally, you can set the card to update if it's unqualified. This is usually used for lost leads. Choosing Archive Card & Conversations will move the card and any attached conversations to archived.
Change Stage	Aptly can move a card to a different stage when conditions for the trigger are met.
Create Follow-up	This will create a task on the dashboard for the assignee. It will include the type of follow-up and set a due date.
Create Task	Add tasks to the card when the conditions are met. You can manually add 1 or more tasks or use a task template (recommended for multiple tasks).
Create PDF	Generate a PDF using a selected template to save to a specified Files field. The files field must be a multiple attachments field.
Notify via a mention	Set up a notification to all selected users or to a whole team. You can include a message to add details to the notification. It will also be added as a comment with an @mention to the card comments along with a follow-up on the dashboard.
POST to URL (Webhook)
Send Email	Send an email to a specified sender using a communication template. Choose: • When the email will be sent • Will you honor business hours? • Inbox that you want to send the email from • How many emails that you'll send (multiple/separate or single) to each contact • Communication Template • Who is the sender? Use the Inbox name or Specify a User • Who are you sending the email to? ◦ All Contacts on the Card ◦ The Assignee for the Card ◦ Certain Contact Types - choose all that apply to the email and that are on the card ◦ Contact Field - any contact in a specified field that has been added to the card. ◦ Specific Addresses - manually enter email addresses. Hit enter after each one. • CC or additional recipients
Send Text/SMS	Similar parameters for sending an SMS as sending an Email. • When the email will be sent • Will you honor business hours? • Inbox that you want to send the email from • Communication Template • Contact Type to send the email to • Additional recipients
Update Assignee	You can change the assignee of the card once it is triggered. This is helpful when a process is shared in a team. Each team member is responsible for different stages. Aptly can reassign the cards automatically.
Update Due Date	Changes the due date to a later date or updates the date on a specific field.
Update Related Cards Stage	If there are related cards (usually on a linked board), they will be moved in tandem with the cards on the current board.
Update Specific Fields	Select card fields that should be updated when the automation is triggered. You can choose any card fields that you have on the card.

7. Select the Timing. When do you want the automation to fire?

Option	Description
Immediately	Automation will fire as soon as it meets the conditions and is first in the queue.
Specific Day of the Week	Fires whenever the day of the week is selected and after a certain time of the day. For example, every Monday after 8am.
Specific Day of the Month	Select the date of the month when you want the automation to fire. For example, on the 1st of every month, send a rent reminder to any leases with a balance.
Specific Days of the Month	Select a range of dates when you want the automation to fire. For example, from the 1st to the 5th, send a reminder email to any leases who haven’t paid their balance.
Certain Days of the Week	Select multiple days of the week when you want an automation to fire. For example, create a task every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to check the status of a work order.
After	Fire an automation after a set number of minutes, hours, days, months. For example, notify the property manager after 5 days if their card remains in one stage.

8. Click Save.

Activate Automations

• Open the automation by clicking on it and toggle ENABLED to the ON position. The toggle will turn green to indicate an active automation. Click Save at the bottom.

• Navigate to your Automation within the folders and toggle it ON.

Related Articles

• Intro to Automations

• Navigate an Aptly Board

• What are Cards?