What are automations

Automations, or workflow automations, are a tool that allow you to create rules that will perform actions automatically. Automations run based on rules and conditions you customize and define. They are an extremely useful tool, allowing you to create unique workflows, cut down on manual work, keep people informed, organize work, and more. There are many options, so if you need assistance in creating a specific automation, feel free to reach out to the support team. 

How automations work

Automations are made of three parts:

1. What the automation runs on.
2. What the automation is triggered by.
3. What actions(s) the automation performs.

Runs on - Defines the item on which the action(s) will be performed. Automations can run on: Tickets, tasks, features, projects, timesheets. You can further define the 'runs on' to include only certain item types, or by adding one or more filters. 

Triggers - Defines the event which will trigger the action to perform. Triggers will vary depending on what you are running the automation on.

Action(s) - Defines one or more actions which will be taken upon the item. Actions will vary depenfing on what you are running the automation on.

Access your automations

All automation rules are found in the automation center. The automation center is accessible to admin-level users. It is found in Administration --> Automations. Or from the top bar under Tools --> Automation Center. 

Disabled automations

Automations can be turned off without being deleted. These automations do not run until they are enabled.

To disable an automation set the toggle to 'Off' under the 'Enabled' column. 

Disabled automations are hidden from the automation center by default.

To show all automations, toggle on 'Show disabled automations'.

Locating automations

There are three tabs in the automation center: Runs On, Triggers, Actions.

These tabs show all automations, grouped by what the rule runs on, is triggered by, or the action(s) it performs. 

You can filter to find automations. Select a filter from the right side dropdown.

You will see whether a filter is currently applied in the bubble.

Select the X to clear the filter.

Editing automations

Select the pencil icon on the far right side beside the automation you want to edit. The automation popup will open where you can edit the rule.

The automation name can be edited by hovering the name and selecting the pencil icon. 

Deleting 

You can disable or delete automations. Disable will turn off the automation, but can be re-enabled any time. Delete will permanently delete the automation. If you change your mind, you will need to re-create the rule. Select the trash icon beside the automation to delete it.

Creating workflow automations

Administration --> Automations. Or the top bar under Tools --> Automation Center. 

• Select 'Create workflow automation'
• Select what you want the automation to run on. 
• The creation window will open.
• You can further define what the automation will run on by adding one or more filters. For example if you add the filter 'assignee is' the automation will only run on items where the specificed individual is assigned. 
• Select the trigger condition which will run the automation.
• Select one or more actions which will be taken on the selected item. (Note: there is not a guarantee on the order in which automation actions occur.)

Automation use cases

Auto-triaging 

One of the most common use cases for automations is automatically moving or assigning incoming tickets. There are many options depending on your needs. Here are a few common options:

Assign tickets based on email queue. Learn more about email queues here. 

Assign tickets based on a specific customer organization.

Create unique workflows

When working on projects its helpful to create workflows that start or finish tasks automatically.  

Set a task as 'ready to start' when its predecessor finishes.

See also: Set successor status from predecessor 

Related Articles:

• Common Workflow Automations