Create an automation
This walks you through building one automation from start to finish. A good first one: when someone checks in for the first time, wait two days, then send them a text.
Before you begin
- You need permission to manage automations. To add a text or email step you also need permission to send messages; without it those steps say Ask an admin to add messages.
- Send a text needs your church's own text number. Until you have one, the step says Works once you have your own number.
- Decide what should start the automation and what should happen. See Automations: how they work for the full list.
Step-by-step
- Go to Automations in the sidebar and click New automation.
- Name it (for example "First-time guest follow-up") and choose what starts it under When. Click Create. The builder opens with the trigger at the top and an empty list of steps.
- Narrow the trigger. Tap the trigger card to choose which form, which check-in (their first time ever, their second time, or every time), which event, or which tag or group. Leave it on Any to catch everyone.
- Add steps. Click Add step and pick one: Wait, Send a text, Send an email, Only continue if, Add tag, Remove tag, Add to group, or Notify someone. Tap a step to fill it in. Use Move up and Move down to reorder and Remove step to take one out.
- Write your messages. A text or email is written like a personal message. Use Insert to add fields like the person's first name. The preview next to the builder shows how it will look.
- Choose who enters (optional). Open Only enter if and add filters, the same way you build a saved group of people. Only people who match will start the automation.
- Add exit rules (optional). Under End early if, add filters that stop the remaining steps for anyone who matches. They're checked before each step. For example, stop a guest follow-up for anyone who has become a member.
- Click Save, then Turn on. Turn on saves first, and needs at least one step. The switch reads On and the automation starts watching for people who match.
You're all set. Back on the Automations page the row shows the switch, how many people have entered, and how many have completed.
Good to know
- Changing a live automation. Edits apply to the people in progress from their current step. Nobody receives a step twice.
- Turn off stops new people from entering. People already in progress finish their remaining steps.
- Stop everyone now, under the More actions menu (the three dots), ends the automation for everyone in progress. Steps already completed stay completed. Turn it off first if you also want to stop new people from entering.
- Delete removes the automation and its history and cannot be undone. Stop everyone first if anyone is in progress.
- Duplicate copies an automation so you can build a variation without starting over.
- Shortcuts. Check-in settings and the form editor each have an Automate this link that starts a new automation with that trigger already chosen.