documentation/content/applications/studio/automated_actions.rst

===============================
Automated actions (automations)
===============================

Automated actions are used to trigger automatic changes based on user actions (e.g., apply a
modification when a field is set to a specific value) or on time conditions (e.g., archive a record
7 days after its last update).

To create an automated action with Studio, :ref:`open Studio <studio/access>`, then go to
:guilabel:`Automations` and click :guilabel:`New`.

For every automated action you create, the following elements should be defined: the
:ref:`studio/automated-actions/model`, the :ref:`studio/automated-actions/trigger`, the
:ref:`studio/automated-actions/apply-on`, and the :ref:`studio/automated-actions/action`.

.. example::

   .. image:: automated_actions/automated-action-example.png
      :align: center
      :alt: Example of an automated action on the Subscription model

.. _studio/automated-actions/model:

Model
=====

Select the model where the automated action should be applied.

.. note::
   The model you are on when you click on :guilabel:`Automations` is pre-selected by default.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger:

Trigger
=======

Define when the automated action should be applied. Six triggers are available.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/on-creation:

On Creation
-----------

The action is triggered when a record is created and then saved.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/on-update:

On Update
---------

The action is triggered when a previously saved record is edited and then saved.

- Use :guilabel:`Trigger Fields` to specify which fields - and only those - trigger the action on
  their update.
- To detect when a record changes from one state to another, define a :guilabel:`Before Update
  Domain` filter, which checks if the condition is satisfied before the record is updated. Then set
  an :ref:`studio/automated-actions/apply-on` filter, which checks if the condition is met after the
  record is updated.

  .. example::
     If you want the automated action to happen when an email address is set on a contact, define
     the :guilabel:`Before Update Domain` to `Email is not set`, and the :guilabel:`Apply on`
     domain to `Email is set`.

     .. image:: automated_actions/on-update-trigger-example.png
        :align: center
        :alt: Example of an On Update trigger

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/on-creation-update:

On Creation & Update
--------------------

The action is triggered when a record is created and saved or edited afterward and saved.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/on-deletion:

On Deletion
-----------

The action is triggered when a record is deleted.

.. note::
   This trigger is rarely used, as archiving records is usually preferred to deletion.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/form-modification:

Based on Form Modification
--------------------------

The action is triggered when any change is done to a trigger field's value on the :ref:`Form view
<studio/views/general/form>`, even before saving the record. This trigger only works on the user
interface when a modification is made by a user. If the field is changed through another action and
not by the user, the action will not run.

.. note::
   This trigger can only be used with the :ref:`Execute Python Code action
   <studio/automated-actions/action/python-code>`, so development is required.

.. _studio/automated-actions/trigger/timed-condition:

Based on Timed Condition
------------------------

The action is triggered when a trigger field's date or date & time value is reached.

- To trigger the action after the :guilabel:`Trigger Date`, add a number of minutes, hours, days, or
  months under :guilabel:`Delay after trigger date`. To trigger the action before, add a negative
  number instead.

  .. example::
     If you want to send a reminder email 30 minutes before the start of a calendar event, select
     the :guilabel:`Start (Calendar Event)` under :guilabel:`Trigger Date` and set the
     :guilabel:`Delay after trigger date` to **-30** :guilabel:`Minutes`.

     .. image:: automated_actions/timed-condition-trigger-example.png
        :align: center
        :alt: Example of a Based on Timed Condition trigger

.. note::
   By default, the scheduler checks for trigger dates every 4 hours.

.. _studio/automated-actions/apply-on:

Apply on
========

Define on which records of the model the automated action should be applied. It works the same way
as when you apply filters on a model.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action:

Action To Do
============

Determine what the automated action should do (server action). There are eight types of action to
choose from.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/python-code:

Execute Python Code
-------------------

The action is used to execute Python code. The available variables are described on the
:guilabel:`Python Code` tab, which is also used to write your code, or on the :guilabel:`Help` tab.

- To allow the action to be run through the website, tick :guilabel:`Available on the Website` and
  add a :guilabel:`Website Path`.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/new-record:

Create a new Record
-------------------

The action is used to create a new record on any model.

.. note::
   Selecting a :guilabel:`Target Model` is only required if you want to target another model than
   the one you are on.

- To link the record that triggered the creation of the new record, select a field under
  :guilabel:`Link Field`. For example, you could create a contact automatically when a lead is
  turned into an opportunity.
- :guilabel:`Data to Write` tab: the tab is used to specify the new record's values. After selecting
  a :guilabel:`Field`, select its :guilabel:`Evaluation Type`:

  - :guilabel:`Value`: used to directly give the field's raw value in the :guilabel:`Value` column.
  - :guilabel:`Reference`: used to select the record under the :guilabel:`Record` column and let
    Studio add the internal ID in the :guilabel:`Value` column.

    .. example::
       If an automated action creates a new task in a project, you can assign it to a specific user
       by setting the :guilabel:`Field` to :guilabel:`Responsible User (Project)`, the
       :guilabel:`Evaluation Type` to :guilabel:`Reference`, and the :guilabel:`Record` to a
       specific user.

       .. image:: automated_actions/new-record-example.png
          :align: center
          :alt: Example of a Create a new Record action

  - :guilabel:`Python expression`: used to dynamically define the newly created record’s value for a
    field using Python code in the :guilabel:`Value` column.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/update-record:

Update the Record
-----------------

The action is used to set value(s) for field(s) of any record on the current model.

.. note::
   The process to fill in the :guilabel:`Data to Write` tab is the same as described under
   :ref:`studio/automated-actions/action/new-record`.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/several-actions:

Execute several actions
-----------------------

The action is used to trigger multiple actions at the same time. To do so, click on :guilabel:`Add a
line` under the :guilabel:`Actions` tab. In the :guilabel:`Child Actions` pop-up, click on
:guilabel:`Create` and configure the action.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/send-email:

Send Email
----------

The action is used to send an email to a contact linked to a specific record. To do so, select or
create an :guilabel:`Email Template`.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/add-followers:

Add Followers
-------------

The action is used to subscribe existing contacts to the record.

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/next-activity:

Create Next Activity
--------------------

The action is used to schedule a new activity linked to the record. Use the :guilabel:`Activity` tab
to set it up as usual, but instead of the :guilabel:`Assigned to` field, select an
:guilabel:`Activity User Type`. Select :guilabel:`Specific User` and add the user under
:guilabel:`Responsible` if the activity should always be assigned to the same user. To dynamically
target a user linked to the record, select :guilabel:`Generic User From Record` instead and change
the :guilabel:`User field name` if necessary.

.. example::
   After a lead is turned into an opportunity, you want your automated action to set up a call for
   the user responsible for the lead. To do so, set the :guilabel:`Activity` to :guilabel:`Call`
   and set the :guilabel:`Activity User Type` to :guilabel:`Generic User From Record`.

   .. image:: automated_actions/next-activity-example.png
      :align: center
      :alt: Example of a Create Next Activity action

.. _studio/automated-actions/action/send-sms:

Send SMS Text Message
---------------------

The action is used to send an SMS to a contact linked to the record. To do so, select or create an
:guilabel:`SMS Template`.

.. tip::
   If you want sent messages to be logged in the Chatter, tick :guilabel:`Log as Note`.