Automations
What this domain covers
Automations run a trigger → action sequence when something happens in a base. Candidates must understand the anatomy: a trigger (record created, record matches conditions, scheduled time, form submitted, button clicked), optional conditions/filters, and one or more actions (update record, create record, send email, run script, webhook, etc.).
Concepts to master
- Trigger types determine when the automation fires; "when record matches conditions" fires on create and on update that satisfies the condition.
- Conditional logic can gate actions so they run only for matching records.
- Find records actions let you look up related records before acting on them.
- Run order: actions execute in sequence; later actions can reference outputs of earlier ones.
- Testing: you can test an automation against a specific record before turning it on.
- Limits: automations have monthly run limits that vary by plan; a question may test awareness that automations are metered.
Traps in questions
The classic trap is choosing a trigger that only fires on creation when the scenario requires reacting to an update. Another is assuming an automation can update a record in a different base - cross-base actions require a synced table or a script/webhook workaround. Also watch for questions that confuse a view filter with an automation condition; they are separate gates.
Worked example
"When a Status field changes to Done, email the assignee." Use the trigger record matches conditions with the condition Status = Done, then an email action referencing the assignee field. A "record created" trigger would miss the status change.