Automations: Triggers, Conditions, and Actions
What this domain tests
Automations test your ability to read a trigger-condition-action recipe, predict when it fires, and explain why an action did or did not run. The exam favors board-level recipes and custom automations.
Core rules and concepts
- A recipe has a trigger (item created, status changed, date arrived, person assigned), optional conditions ('only if Priority is High'), and one or more actions (change status, assign, set date, create item/subitem, move, notify, post update, call webhook).
- Date-based automations use the date column and the account time zone. Scheduled automations run at a set time, not on every change.
- Automations do not run retroactively on existing items. They run when the triggering event occurs, including changes made through the API or forms where supported.
- Action usage counts against the plan's automation quota; conditions are evaluated before actions. A recipe that changes the same column that triggers it can loop.
Worked example
When an item is created in Requests, if Priority is High, assign the team lead and set due date to two days from now. Recipe: trigger When item is created; condition Priority is High; actions Assign person and Set date. Reasoning: the condition filters runs; if Priority is not High, the trigger still fires but actions are skipped.
Traps
Expecting a new automation to update old items; forgetting time zones; creating self-triggering loops; using move item when the intent is to copy; and assuming cross-board actions work without a connect boards column.