Articles on: Automation Builder

How to create your first Automation

How to create your first Automation




Automation - is an automatic workflow script that connects your applications with each other. Automation consists of an initiating event (Trigger) followed by one or more subsequent actions. Once automation in Albato is activated, the specified actions will be executed every time the selected event occurs.







1. Navigate to the Automation Builder



In the Albato interface, navigate to the Automations section and select "New".



2. Add a trigger



Define the trigger application: This is the application where the event that initiates the automation occurs.

Define the event: This is the specific event in the selected application that sets the automation in motion.

For more details on how triggers work, you can read the article "Triggers: How They Work and Available Settings".






3. Add an action



Define the application for the action: This is the application in which actions will be carried out after the trigger application initiates the automation.

Define the action event: Actions are the specific tasks that are executed by the automation in the chosen application after the trigger is activated.






4. Configure the action:



When setting up the action, a window with various input fields will appear in front of you. By filling in these fields, you can transmit/update or search for information in your application (depending on what the action specifically does). Fields that are mandatory for filling out are marked with an asterisk.

Note: The list of fields always depends on the action you have chosen. For example, when performing the "Create a new contact" action in HubSpot, you will see the same fields that you would have specified if you were creating a contact manually in your HubSpot (e.g., name, email, and phone). But when performing an action in Google Sheets like** "Add a new row"**, the fields will correspond to the columns of your table. Actions marked with an asterisk are mandatory to fill out as they are a requirement of the application in which the action is performed.

Options for filling out fields when setting up an Action:

Automatic filling from previous events: For every trigger event or completed action, Albato receives information that comes from your applications. You can specify for Albato to automatically take this information and save it in the selected field every time the action is executed. To do this, click on the field and select from the list where to get the information.





Manual field filling: Simply click on the desired field and enter the text or value. The specified data will be transmitted with every subsequent action of the subsequent execution of the action.






Combine manual and automatic text filling: When filling out a field, combine static text or values that you entered manually with data that will be substituted from previous steps.




We've delved deeper into setting up and working with actions in our article.


5. Add additional sequences and settings [optional].



You can enhance your automation by adding extra sequences to it. Simply click on the + icon.

Additional Actions: Set up your Automation to fully address your needs. With actions, you can search, create, update necessary data, or perform other useful tasks.
Albato Tools: Delay the execution of an action, change the data format, or set different actions based on the "if... then..." condition.
Add a Filter: Trigger the automation only under the condition of receiving specific data. For instance, when a task status changes, only trigger the automation if the Status is "In Progress."

You can learn more about the tools in our article.



6. Test and launch your automation.



To initiate your Automation, click the "Start" button. What will happen next? Whenever the event you've chosen takes place in your trigger application, Albato will launch the automation you've set up.

Real-time vs. Periodicity:

Webhook: Automation in Albato can be initiated instantly when a trigger event occurs in your application. Such triggers are marked with a special icon.





API: Alternatively, Albato will check the chosen event in your application every 1/5/15 minutes, depending on your plan, and initiate the automation for each event that occurred during that period. You can also adjust this interval in your Automation settings.




Learn more about the launch control settings in our article.

You can verify if your automation is working correctly in several ways:



Go to the application, create a trigger event, and wait for your automation to launch.
For events that initiate Automation at specific intervals, there's also a "Test" button. You can press it before hitting "Start" to ensure everything is functioning properly.




If the Automation operates correctly, you'll see it in the Automation log section.


Updated on: 04/09/2023

Was this article helpful?

Share your feedback

Cancel

Thank you!