Build your own automation
The short answer
In Settings, Workflows, press New workflow, name it, choose what starts it, and add steps in order. A sentence at the top reads it back. Press Create workflow. It is saved on and runs from then on.
Create a workflow
- Open Settings, Workflows, and press New workflow. Or press Build your own on an empty page.
- Give it a Name. Add a note for your team if you want. Clients never see it.
- Under When, choose what starts it from This happens.
- Under Then, in order, press Add the first step and choose a step. Add more with Add another step. Use the arrows to reorder and the X to remove.
- Read the sentence at the top, such as “When an inquiry comes in, email the client, wait 2 days, then add a task.”
- Press Create workflow. A message says “Workflow saved”. It is on and runs from then on.
What can start it
| Trigger | What starts it |
|---|---|
| An inquiry comes in | Right away, from the booking page, a form that makes inquiries, the partner API or an inquiry you typed. Not from a tour booking or an import. |
| A booking is confirmed | Right away, when an event’s status is saved as confirmed, or an event is created confirmed. |
| A booking changes status | Right away, on any change or on a change to a status you choose. A released hold counts as cancelled. |
| A booking is marked paid | When staff save an event as paid. A card payment arriving does not start it. |
| Days before the event | On the day that is 1 to 365 days before (or after) the event, for confirmed events. Once per event. |
| A hold is about to end | N days before a tentative hold ends. Once per booking. |
| An inquiry goes unanswered | N days after an inquiry that is still New and pending. |
| A payment is due | N days before or after a payment is due. Once per payment. |
The steps
| Step | What it does |
|---|---|
| Send an email | Emails the client, or one other address that is your client, a team member or a saved client. Subject and message are yours. |
| Notify the team | Emails the owner, the owner and managers, or the whole team. Never a client. |
| Wait | Pauses 1 to 365 days, then runs the next step. |
| Send a contract | Makes a contract from one of your templates and emails a signing link. Needs an event. |
| Send a proposal | Makes a fresh copy of a proposal you already wrote and emails the link. Needs an event. |
| Send an invoice | Makes an unpaid invoice from the lines you set, with a tax rate and a due date, and emails it. Needs an event. |
| Add a task | Adds a task to the event’s task list. |
| Add an internal note | Writes a line in the event’s activity. Clients never see it. |
Variables
In an email, press a button under “Add to the end of the message” to insert a variable: {{client_name}}, {{client_email}}, {{event_title}}, {{event_date}}, {{event_type}}, {{guest_count}}, {{venue_name}}, {{location}} or {{hold_ends}}. {{booking_page_url}}, {{tour_link}}, {{venue_email}} and {{client_phone}} also work. A variable the app does not know stays in the text as you typed it, and a missing name becomes “there”.
What it does not do
- An invoice sent by an automation has no Pay button. The email points the client to the client portal.
- A step that fails stops the run. Later steps do not run.
- There are no conditions, branches, duplicates, test sends, SMS steps, clock times or filters by event type or room.
- There is no step to change a status, and none to notify someone outside your team.
- The Send to box must be a client on this record, a team member or a saved client. Anything else is refused when you save.
- Waiting steps and timed triggers are picked up by one check every six hours.
- Each venue can send 100 automated emails a day on Free and 1,000 on Venue, counted by UTC day. Contracts, proposals, invoices, tickets and receipts do not count. Past the limit the step fails: “This venue has reached its limit of 100 automated emails for today. It resets at midnight UTC.” That email is not retried.
- A client who unsubscribed is skipped for emails, and the run says “Skipped: unsubscribed.” They still get invoices, receipts and contract emails. You cannot see the list of people who unsubscribed.
- Team notices carry no unsubscribe link.
- A lapsed venue cannot save workflow changes.
Common questions
Can an automation start from a Convert to event?
Not yet. Convert to event does not start “A booking is confirmed”. Set the event to confirmed to start it.