An automation is a rule with one trigger and up to 10 actions. Triggers include a record being created, updated or matching a condition, a form submission, a scheduled time, a webhook or a button click. Solution Managers build automations from Automations in the Solution Menu and switch them on with the toggle.

Plan Availability	All plan types. Automation actions per month: 25,000 on Team, 100,000 on Professional, 500,000 on Enterprise, custom on Signature; add-on blocks of 1,000 actions at $15.
Permissions	Solution Managers create and edit automations in the solutions they manage; Workspace Administrators in any solution.
Platform	Web
Related Reading	Automation Triggers SmartSuite Automation Actions Creating an Automation Automation Conditions Automation Run History Automation Trigger: Webhook Automation Trigger: Button Click Common Automation Error Troubleshooting Limits in SmartSuite.

Feature overview video

Automations take over repetitive tasks such as updating records, sending emails or creating tasks.

The SmartSuite Automations feature automates repetitive tasks with a Trigger / Action rule set, you can define specific conditions (Triggers) that, when met, will initiate a sequence of actions (Actions).

What is an automation?

Let's say you frequently update the status of records in a SmartSuite solution. Instead of manually changing each record's status, you can create an Automation that triggers the status change based on a specific condition, such as a date or a specific field value. Once the trigger condition is met, the Automation will automatically execute the specified action, updating the record's status without any manual intervention from your side.

Automations cover much more. You can automate email notifications, task creation, data synchronization between different products, and more. You tailor Automations to suit your unique requirements and workflows.

By utilizing Automations in SmartSuite, you will be able to free up valuable time, eliminate manual errors, and focus on more strategic and creative aspects of your work. Imagine the satisfaction of having routine tasks completed in the background while you tackle more important projects.

In this article, we'll guide you through the process of setting up and configuring Automations in SmartSuite, step by step. Whether you're new to automation or an experienced user, this guide walks you through the setup.

What is a trigger?

A "Trigger" refers to a specific condition or event that serves as a starting point for an automated action sequence.
A trigger watches for a date, a field value or a user action and starts the run when it sees one.

Triggers include:

When a record matches a condition.
When a record is created.
When a record is updated.
When a form is submitted.
At a scheduled time.
Gmail: When an email is received.
Outlook: When an email is received.
When a webhook is received, see Automation Trigger: Webhook.
When a button is clicked, see Automation Trigger: Button Click.

What is an action?

An "Action" represents the desired task or operation that is executed automatically when a Trigger condition is met. You can add multiple actions to an individual automation (with a maximum of 10).
Actions can encompass a wide range of activities, such as updating records, sending notifications, creating new tasks or events, generating reports, or even integrating with external systems. Actions do the work that would otherwise be manual.

Actions include:

Create a record.
Update a record.
Send an email.
Find records.
Merge records.
Delete records.
Create a comment.
Generate PDF.
Send webhook request.
Send a message in Slack.
Send an SMS message via Twilio.
Send a chat or channel message in Microsoft Teams.
Send an email through Gmail.
Create or update an event in Google Calendar.
Upload a file to Google Drive.
Add a row to Google Sheets.
Send an email through Outlook Email.
Create or update a record in HubSpot.
Create or update a contact in Intercom.
Create or update an issue in Jira.
Create or update records in Salesforce.
Repeat actions for each record found, see Automation Action: Looping.
Branch on a condition, see Automation Action: Conditional Logic.
Run an AI Workflow Agent, see Automation Action: AI Workflow Agent.
Generate a document with DocsAutomator, see Automation Action: DocsAutomator.
Send a voice message via Twilio, see Automation Actions: Twilio - Send Voice Message.

What are the limits?

Limit	Team	Professional	Enterprise	Signature
Automation actions per month.	25,000	100,000	500,000	Custom
Automations per solution (inactive ones count).	50	50	50	50
Actions per automation.	10	10	10	10
Run history kept.	1 year	2 years	3 years	3 years
Add-on block.	1,000 actions for $15.	1,000 actions for $15.	1,000 actions for $15.	By contract

Every action in a run counts toward the monthly total, so an automation with 5 actions spends 5 actions per run. At 90 percent of the monthly actions the Automations panel shows a warning; at 100 percent automations pause unless add-on blocks are enabled or bought. Unused add-on blocks expire at the end of the month. The detail is in Automation Limits and Limits in SmartSuite.

How do I create an automation?

Step 1: Open the Automations page

You can open the Automations interface by clicking the Automations option located in the Solution Menu drop-down, as shown below.

The Automations option in the Solution Menu dropdown

Automations can only be created by a member with the Solution Manager role within a specific solution. Read more about roles in this article.

Step 2: Add a new automation

To create an Automation, click the Add Automation button located at the bottom of the Automation Listing page.

The Add Automation button at the bottom of the Automations list

Step 3: Choose a trigger

Choose Trigger from the "When this happens" input and configure the settings that are displayed in the configuration panel that is displayed on the right side of the page.

The When this happens trigger selector with the configuration panel on the right

Step 4: Add an action

Choose an Action from the "Then do this" input and configure the settings that are displayed in the configuration panel that is displayed on the right side of the page.
Note that up to 10 Actions may be configured in a single Automation.

Step 5: Name and describe it

SmartSuite provides a default name for your automation. To change it, click the name to open an input, or open the "..." menu to the right of the name and select Edit Name.
You can also add a description for your Automation by clicking on the "..." menu that is located to the right of the name and selecting "Add Description".

Step 6: Turn it on

Once you are sure the Automation is correctly configured, you need to enable the automation by using the toggle that is located to the right of the Automation name. Once the toggle shows the green ON state, any future conditions that match the trigger condition will trigger an automation run.
To turn an automation OFF, change the toggle to OFF.

What do I check when an automation does not run?

Records that already matched the conditions when you turned the automation on do not trigger it; a record must change into the matching state after that.
A formula field that changes on its own, such as WEEKDAY(TODAY()), does not cause a state change, so use an editable field or the At a scheduled time trigger instead.
When a record is updated re-evaluates on every save and can fire several times; When a record matches a condition fires once when the condition becomes true.
Open the automation and select History: each run shows its status, duration and the step that failed. Administrators and Solution Managers also receive an email and a notification for each failed run.
The error messages and their fixes are in Common Automation Error Troubleshooting; the trigger tips are in Automation Triggers.

What are common ways to use automations?

Lead Nurturing Automation: Suppose a business receives leads through its website or other channels. With SmartSuite Automations, the business can set up a trigger that detects when a lead fills out a form or takes a specific action, and automatically initiate a series of actions to nurture that lead. This could include sending a personalized email sequence, assigning a task to a sales representative, or updating the lead's status in the CRM system.
Customer Onboarding Automation: When a new customer signs up for a product or service, there are often several steps involved in onboarding them effectively. Using SmartSuite Automations, a business can create a trigger that identifies when a new customer is added to the system, and automatically kick-start a series of actions. These actions could include sending a welcome email with onboarding instructions, creating a new user account, or assigning tasks to different teams involved in the onboarding process.
Order Fulfillment Automation: For businesses that handle a high volume of orders, manual order fulfillment can be time-consuming and error-prone. With SmartSuite Automations, a business can define triggers based on order status or specific criteria, such as payment confirmation. Once triggered, the Automation can automatically update inventory records, send order confirmation emails to customers, and even notify the appropriate teams about the order for efficient processing.
Customer Support Automation: Customer support teams often encounter common issues or inquiries that require repetitive actions to resolve. With SmartSuite Automations, a business can set up triggers based on specific support tickets or keywords within customer inquiries. The Automation can then perform actions such as sending a predefined response, assigning the ticket to the appropriate support agent, or escalating urgent issues to the supervisor automatically. This keeps the support process consistent, improves response times, and provide consistent customer experiences.
Data Synchronization Automation: Many businesses use multiple software tools to manage different aspects of their operations. However, keeping data consistent and up to date across these tools can be a challenge. SmartSuite Automations can bridge the gap by enabling data synchronization between different systems. For example, when a new customer is added to the CRM, an Automation can trigger actions in third-party products like Slack, Twilio, Microsoft Teams, Google Mail, Google Calendar, HubSpot, Salesforce, Jira, Intercom, and more.

Frequently asked questions

Who can create / edit automations?

Automations can only be created or edited by users with "Solution Manager" permissions or, of course, Workspace Administrators.

What is the difference between "when a record is updated" and "when a record matches a condition"?

When a record is update triggers only on a record update. When a record matches a condition triggers both on record creation and record update.

Will an automation stop running if the creator of the automation is removed from the solution?

No, automations don't rely on any specific user's SmartSuite credentials to run.

Do automations run retroactively?

Automations run from the point in time they are enabled. Once enabled, the configured trigger conditions must be met to fire the automation and execute its actions.

Is it possible to see a history of automation runs and the updated records?

Yes. Open the automation and select History to see every run with its status, duration and actions executed. Run history is kept for 1 year on Team, 2 years on Professional and 3 years on Enterprise and Signature; see Automation Run History/Erroring.

What happens when the monthly automation limit is reached?

Automations pause at the plan limit unless add-on blocks are enabled (bought automatically in 1,000-action blocks at $15) or bought manually, which restores them at once. At the start of a new month you can re-enable any paused automations and re-run any that did not run.

Can I make the "When a record is updated" trigger fire when a comment is added?

Comments on records are considered metadata and cannot trigger automations.

Can an automation send a text message?

Yes. SMS notifications are an automation action, so a rule can send a text message when your conditions are met. See SmartSuite Automation Actions.

How do I get a reminder on a specific date?

Use the When a record matches a condition trigger with a date condition (for example, Due Date is today), or the At a scheduled time trigger, and add a Send an email or notification action.

Can an automation use a table from another solution?

Yes. When you add the trigger you can pick a table from any solution in the workspace, and actions can create or update records in other tables.

Why did my automation run twice?

The When a record is updated trigger re-evaluates its conditions on every save, so a record saved several times in quick succession can fire it more than once. Switch to When a record matches a condition, which fires once when the condition becomes true, or add a Yes/No control field that the automation sets on its first run.

Can I send a teammate a link to an automation?

Yes. Open the automation, select the three-dot menu and choose Copy Link; the link opens that automation for members with access to the solution.

How do I change a status automatically a set number of days after a date?

Trigger on When a record matches a condition where the date field is more than that many days ago, then add an Update a record action that sets the Status field.

Last verified 22 Oct 2026.

How do automations work and how do I build one: Automations Introduction