Automations

Overview

Core's automation system lets you build workflows that automatically perform actions based on triggers and conditions. Reduce manual work, enforce processes, and ensure consistency.

Automation Components

Triggers

Events that start an automation:

Conditions

Filters that determine if automation runs:

Actions

Operations performed when triggered:

Creating Automations

Basic Setup

1. Go to Settings > Automations
2. Click New Automation
3. Enter name and description
4. Configure trigger
5. Add conditions (optional)
6. Add actions
7. Test the automation
8. Enable and save

Example: Auto-Priority Escalation

Automation: Escalate overdue tickets

Trigger: Schedule (every 15 minutes) Conditions:

• Status is not Complete
• Due date is past
• Priority is not Critical

Actions:

• Set Priority = High
• Add comment "Auto-escalated: ticket is past due"
• Send notification to Manager

Example: New Customer Routing

Automation: Route new customer tickets

Trigger: Ticket Created Conditions:

• Company has tag "New Customer"

Actions:

• Assign to Account Manager
• Add tag "Onboarding"
• Attach "New Customer Checklist"

Advanced Features

Multiple Actions

Run several actions in sequence:

1. Add action
2. Click Add Another Action
3. Actions run in order
4. Previous action results available to later actions

Conditional Branching

Different actions based on conditions:

IF Priority = Critical
  THEN Assign to Senior Tech
  AND Send SMS notification
ELSE IF Priority = High
  THEN Assign to Available Tech
  AND Send email notification
ELSE
  THEN Leave unassigned

Delays

Add pauses between actions:

1. Add Delay action
2. Set duration (minutes, hours, days)
3. Next action runs after delay
4. Useful for follow-up reminders

Loops Prevention

Prevent infinite automation loops:

• Automations don't trigger themselves
• Update actions marked as "automated"
• Rate limiting on rapid triggers
• Maximum depth for nested automations

Scheduled Automations

Schedule Triggers

Run automations on schedules:

Example: Daily SLA Review

Run daily at 8 AM:

Actions:

1. Find tickets approaching SLA
2. Send summary email to Manager
3. Tag tickets needing attention

Example: Weekly Cleanup

Run every Friday at 5 PM:

Actions:

1. Find tickets in "Waiting Customer" >7 days
2. Add comment requesting update
3. If no response in 3 days, close ticket

Webhook Actions

Outbound Webhooks

Call external services:

1. Add Webhook action
2. Configure:
   • URL endpoint
   • Method (POST, GET, etc.)
   • Headers
   • Payload (JSON with variables)
3. Handle response (optional)

Payload Variables

Include dynamic data:

{
  "event": "ticket_created",
  "ticket_id": "{{ticket.id}}",
  "title": "{{ticket.title}}",
  "company": "{{company.name}}",
  "priority": "{{ticket.priority}}"
}

Response Handling

Process webhook responses:

• Store response data
• Use response in subsequent actions
• Handle errors gracefully

Testing Automations

Test Mode

Test before enabling:

1. Click Test Automation
2. Select or create test data
3. Run in test mode
4. Review actions that would execute
5. Check logs for issues

Dry Run

Preview without executing:

1. Enable Dry Run
2. Automation logs what it would do
3. No actual changes made
4. Review and adjust

Test Data

Use test scenarios:

• Create test tickets
• Use specific test company
• Tag test records
• Clean up after testing

Automation Management

Organizing Automations

Keep automations organized:

• Descriptive names: "Route Critical Security Tickets"
• Categories: Group by function
• Documentation: Add description and notes
• Tags: Label for filtering

Enable/Disable

Control automation status:

1. Open automation
2. Toggle Enabled switch
3. Disabled automations don't run
4. Use for maintenance or troubleshooting

Version History

Track automation changes:

1. Open automation
2. Click History
3. View previous versions
4. Restore if needed

Audit Log

See automation activity:

1. Go to Settings > Automations > Logs
2. Filter by automation
3. See when triggered
4. View actions executed
5. Check for errors

Troubleshooting

Automation Not Running

Check:

1. Is automation enabled?
2. Do conditions match?
3. Is trigger configured correctly?
4. Check logs for errors

Wrong Actions Executing

Verify:

1. Conditions are specific enough
2. No conflicting automations
3. Test with specific data
4. Review action order

Performance Issues

If automations are slow:

1. Reduce trigger frequency
2. Optimize conditions
3. Limit webhook timeouts
4. Batch operations where possible

Best Practices

• Start simple: Build complexity gradually
• Test thoroughly: Always test before enabling
• Document purpose: Explain what automation does
• Monitor regularly: Check logs for issues
• Avoid loops: Design to prevent circular triggers
• Use conditions: Be specific to avoid unintended runs

See also

• Managing Tickets
• Notifications
• Integrations