How the engine works
Every automation follows the same simple shape: a trigger kicks it off, optional conditions decide whether it should continue, and one or more actions do the work.Choose a trigger
The trigger is the event that starts an automation, such as a new lead arriving, a job being marked complete, an invoice going unpaid, or a lead stage changing. One automation starts from one trigger.
Add conditions (optional)
Conditions filter which records continue. For example, only proceed if the lead came from a web form, the job total is over a certain amount, or the contact has a specific tag. If the conditions are not met, the automation stops quietly.
Time-based steps (waits and delays) let you build multi-touch sequences, like texting a quote follow-up one day later and emailing again three days after that if there’s still no response.
Common building blocks
These are the pieces you’ll reach for most often when assembling an automation:- Triggers — new lead, form submission, missed call, job created or completed, quote sent or approved, invoice paid or overdue, stage change, or a tag being added.
- Conditions — lead source, tag or segment membership, pipeline stage, job or invoice value, and assigned team member.
- Actions — send SMS, send email, wait/delay, create a task, assign an owner, add or remove a tag, update a lead stage, request a Google review, or send an internal notification.
Enabling and disabling automations
Each automation has an on/off state, so you can build and test safely before it goes live.- Enable an automation when you’re ready for it to start reacting to new events. Existing records that already passed the trigger point won’t be pulled in retroactively.
- Disable an automation to pause it without deleting your setup. Turn it back on at any time and it resumes for future events.
Frequently asked questions
Do automated texts use my own phone number?
Do automated texts use my own phone number?
Yes. Outbound SMS and calls use the Twilio or RingCentral number you connected, billed at carrier cost with no markup.
Can I start from a template instead of building from scratch?
Can I start from a template instead of building from scratch?
Yes. Recipes give you prebuilt automations you can turn on and customize. See Recipes.
Will automations message a contact who already replied?
Will automations message a contact who already replied?
Use conditions and stage changes to stop a sequence once a contact responds or converts, so you don’t keep messaging someone who’s already engaged.
Next steps
Recipes
Turn on prebuilt automations and customize them for your business.
SMS & email campaigns
Run one-time broadcasts and A/B-tested marketing campaigns.
Leads & pipelines
Set up the stages and tags your automations react to.