Understanding and Creating Automations

Think of SmartCert Automations like a helpful assistant that watches for something to happen and then takes action, checks a few simple rules, and then performs a task for you automatically.

Five Building Blocks

When creating an Automation, there are five pieces (similar to ingredients for a recipe) that work together to achieve the end result.

1. Trigger: The event that starts everything (e.g., a document is updated).

2. Filter (optional): A quick check: “Does this even apply?” If not, nothing happens.

3. Validation (optional): A stricter check: “Are we allowed to do this?” If not, it stops with an error.

4. Action: The actual task performed, like sending an email or updating a status.

5. Failure Action (optional): A backup task that runs only if the main Action didn’t work.

An easy way to think of it: Something happens → Does it apply? → Are we allowed? → Do the task → If that failed, do this instead.

For example: "When a document gets updated, send an email to the manager." 

Simple Steps to Create an Automation

Go to Automations under your company name to see and manage existing ones, and if they are on or off.

1. Click Add Automation in the upper right corner of the screen to create a new one.

2. Choose your Trigger. This answers the question "What should kick this off?" Pick the trigger you want and drag it into place.

3. Set up your Filters (optional). Click the Filters tab. Drag on any filters you want and fill in any details they ask for (for example, a specific status or category). If you skip this step, the Automation will apply to *every* case where the Trigger happens.

4. Click on the Validations tab (optional) and drag on any rules that must be true for the Action to be allowed to happen, and fill in any needed details.

5. Define your Action from the Action tab. Drag on the task you want performed (e.g., sending an email or updating a status), and fill in any details it needs.

6. Go to the Failure Actions tab to add a failure action if you want a backup plan for when it fails (optional). Drag on an action you'd like to happen only if the main Action fails. For example, you might set it up so that an email alert gets sent to notify someone if the main action fails.

Note: Filters and Validations are optional. If you don't add any, the Automation will simply try to run every single time its Trigger happens.

Automations are not instant. When something happens (like a document being saved), the system doesn't act on it immediately. It adds the job to a queue and runs it as soon as it can — usually very quickly, but it's not "live" in the same second.

For more details, including step-by-step screenshots, go to Automations.

If you have any questions, contact support at support@smartcert.tech