What is an Automation?
An automation is a directed graph of decision points and actions that runs when a specific event happens (for example, the automatic sending of an email once a task has been completed by a candidate). You define the trigger (e.g., "when a task's status changes"), and the automation walks through the graph by evaluating conditions, taking actions, and pausing at time nodes, all within a single execution path.
Without automations, you would need to manually create tasks, send emails, and monitor expiration dates. With Automations, those events (conditional task creation, link generation, reminders, compliance workflows) run consistently every time that event occurs.
*Note* You will need to be a member of the "Admins" User Group to create and manage Automations.
For more information on permissions, please see the article titled Onboarding - User Groups and Permissions.
This article lists every Trigger Entity Type and Dependency Property, the values each property accepts when you reference it in a condition rule, every action type with its parameters and outputs, and the time-delay baselines available in automations.
*Note* For more information on Automations, please see the following articles:
Entity Types and Dependency Properties
An automation executes when an Entity Type ("Task or "Placement") experiences a change to one of its Dependency Properties. You can also configure an automation to fire when a record is created for that Entity Type.
| Entity Type | Dependency Property | Executes when... | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| task | status | Task "Status" changes (e.g. moves from open to submitted) | |
| task | expired_at | Task "Expiration Date" is set or changes | |
| task | due_at | Task "Due Date" is set or changes | |
| task | next_action | Task "Next Action" value changes | The "task.next_action" executes every time a task moves between stages in its workflow. Most use cases that need a notification when onboarding begins, like a welcome email, want "placement.created" instead. |
| placement | status | Placement "Status" changes | |
| placement | progress | Placement "Progress" field changes |
*Note* Selecting "Run on new record creation" will execute on either "task.created" or "placement.created":
Condition Values by Trigger Property
When you reference a trigger property in a condition rule, the value you type must match how that property is stored within the Onboarding Portal. The table below lists the accepted values for each property in the "Entity Type and Dependency Property" table above.
| Field | Allowed Values | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| task.status |
| Closed set. Use with is / is not / is in / is not in. |
| task.next_action |
| Closed set. Describes who the task is currently waiting on. |
| task.due_at | Any ISO 8601 timestamp (e.g. 2026-06-15T17:00:00Z), or null when no due date is set | Stored as a timestamp, not a string the rule engine can compare with greater than / less than. Use exists / does not exist to test whether a due date is set, and use a time node with the Task Due baseline for "X days before due." |
| task.expired_at | Any ISO 8601 timestamp (e.g. 2026-12-31T23:59:59Z), or null when the task never expires | Same comparison limits as due_at. Use exists / does not exist and the Task Expired time node baseline. |
| task.assignee | Sub-paths:
| Pick the sub-path in the picker. task.assignee on its own is the whole object and won't compare cleanly. Use exists on task.assignee to test whether an assignee is set. |
| placement.status |
| Derived from placement.progress: completed when progress hits 1.0, otherwise incompleted. |
| placement.progress |
| Stored as a one-decimal string, not a number. is / is not work (e.g. is 1.0 for "fully complete"). Numeric greater than / less than won't reliably evaluate against a string value — use placement.status for "is the placement done?" instead. |
*Note* Values are case-sensitive and the input is always plain text. "Completed" (capital "C") won't match "completed" (lowercase), and "employer-action" (with a hyphen) won't match "employer_action" (with an underscore). Type the value exactly as it appears in the table above.
Action Types
Each action performs a specific operation. Parameters marked optional can be omitted depending on the action's context.
Outputs are available to later nodes in the same automation using {{action_name.output_field}} syntax.
| Action | What it does | Key Parameters | Outputs Available to Later Nodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send Email | Sends an email through the Onboarding Portal's email service, or through a connected SendGrid account |
| recipient_email |
| HTTP Request | Calls an external endpoint |
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| Create Task | Creates a task on the placement (de-duplicates by lineage) | task_lineage_uid |
|
| Create Compliance Requirement | Creates a suggested task or compliance requirement; optionally also creates the task |
|
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| Assign Task | Assigns a task to a user or group (task triggers only) |
|
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| Create Onboarding Link | Generates a fresh signed onboarding link covering current tasks |
| onboarding_link |
| Set Task Expiration | Sets or updates the expiration timestamp for a task on the placement |
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*Note* The "Set Task Expiration" action may require additional setup before becoming available as an option when creating an automation. Please contact TempWorks Support for more information.
Time Node Baselines
A Time Node introduces a delay before the automation proceeds. The baseline determines what moment in time the delay is measured from.
| Reference Time | UI Label | Wait until... |
|---|---|---|
| now | Now | Trigger time, plus the offset |
| task_expired | Task Expired | The task's expiration timestamp, plus the offset |
| task_due | Task Due | The task's due timestamp, plus the offset |
*Note* Please keep in mind the following with Time Node baselines:
- The offset field is labeled "After / Before".
- Time units are "Minute", "Hour", and "Day" (capitalized).
- Use a negative number to run before the baseline timestamp.
- The "When data changes during wait" toggle determines whether the automation re-evaluates conditions using current data if the specified task or placement is updated during the wait period. Options are "Use the latest data from Onboarded (true)" or "Use data from before the wait time (false)":
Rerun Behavior Options
Rerun Strategy controls what happens when the trigger fires multiple times.
The Rerun Strategy can be configured either when initially creating an automation or within the Start "Trigger" Node.
You can select from the following options:
- Allow Reruns: Every trigger fires the automation independently. If the trigger fires twice, the automation runs twice, even if the first run is still in progress.
- Do Not Allow Reruns: The trigger only fires the automation if no other execution is currently active. Subsequent triggers are ignored.
- Allow Reruns and Cancel Previous Runs: A new trigger cancels any in-progress execution and starts fresh.
Variable Name Spacing in Templates
Action outputs are addressable in templates using {{action_name.output_field}}. The action name in the automation builder becomes the namespace.
For example, if you name a "Send Email" action as "Welcome email", its output is {{Welcome email.recipient_email}}.