Overview
Automations run actions, like sending emails or creating tasks, when specific events happen.
This article walks you through the most common scenario, sending a welcome email to the employee every time a new placement is created.
*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.
Creating the Automation
Begin by navigating to the Onboarding Portal > Configurations > Automations > and select "New Automation" at the top right:
Within the "Create Automation" sidebar, enter a name and description for the Automation:
Select the appropriate "Entity Type(s)", "Dependencies", and "Rerun Strategy" within the "Trigger Settings" section.
For this example, we will be selecting the following:
- Entity Type: Placement, as we want the email to be sent whenever a placement is created.
- Dependencies: Status
- Run On New Placement Creation: Checked
- Rerun Strategy: Allow reruns
Once all of the information has been entered, select "Create":
Once created, we can now add the necessary Action.
Adding an Action Node
Within the Automation Canvas, select the "O" to the right of the Start Node and select "Action" to connect an Action Node:
Within the newly created Action Node, select the following:
- Action: Send Email
- Email Service: SendGrid Account (will send from your companies configured email address)
- Email Template: Select the appropriate template
- Theme: Select the appropriate theme
*Note* Please keep in mind the following regarding the selecting of a theme within the Action Node:
Four theme settings reach the email, and which of them apply depends on the template. Everything else about the message including spacing, typography, and the frame, belongs to the template.
| Theme Setting | Where it shows |
|---|---|
| logo | The image in the header band. |
| Header Background Color | The band behind the logo. |
| Primary Button Background Color | The call-to-action button's fill. |
| Primary Button Text Color | The call-to-action button's label. |
A theme within the Onboarding Portal allows both a light and a dark variant. Email always renders the light variant. If your logo is set only on the dark variant, the header band renders empty. Set a logo on the light variant of any theme you plan to use in email.
- Send Email To: Employee
- Dynamic Template Data: Can be left empty. Will populate based on the whether a selected template contains additional variables.
The automation setup is complete and is ready to be published.
Publishing the Automation
Select the "Save & Publish" option at the top right to activate the automation:
The "Status" badge changes from "Draft" to "Published", and the "Publish" button becomes inactive.
*Note* If you need to add conditional branching (like "only send this email if the placement's employment type is full-time"), you must rebuild the automation from scratch with a Condition Node added.
Condition Nodes are unable to be added to an existing published automation. Instead, save your current version, delete it, and rebuild with the Condition Node included.
Testing the Automation
To test the automation, simply create a test placement in your account. The automation should execute immediately, and the email should be sent to the employee.
*Note* Within the main Automations window, you can see how many times the automation executed successfully via the "Events" tab:
*Note* This has been one example for how to create an automation, but the options available are vast. Try experimenting with the options available to you, and please contact TempWorks Support in the event you have any questions.