1. When should it run? > This is the Trigger.
2. Which records should it act on? > These are the Conditions.

What is a Trigger?

What are Conditions?

Understanding Every Trigger

On App Action

When to Use It

• Add a “Send Proposal” button on a Deal that generates and emails a PDF document.
• Add an “Escalate” button on a Support Ticket that notifies a manager and changes the priority.
• Add a “Sync to ERP” button that pushes record data to an external accounting system.
• Add a “Generate Invoice” button that creates a related record with calculated values.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select On App Action as the trigger.
2. Choose the App (e.g., Deals, Tickets) where the button will appear.
3. Add the Automation Actions you want the button to perform (send email, update field, create record, run custom code, etc.)
4. Save and activate the automation.
5. The button will now appear on records in that App.

Key Details

• Manual control: This is the only trigger where a person decides exactly when the automation runs.
• Record context: Only users who have permission to see and interact with the record can click the button.
• No conditions required: Because a user makes the decision, no Launch Conditions are needed.

Common Problem: Button Not Appearing

After Create

When to Use It

• Auto-assign new leads via Round Robin distribution.
• Send a welcome email when a new Contact is added.
• Create a follow-up Task the moment a Deal is created.
• Log an activity or run custom validation on every new record.
• Send a Slack notification to the team about new records.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select After Create as the trigger.
2. Choose the App (e.g., Contacts, Deals, Tasks).
3. Optionally add Launch Conditions to filter which new records trigger the automation. 
4. Add your Automation Actions (update field, send email, create record, etc.)
5. Save and activate.

Key Details

• All creations methods count: The automation fires regardless of how the record was created – through the web form, inline creation, mobile app, API, bulk import or another automation. 
• After the fact: The record is already saved before the automation runs, so you can read any field value.
• No field selection needed: Unlike update triggers, you don’t choose which fields to watch – the trigger fires for every new record (subject to your conditions).
• Failed creations don’t trigger: If a record creation fails due to a validation error, the automation does not run.

Common Problem: Automation Runs Twice on the Same Record

After Update

When to Use It

• Notify a manager when a Deal’s Stage changes to “Closed Won”.
• Update related records when a Contact’s Status changes from “Lead” to “Qualified.”
• Trigger document generation when an Invoice is marked as “Approved.”
• Reassign a Task when its Priority field changes to “Critical.”
• Log an activity when a key field is modified.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select After Update as the trigger.
2. Choose the App.
3. Select one or more Trigger Fields – the fields the automation should watch for changes. This is required.
4. Optionally add Launch Conditions (e.g., “only proceed if the new value is ‘Closed Won'”).
5. Add your Automation Actions.
6. Save and activate.

Key Details

• Field selection is required: You must select at least one field to watch. Without it, the automation cannot be saved.
• Actual change direction: The system compares the old and new values. If a field is submitted but its value hasn’t actually changed, the automation will not fire.
• All update methods count: Inline edits, full-form saves, API calls, and bulk updates all trigger this automation equally.
• No “Updated At” field: The system prevents you from using the “Updated At” field as a trigger because it changes on every save.
• Bulk edits are supported: When a bulk edit changes multiple records, the system evaluates each record individually against the conditions.

Common Problem: Automation Fires Unexpectedly

After Create/Update

• A new record is created, or
• An existing record has specific field(s) that change value.

When to Use It

• Recalculate a score whenever a Contact is created or when key fields (Industry, Revenue, Employees) change.
• Sync data to an external system on both creation and modification.
• Update a “Last Calculated” timestamp whenever the record changes in any important way.
• Send a notification when a record is created or its status changes.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select After Create/Update as the trigger.
2. Choose the App.
3. Select the Trigger Field(s) for the update portion – you must specify which fields to watch for changes on existing records.
4. Optionally add Launch Conditions.
5. Add your App Actions.
6. Save and activate.

Key Details

• Trigger Fields are required for updates: When an existing records is updated, the automation only fires if at least one of your selected trigger fields actually changes value. For new record, all field values are available regardless.
• Same actions, both paths: You maintain one set of actions instead of duplicating them across two separate automations.
• “Updated At” cannot be a trigger field: The system prevents you from selecting the “Updated At” field as a trigger – it  changes on every save and would cause the automation to fire constantly.

Common Problem: Automation Doesn’t Fire on Update

On Webhook

When to Use It

• Receive form submissions from Typeform, JotForm, Google Forms, or custom web forms.
• Process payment notifications from Stripe, PayPal, or other payment processors.
• Sync data when an event happens in another CRM, ERP, or SaaS tool.
• Integrate with communication platforms – process incoming RingCentral calls, faxes or SMS messages.
• Connect to IoT devices or custom applications that can send HTTP requests.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select On Webhook as the trigger.
2. Choose the App where incoming data will be processed.
3. Servis.ai generates a unique webhook URL for this automation.
4. Configure your external system to send HTTP requests (typically POST) to that URL. 
5. Add a Custom Code Automation Action to parse the incoming webhook payload and create/update records.
6. Save and activate.

Key Details

• Unique URL: Each webhook automation gets its own dedicated endpoint URL.
• Full request access: The webhook context includes the request body, query parameters, and headers – available to Custom Code actions.
• Typically paired with Custom Code: Webhook payloads come in many formats (JSON, XML, form-encoded). A Custom Code action parses the payload and maps it to your App fields.
• Active = Receiving: The webhook URL accepts requests only while the automation is active. Deactivating the automation stops incoming webhooks from being processed.

Common Problem: Webhook Not Receiving Data

Schedule Cron

When to Use It

• Send a weekly digest email every Monday at 9:00 AM.
• Check for overdue Tasks every day and escalate them automatically.
• Run a nightly data cleanup – remove stale records, update calculated fields. 
• Sync data with an external system on a regular schedule.
• Generate recurring reports and send them to stakeholders.
• Auto-close Tickets that have been in “Resolved” status for more than 7 days.

How to Set It up

1. Create a new automation and select Schedule Cron as the trigger.
2. Choose the App whose records will be processed.
3. Enter a cron expression to define the schedule (see examples below).
4. Optionally enable Use Long Queue for large batch jobs (up to 6 hours timeout).
5. Add Launch Conditions to narrow which records are processed.
6. Add your Automation Actions.
7. Save and activate.

Cron Expression Examples

┌───────────── minute        (0-59)
│ ┌───────────── hour          (0-23)
│ │ ┌───────────── day of month  (1-31)
│ │ │ ┌───────────── month         (1-12)
│ │ │ │ ┌───────────── day of week   (0-6, 0 = Sunday)
│ │ │ │ │
* * * * *

Key Details

• Minimum Interval: 20 minutes – the system validates that consecutive firings are at least 20 minutes apart. If your expression fires more frequently, you will receive an error when saving.
• Timezone-aware: The schedule respects the timezone configured in your account.
• Launch Conditions are critical: Without conditions, the automation processes every record in the App. Always add filters to narrow the scope.
• Long Queue Option: For automations that process thousand of records, enable “Use Long Queue” to extend the maximum execution time to 6 hours (standard jobs have a shorter timeout).
• Auto-managed scheduling: When you activate, deactivate, delete, or change the cron expression, the system automatically creates, cancels, or updates the scheduled job – no manual intervention needed.
• Runs as a system user: Cron automations execute under a bot/system account, not a specific human user.

Common Problem: Cron Automation Not Running

Schedule Field

When to Use It

• Send a reminder email 2 days before a Deal’s Close Date.
• Automatically change a Task’s status when its Due Date arrives.
• Trigger a follow-up sequence when a Contract’s Renewal Date is reached.
• Send a birthday greeting on a Contact’s birthday.
• Archive records when their Expiration Date passes.

How to Set It Up

1. Create a new automation and select Schedule Field as the trigger.
2. Choose the App.
3. Select the Date/Time Field to watch – this is the field whose value determines when the automation fires.
4. Optionally add Launch Conditions (e.g., only schedule for records where Status is “Active”).
5. Add your Automation Actions.
6. Save and activate.

Key Details

• One time execution: For each record, the automation fires once when the date/time is reached. It does not repeat.
• Automatic scheduling: When a record is saved with a date in the future, a scheduled task is automatically created. When the date arrives, the automation runs.
• Automatic adjustment: If the date field on a record is updated, the schedule is automatically cancelled and re-created for the new date.
• Automatic cleanup: If the record is deleted or the automation is deactivated, the scheduled task is cancelled automatically.
• Per-record scheduling: Each record gets its own scheduled job. If you have 100 Deals with Close Dates, the system manages 100 independent schedules.
• Launch Conditions apply at schedule time: Conditions are evaluated when the record is saved, determining whether a scheduled job should be created. If a record doesn’t match the conditions, no job is scheduled for it.
• Deleted records cancel the schedule: When a record matching a Schedule Field automation is deleted, the associated scheduled job is also canceled.

Common Problem: Schedule Field Not Firing

Trigger Quick-Reference Table