---
url: /guides/create-an-automation.md
description: >-
  Build an automation from a preset or from scratch — a trigger, where it runs,
  conditions and actions — and check its run log.
---

# Create an automation

Create an automation when the same step keeps coming after the same event, for example:

* assign every new bug to its owner;
* move finished tasks to another list;
* remind the team before a deadline.

An [automation](/concepts/automations) is a rule in four parts, and its editor has a block for
each:

* **When**: the event that triggers it;
* **Where**: the [workspace, a folder or a list](/concepts/hule-model) it applies in;
* **Only if**: conditions that must hold at that moment;
* **Then**: one or more actions to run.

## Before you start

Automations live in **Workspace settings** → **Automations**, for the whole workspace, a folder or
a list, and only admins build them.

::: warning Admins only
Creating and editing need the **Automations** permissions of your
[permission set](/reference/permissions-and-access): the **Admin** and **Super Admin** sets include
them, and the workspace owner always has them. Other members see the list of automations
read-only.
:::

## Presets: start from a ready automation

The quickest way is a preset: a ready automation with the trigger and action set, where you
fill in the rest.

1. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar and choose **Workspace settings**.
   The workspace settings open.

2. If you belong to several workspaces, pick the workspace.

3. In the **Workspace** section, click **Automations**.
   The list of automations opens.

4. Click **New**.
   The page **New automation** shows **Start from scratch** under **Custom**, then presets in
   groups:

   * **Notifications**;
   * **New tasks**;
   * **Task flow**;
   * **On a schedule**.

   ![Workspace settings, Automations, New automation: the preset gallery with Start from scratch, Notify on done and the preset groups](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-1.light.webp){.light-only}
   ![Workspace settings, Automations, New automation: the preset gallery with Start from scratch, Notify on done and the preset groups](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-1.dark.webp){.dark-only}

5. Click a preset, for example **Notify on done**.
   The editor opens with the name, the trigger and the action filled in.

6. Check the settings the preset filled in. Presets such as **Move when done** leave a value
   empty, such as the target list; fill it in.

7. Click **Save**.
   The message "Automation saved" appears, and the automation is in the list with its switch on.

   ::: warning Save names a missing value?
   Something the preset leaves open is still empty, and the message names it, such as "Choose a
   target list." Fill it in and save again.
   :::

## From scratch: tell the reporter an urgent bug is fixed

In the list **Bugs**, when an urgent bug is marked done, this automation tells whoever reported
it. Other triggers and actions work the same way; each one is in
[Automation triggers, conditions and actions](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions).

1. In **Automations**, click **New**, then **Start from scratch**.
   The editor opens. The sentence at the top reads the automation back as you build it.

2. Optional: type a **Name**. If you leave it empty, Hule makes one up.

3. Under **When**, open **Trigger** and choose **Updated** under **Tasks**.
   **Add field** appears under the trigger.

4. Under **Where**, set **Apply in** to **List** and pick **Bugs**.
   The other choices are **Everywhere** (the whole workspace) and **Folder**.

5. Click **Add field** and choose **Status**, then pick **Done** after **to**.
   The sentence at the top now names the status change. Without a field, **Updated** fires on
   any change to the task.

6. Switch on **Only if** and add the condition **Priority** is **Urgent**. Conditions are built
   like [view filters](/reference/view-filters).
   The automation now runs only while the condition holds.

   ::: info Trigger or condition
   The trigger is the event: the status changes to **Done**. The condition is the state at that
   moment: the priority is **Urgent**.
   :::

7. Under **Then**, open the picker of the first action (it starts as **Set status**) and choose
   **Notify**.
   The **Notify** settings appear.

8. Switch off **Notify the assignee**, switch on **Notify the creator**, and type in
   **Message (optional)**:

   ```text
   Fixed — please check
   ```

   To run a second action, click **Add action**. Actions run in order; drag them to reorder.

9. Under **Options**, keep **Active** on to start the automation now. Keep **Skip during bulk
   operations** on (the default) so it stays quiet when someone edits many tasks at once.

10. Click **Save**.
    "Automation saved" appears.

    ::: warning Save shows "Choose a status to set."?
    An action is missing a value, often the **Set status** action every new automation starts
    with. Fill it in, or choose the action you meant in its picker. Remove an empty second
    action.
    :::

![The automation editor for a rule that notifies when a task in the list Bugs changes status to Done, only if its priority is Urgent](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-2.light.webp){.light-only}
![The automation editor for a rule that notifies when a task in the list Bugs changes status to Done, only if its priority is Urgent](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-2.dark.webp){.dark-only}

The other choices under **Trigger**:

| Trigger | Fires |
|---|---|
| **Created**, **Updated**, **Deleted** under **Tasks** | when a task is created, changed or deleted |
| **Created**, **Updated**, **Deleted** under **Comments** | when a comment is posted, edited or deleted |
| **On a schedule** | at the times you set, not tied to a task |
| **Before or after a date** | a number of days, hours or minutes before or after each task's due or start date |

Other actions in the **Then** picker include:

* **Set assignee**;
* **Add tags**;
* **Move to list**;
* **Add subtask**;
* **Add comment**.

### Scheduled automations

Automations **On a schedule** run at the times you set, in the time zone from your
[notification settings](/guides/set-up-notifications). They have no **Where** or **Only if**:
there is no task to check. From scratch they can only **Notify**; to create a task on a
schedule, start from the **Weekly task** or **Monthly task** preset.

## Run log: check what an automation did

1. In **Automations**, click **Run log**, or **View runs** in an automation's **⋯** menu to see
   only that one.
   The **Automation Log** opens.
2. In the result filter, pick **Skipped** to see the runs that did not happen, or **Failed** for
   the errors.
   Each row says what the automation did, or why it did not run.

   ![The Automation Log with five runs: three ran, one failed with a status that is not in the list's template, and one skipped because a condition didn't hold](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-3.light.webp){.light-only}
   ![The Automation Log with five runs: three ran, one failed with a status that is not in the list's template, and one skipped because a condition didn't hold](/shots/guides/create-an-automation-3.dark.webp){.dark-only}

| Skip reason | What held it back |
|---|---|
| "A condition didn't hold" | the task did not match **Only if** at that moment |
| "Entity outside the rule's scope" | the task is outside the folder or list under **Where** |
| "Part of a bulk operation" | **Skip during bulk operations** is on, and many tasks changed at once |
| "The change-to transition didn't occur" | the field changed, but not to the value after **to** |
| "Already in this automation chain (cycle guard)" | the automation would have triggered itself again, and Hule stopped the loop |

The log keeps runs for 30 days (skipped runs for 7). In the list of automations each one also
shows its last result, such as "Ran 5 min. ago". Changes an automation makes appear in the task's
[history](/guides/see-task-history) as **Automation**.

## Edit, pause, copy or delete an automation

Open an automation's **⋯** menu in the list of automations:

| Menu row | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Edit** | Opens the editor. |
| **Pause** / **Resume** | Stops the automation, or turns it back on. |
| **Duplicate** | Makes a paused copy named with "(copy)", to try a variant without touching the original. |
| **View runs** | Opens the run log for this automation. |
| **Delete** | Asks you to confirm with **Delete automation**. |

::: danger Deleting an automation can't be undone
The automation stops running and can't be restored. To stop it for a while, use **Pause**.
:::

## If it doesn't work

* **"Only workspace admins can create or edit automations."** Your permission set can't edit
  automations. Ask an admin; see [Permissions and access](/reference/permissions-and-access).
* **The automation is switched off with "Auto-disabled after 10 consecutive failures".** Open
  the [Run log](#run-log-check-what-an-automation-did), fix what fails, then click **Re-enable**.
* **The automation says "References a deleted …".** Something it uses, such as a list or a
  member, was deleted or removed; the message names what. [Edit](#edit-pause-copy-or-delete-an-automation) it to point
  elsewhere, then click **Re-enable**.
* **It doesn't fire.** Check the [Run log](#run-log-check-what-an-automation-did): the skip reason
  says what held it back, such as **Skip during bulk operations** or a value after **to** that
  the field never reached.
* **Save shows "Choose a status to set." or a similar message.** An action is missing a value —
  often the **Set status** action that every new automation starts with. Fill it in, or open its
  picker and choose the action you meant; if you added a second action, remove the empty one.
  Then save again. Each action's values are in
  [Automation triggers, conditions and actions](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions).

## Related

* [Automations](/concepts/automations) — how automations act on tasks, and why they stop loops.
* [Automation triggers, conditions and actions](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions) —
  every trigger, condition and action.
* [Automate the routine steps](/recipes/automations-that-do-work) — ready setups for a small team.
* [Permissions and access](/reference/permissions-and-access) — who can build automations.
* [View filters](/reference/view-filters) — the filters conditions are built like.