---
url: /recipes/automations-that-do-work.md
description: >-
  Set up four automations on one list: assign new tasks, remind before the due
  date, raise overdue tasks to Urgent, and move finished tasks out.
---

# Automate the routine steps

This recipe is for a team that keeps doing the same small steps by hand. Four
[automations](/concepts/automations) do those steps for you, each started from a
[preset](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#presets).

You need:

* a **Support** list;
* a **Support archive** list to move finished tasks into;
* the on-call person as a [workspace member](/guides/invite-members-and-grant-permissions).

Turn on the **Assignee** feature in **Support** so tasks show who the first automation
assigned; a new list starts without it
([Turn features on or off](/guides/set-up-a-list#turn-features-on-or-off)).

::: warning Automations need permissions
Creating automations needs the Automations permissions, which the **Admin** set gives
([Permissions and access](/reference/permissions-and-access)).
:::

## Four automations for Support

| Automation | When | Then |
|---|---|---|
| New tasks to the on-call person | A task is created in **Support** | Set the [assignee](/guides/assign-and-watch-tasks) to the on-call person |
| Nudge before the deadline | 1 day before a task's [due date](/reference/task-fields), at 09:00 | [Notify](/guides/set-up-notifications) the assignee |
| Escalate what is late | 1 day after a task's due date, if it is still open | Set [priority](/reference/task-fields) to **Urgent** |
| Clear finished work | A task in **Support** reaches the **Done** [stage](/concepts/statuses) | Move it to **Support archive** |

## Setup from four presets

Every automation starts the same way
([Presets](/guides/create-an-automation#presets-start-from-a-ready-automation)):

1. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar and choose **Workspace settings**; with several
   workspaces, pick the one with **Support** in the submenu.
   The workspace settings open.
2. Click **Automations**.
   The list of automations opens.
3. Click **New**.
   The **New automation** page shows presets in groups.
4. Click the preset named in [Preset changes per automation](#preset-changes-per-automation).
   The editor opens with it filled in.
5. Under **Where**, set **Apply in** to **List** and pick **Support**.
6. Make that automation's other changes from
   [Preset changes per automation](#preset-changes-per-automation).
7. Replace the name in **Name** with the one from the table, and click **Save**.
   "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. Fill it in.
   :::

## Preset changes per automation

Every trigger, condition and action is in
[Automation triggers, conditions and actions](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions).

| Automation | Preset | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| New tasks to the on-call person | **Auto-assign** | **Then**: turn off **Assign to the creator** and pick the on-call person. Turn on **Only if** and add **Assignee** **is empty**, so a task assigned at creation keeps its assignee |
| Nudge before the deadline | **Due reminder** | The trigger fires 3 days before the due date at 09:00: change it to 1 day |
| Escalate what is late | **Urgent when overdue** | No changes beyond **Where** |
| Clear finished work | **Move when done** | Pick **Support archive** as the list to move to |

::: info Date rules: finished and late tasks
Date rules skip finished tasks: tasks in the **Done** stage are never reminded or escalated.
**Urgent when overdue** raises each task once, from 09:00 on the day after its due date. Tasks
whose due date was two or more days before you save the automation are never raised.
:::

![Workspace settings, Automations: the recipe's four automations, all switched on, and the Run log button](/shots/recipes/automations-that-do-work-1.light.webp){.light-only}
![Workspace settings, Automations: the recipe's four automations, all switched on, and the Run log button](/shots/recipes/automations-that-do-work-1.dark.webp){.dark-only}

## Day to day: run log and on-call changes

Once a week, click **Run log** on the **Automations** page and look for **Failed** runs
([Run log](/guides/create-an-automation#run-log-check-what-an-automation-did)). A failed run shows
its error next to it.

When the on-call person changes, edit the first automation's
[**Set assignee**](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#actions), or switch it off
with **Active** while nobody is on call
([Edit, pause, copy or delete](/guides/create-an-automation#edit-pause-copy-or-delete-an-automation)).

## Missed runs and fixes

* **A run shows Skipped.** The log names the reason, such as "A condition didn't hold"; see
  [Run log statuses](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#run-log-statuses).
* **No run at all.** The rule is off: turn on
  [**Active**](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#options-active-and-bulk).
* **A due-date rule logged nothing.** No open task in **Support** was due on the right day.
* **Nothing happened after a bulk edit.** **Skip during bulk operations** is on; turn it off in
  [Options](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#options-active-and-bulk).
* **The automation switched itself off.** It failed 10 times in a row, or its list was deleted:
  fix it, press **Re-enable** ([Limits](/reference/automation-triggers-and-actions#limits-and-self-protection)).
* **New tasks stay unassigned.** The on-call person left the workspace: pick a new one in
  **Set assignee** ([Edit](/guides/create-an-automation#edit-pause-copy-or-delete-an-automation)).

## Variations: nudges, subtasks, routing, comments

| Goal | Preset | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ask for missing details | **Description nudge** | Comments on new tasks that arrive without a description |
| Close subtasks with the parent | **Complete subtasks on done** | Completes a task's [subtasks](/guides/break-down-with-subtasks) one level down when the task reaches **Done**; deeper subtasks keep their status |
| Route by tag | **Route by tag** | Moves a task to a chosen list when a chosen [tag](/guides/tag-tasks) is added |
| Answer comments fast | **Comment ping** | Notifies a task's assignee when someone [comments](/guides/comment-and-mention) on it |