You can either read through this article step by step, or scroll to the bottom to watch the full recorded video walkthrough. Click here to go straight to the video tutorial.
This article explains how Automations work, what they are designed to do, and how they differ from Series, which is a common point of confusion.
Important Clarification - Automations vs Manually Sending a Series
Before diving in, it’s important to clearly separate two concepts that users sometimes mix together.
Automations
Automations are trigger-based
They run automatically when something happens
Examples include:
A contact fills out a form
A contact is added to a list
An opportunity moves to a specific stage
A date field (like a birthday) matches today’s date
Series
Series are multi-step communication templates
A series must be:
Triggered by an automation, or
Manually launched by the user
If you want to manually send or start a series, you do not need an automation. You can launch a series directly from the contact record, the series templates page, or the + button in the upper right of your screen.
What Automations Are Used For
Automations allow you to define when something should happen and what action should follow.
They are commonly used to:
Send emails or texts automatically
Launch or cancel a series
Add or remove contacts from lists
Stop scheduled messages when conditions change
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Accessing the Automations Page
To view or manage automations:
Click Automations in the left-hand sidebar
You’ll see a list of all existing automations
Each automation is defined by:
A Trigger
One or more Actions
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Understanding Triggers and Actions
Every automation has two core components.
Triggers
The event that starts the automation
Examples include:
Contact added to a list
Signup form completed
Opportunity stage changed
Monthly or daily date-based events
Actions
What happens after the trigger fires
Examples include:
Send an email
Send a text
Launch a series
Cancel scheduled emails or texts
Remove a contact from a series
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Creating a New Automation
To create a new automation:
Click Create
Select a Trigger
Select one or more Actions
Configure timing and delivery options
Save the automation
This is always a two-step process - trigger first, action second.
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Example - Adding a Contact to a List and Sending an Email
One common automation workflow:
Trigger - Contact added to a specific list
Action - Send an email template
Before creating the automation:
Make sure the email template already exists
Content should always be created first, then automated
You can also:
Delay the email
Restrict sending hours so messages don’t go out late at night
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Signup Form Completion Automations
Signup form automations work similarly to list-based automations.
Steps:
Select a Signup Form as the trigger
Choose an action such as:
Send email
Send text
Launch a series
Important notes:
SMS requires a phone number in the mobile field
These automations are commonly used for welcome messages and onboarding
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Launching or Canceling a Series Automatically
Automations can:
Launch a series
Cancel an active series
Cancel scheduled emails or texts
This is especially useful when:
A contact moves to a new stage
Messaging is no longer relevant
You want to prevent overlapping or outdated communications
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Monthly Recurring Automations
Monthly automations allow you to:
Send emails to a list on a specific day each month
Options include:
Choosing the day of the month
Delaying delivery if the date falls on a weekend
Automatically sending on the following Monday instead
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Daily Recurring Automations Based on Date Fields
Daily automations rely on custom date fields.
Common use cases:
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Renewal reminders
These automations trigger when:
The current date matches the date stored on the contact record
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Opportunity Stage Change Automations
For CRM users, automations can trigger when:
An opportunity moves into a specific pipeline stage
Common actions include:
Sending an email
Launching an onboarding series
Canceling existing series for the primary contact
Adding or removing the contact from lists
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Viewing Automation Logs
Logs allow you to:
See when an automation fired
Confirm which actions ran
Inspect the contact involved
To view logs:
Open the automation
Click into the log view
Hover over entries to inspect contact records
This is the best way to verify automations are working as expected.
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Video Tutorial
Transcript
Transcript
0:00 Hello everybody, my name is Drew. Today we're going to walk through the Automations page in VipeCloud. Automations allow you to set up triggers and actions for tasks like sending emails, calls, and more.
0:16 For example, if you’ve built an email, a series, or a text, and want scheduled communications to automatically stop based on triggers, this is where you can manage that.
0:33 This is the place to handle those tasks, and we’ll walk through some examples here.
0:41 To access this, go to the Automations tab in the sidebar. You’ll see a list of all the automations you’ve set up.
0:53 There are two main columns: Trigger and Action. These show how content can be sent or stopped based on specific events, which we call triggers.
1:15 Automations are distinct from Series, which are templates for multiple steps, like a drip campaign. If you want a whole series of emails to be sent, you’ll create it under Series. Then, those series can be triggered by an automation.
1:37 To create a new automation, click the Create button. It’s a two-step process: choose a trigger and then choose an action.
1:49 For example, you can add a contact to a list when they fill out a sign-up form.
2:04 You can also set up monthly recurring actions, such as sending an email template to everyone who filled out a sign-up form on the first of each month.
2:18 Daily recurring actions are based on custom fields. For instance, you can send a birthday message when the current date matches the contact’s birthday.
2:30 Another option is opportunity stage changes. If you’re a CRM user, when a deal reaches a specific stage—such as "won"—you can trigger an onboarding series.
2:55 Now, let’s walk through some examples. First, we’ll add a contact to a list.
3:04 Select the contact list, then choose an action. For example, if you’re adding someone to a newsletter, you might want to send a welcome email introducing them to what they can expect.
3:23 After selecting "Send Email," you’ll choose an email template. If you haven’t created one yet, you’ll need to do that first by going to the Emails tab. As a general rule, create your content first, then set up the automation.
3:50 You can also set send options, such as delaying the email or limiting the automation to certain hours, so emails aren’t sent late at night.
4:13 Once you’ve set everything, click Save Automation. Now, the new automation is ready.
4:22 Next, I’ll show you how this automation works in action by adding a contact and viewing the logs.
4:36 The logs let you see exactly what’s being sent and provide insights into how your automations are performing.
4:49 Let’s go over the signup form completion automation. This is similar to the contact list automation—you select a signup form, then choose an action.
5:03 You can choose actions like sending an email or a text. For texts, make sure the contact has a phone number in the mobile field.
5:24 You can also launch a series, which is a multi-step automation. Other actions include canceling scheduled emails or texts, and removing contacts from a series. This helps ensure that if a contact moves to a new stage, they won’t continue receiving outdated communications.
5:53 You can also trigger automations to stop, ensuring that contacts don’t receive redundant messages as they progress.
6:06 Monthly recurring automations allow you to send emails to a contact list on a specific date each month. You can even set it to wait until Monday if the date falls on a weekend.
6:48 Daily recurring automations are triggered by custom date fields, commonly used for birthdays or anniversaries.
7:01 Lastly, opportunity stage change automations trigger actions when a deal moves into a specific stage in your pipeline.
7:17 You can set actions like sending an email, delaying the send, or moving the contact to a different list. You can also cancel existing series for the primary contact if needed.
8:04 Now, let’s add a contact to the contact list and see how the automation works.
8:15 I’ll open a new tab, add a contact, and then check the logs to see the automation in action.
8:34 Here we go—the log shows that an email was sent to the contact added to the list. It also displays the trigger event, confirming the automation worked as intended.
9:00 By hovering over the log, we can inspect the contact record and verify the email was sent.
9:08 This demonstrates how you can monitor your automations and gain insights into their performance.
9:22 I hope this walkthrough has been helpful. You should now have a better understanding of how to set up automations, manage triggers, and track their results using the logs.
9:37 If you have any questions or ideas for automations but aren’t sure how to implement them, feel free to reach out. We’re happy to help. Thank you so much!