> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.slant.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Building automations

> Create, configure, publish, and manage automations in the visual builder.

Automations are built on a visual canvas where you connect a trigger to one or more actions. The canvas shows your automation as a flowchart — the trigger at the top, followed by each action in sequence.

## Create an automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the automations page">
    Go to **Automations** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New automation">
    Click **New automation** in the top-right corner. If you have an unsaved draft from a previous session, you'll be asked whether to continue editing or start fresh.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the trigger">
    Click the trigger node on the canvas. The edit panel opens on the right. Choose a trigger type and fill in its settings — see [Triggers](/platform/automations/triggers) for details on each type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add actions">
    Click the action placeholder below the trigger to open the action picker. Actions are organized by category: Household, Task, Opportunity, AI, Flow, and System. Select an action and configure its fields in the edit panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add more actions">
    After configuring an action, a new placeholder appears below it. Click it to add the next action. Repeat until your workflow is complete.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Click **Publish automation** in the bar at the bottom of the canvas. Enter a name for your automation and click **Publish**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Your automation is now live and will run whenever its trigger fires.

## The automation canvas

The canvas is where you visually build your automation. It displays:

* **Trigger node** — the event that starts the automation (always at the top)
* **Action nodes** — the steps that run in sequence
* **Branch nodes** — conditional paths that split the flow (see [Branch](/platform/automations/actions#branch))
* **Note nodes** — free-form annotations you can add anywhere on the canvas for your own reference

Use the toolbar in the bottom-left corner to zoom in, zoom out, or fit the entire automation to the screen. You can also add note nodes from the toolbar.

## The edit panel

Clicking any node on the canvas opens the edit panel on the right side. The panel shows:

* The node's type, icon, and description
* Configuration fields for the trigger or action
* A switch button to change to a different trigger or action type
* A delete button to remove the node

<Note>
  Switching a trigger or action type replaces its configuration. Your previous settings for that node are not preserved.
</Note>

## Edit an automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the automation">
    Click any automation on the automations list page to open it in the editor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your changes">
    Click any node to edit it, add new actions, or delete existing ones. The publish bar at the bottom indicates you have unpublished changes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish your changes">
    Click **Publish changes** in the bottom bar. Your updates take effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

To undo your changes, click **Discard** in the bottom bar. The automation reverts to the last published version.

## Enable or disable an automation

Toggle the **Active** switch to enable or disable an automation without deleting it. You can toggle it from two places:

* **Automations list page** — the **Active** column has a toggle for each automation
* **Automation editor** — the toggle is in the top-right corner, labeled **Enable automation**

Disabled automations keep their configuration but do not run.

## Delete an automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the automation">
    Click the automation on the list page to open the editor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to the Settings tab">
    Click the **Settings** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delete the automation">
    In the **Danger zone** section, click **Delete automation**. Type the automation name to confirm.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Deleting an automation permanently removes it and all its run history. This cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## Rename an automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Settings tab">
    Open the automation and click the **Settings** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change the name">
    Update the **Name** field and click **Save**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Share an automation across books

If your company has multiple books, you can run the same automation in more than one book. Sharing is configured in the **Sharing** section of the automation's **Settings** tab.

<Note>
  The **Sharing** section only appears for company admins. Standard users can edit automations in their own books but cannot change which books an automation runs in.
</Note>

### Apply to all books in the company

Toggle **Apply to all books in company** on to share the automation with every book in your company. New books added later are included automatically — no need to revisit the setting when you add a book.

### Share with specific books

When **Apply to all books in company** is off, the **Share with specific books** list appears below the toggle. Check the books you want this automation to run in. Uncheck a book to stop the automation from running there.

<Warning>
  An automation cannot be set company-wide if it references book-specific resources — tags, sequences, email integrations, book-level pipelines, book-level project types, and similar. Remove or replace those references first, then enable the toggle.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Company-wide pipelines and company-wide project types are allowed in **Create opportunity**, **Find opportunity**, **Move to stage**, and **Start project** actions on a company-wide automation. Only book-level pipelines and project types block the company-wide toggle.
</Note>

## Drafts

When you start building a new automation, your work is saved as a draft automatically. If you leave the editor before publishing, the draft is preserved. The next time you click **New automation**, you'll be asked:

* **Continue editing** — reopen your draft where you left off
* **Start fresh** — discard the draft and start with a blank canvas

Drafts are per-user — other team members won't see your unpublished drafts.

## Validation

The publish bar shows validation errors if your automation has issues. Common validation messages include:

* Missing required fields on a trigger or action node
* Nodes that are not fully configured

Click the node with the error to see which fields need attention. You cannot publish until all validation errors are resolved.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I duplicate an existing automation?">
    Not directly. To create a similar automation, start from scratch and configure the same trigger and actions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can multiple people edit the same automation at once?">
    Yes. The automation builder supports real-time collaboration — multiple team members can view and edit the same automation simultaneously.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to in-progress runs when I edit an automation?">
    Runs that are already in progress continue using the version that was active when they started. Your changes only apply to new runs after you publish.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Triggers reference" icon="zap" href="/platform/automations/triggers">
    See every trigger type and how to configure it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Actions reference" icon="play" href="/platform/automations/actions">
    See every action type and how to configure it.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>