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The Look Up Job step is used to find an existing job by matching a number of the search filters, for example, a Client Name, Job Number, or Custom Fields. This job can then be referenced to ensure that other steps in the automation are only applied to the matching job.
Note: The Look Up Job step is not a pre-filter. The automation will still use the View selected in the Filter first to execute the process for all jobs in the view. The Look Up Job step will be executed when the process runs.
Users can also control what actions should be taken if the Job is not found, or multiple jobs match the search criteria. For example, users can configure the process to be aborted, continue, or create the job if it doesn't already exist.
If a job is found, the automation process will continue.
Look Up Job Step
The Look Up Job step contains various fields to return a search for matching jobs.
- Client, Find across group, and Type will narrow the results.
- Job Number, Name, and Custom Fields are the search criteria used to find an exact job match.
When creating a custom process to import data from a CSV file, the Look Up Job step can be used as an alternative where the Match Jobs During Validation option is not enabled in the filter.
Merge Fields can be used on some filters to search for jobs. Click the Merge Fields icon and select from the available merge fields. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Automations.
Look Up Job Fields
| Field | Details |
| Current Client |
Looks for jobs matching the client retrieved by the Automation Process filters. It is recommended to select this field. If "Current Client" is not set, the process will search the entire jobs database, returning a message "Multiple jobs matched". |
| Type | Used to select by specific Job Types - Standard, Billing, or Workflow Job. Select an option from the dropdown. Multiple Types can be selected if required. |
| Find across group | Allows the search to find jobs across the Client Group the current client belongs to, for example, when jobs are assigned to a primary client in the group. Refer to Displaying Information for Client Groups. |
| Job Number | Job Numbers are displayed on the Job - Summary tab, and available on the Jobs List. Leading zeros in a Job Number will be ignored. For example, if the Import file has a job number "123", the Job Number "000123" in FYI will be considered a match. |
| Name | Search within Job Names for matching terms. For example, searching for "Annual Accounts" would return the job "Annual Accounts - 2024". |
| Custom Field |
Used to select a Custom Field to be included in the search filters. To add a Custom Field, select the Custom Field from the drop-down. A new drop-down for that Custom Field will be displayed, where the search filters can be selected. |
| If Job Not Found |
This option allows users to control what happens if a matching job cannot be found, or multiple jobs have been returned by the search. Refer to If Job Not Found below. Important Note: If a job is found, the selection in this field is disregarded, and the automation process will continue successfully. |
| Context behaviour | This option controls whether subsequent steps in the automation apply to the current Job, or to the Job found by the Look Up Job step. Refer to Context Behaviour below. |
When the step is added to an Automation Process, the Details tab will display the step configuration in the Action column.
Working with the Look Up Job Step
If Job Not Found
When a job is not found, the user can select whether the process should stop, continue on, or create a new job. Stop Process is selected by default.
| Field Selection | Details |
| Stop Process | Stops the process when a match isn't found, or multiple jobs match the search criteria. If there are steps following the Look Up Job step, they will be not be executed. |
| Continue Process | Where a match isn't found, or multiple jobs match the search criteria, the process will continue for each job as per the selected Automation Filter. A warning message is displayed for each step that cannot be completed for a matching job. |
| Create Job |
Additional fields will be displayed to allow users to configure the values of the new Job. For example, a Job Template can be selected to automatically populate the fields. If multiple jobs are found, the Skip & Continue function in the Automation History will allow users to select the correct job, before continuing with the rest of the process. |
Context Behaviour
The Context behaviour setting controls whether subsequent steps in the automation apply to the current Job, or the Job found by the Look Up Job step.
| Field Selection | Details |
| Update context to lookup result |
The Look Up Job step will find a matching Job and subsequent steps in the process will be applied to the matched Job found by this step. This option is selected by default. When the step is added to a process, Matched Job used as Current Job will display in the Action column. |
| Preserve previous context |
The Look Up Job step will find a matching Job, but subsequent steps in the process will continue using the current Job. When the step is added to a process, No changes to Current Job will display in the Action column. |