Plan: Not Available: Intermediate, Pro Available: Elite
Users: Not Available: All users Available:FYI Admins or User Group Permissions
Practice Management Source: Not Available: APS, Iris, MYOB AE & AO, CCH, MYOB Practice Management (formerly GreatSoft) Available: FYI or Xero Practice Manager
The Event Trigger is available when creating Custom Automation Processes, allowing practices to control the way in which a process can be triggered. Using this trigger, practices can trigger an automation to run when an event such as a New Client, New Job or changes to Client or Job information occurs.
When the event occurs, the automation is immediately processed, enabling real-time execution of automation steps based on changes to client or job information.
FYI Admins or users with Automations permissions will be able to configure this trigger.
This feature is currently in beta. Learn more about beta registrations.
Trigger - Event
Selecting the Event trigger allows automations to run automatically when a defined event occurs within the platform, instead of running an automation manually or scheduling for a specific time period.
Once Event is selected, users must choose an event from the Event Filters to determine the exact scenario that will trigger the automation.
Note: Processes with an Event trigger cannot be imported or exported from your platform.
Event Filter Details
The Filter details are used to define the specific condition that will trigger the automation. There are four Filter Types that can be selected from the drop-down:
- New Client
- New Job
- Client Update
- Job Update
Click on the headings below for further information on each filter.
When selected, the process will run when any new client is added to the platform.
This filter does not require additional fields to be selected, as the automation will run for every new client created. For example, onboarding new client workflows can be run when a new client is added.
When selected, the process steps will run when any new job is added to the platform.
This filter does not require additional fields to be selected, as the automation will run for every new job created. For example when a new job is created, create a Task to review the job details to ensure all details have been set up.
When Client Update is selected, the On Update To field must be configured to trigger the automation.
| On Update To | Details |
| Client Details |
The following fields from the Client Summary tab can be selected. Any changes to these fields will trigger the automation to run:
|
| Client Custom Fields | Displayed in alphabetical order, select a Client Custom Field. Any changes, including removal of the custom field value, will trigger the automation to run. |
When Job Update is selected, the On Update To field must be configured to trigger the automation.
| On Update To | Details |
| Financial Details |
Budget Amount Note: This field is available for practices when FYI is the Practice Management source. |
| Job Details |
The following fields from the Job Summary tab can be selected. Any changes to these fields will trigger the automation to run:
|
| Job Custom Fields | Displayed in alphabetical order, select a Job Custom Field. Any changes, including removal of the custom field value, will trigger the automation to run. |
Setting Up and Testing the Event Process
Adding Steps
Once a process has been configured with an Event, automation steps can be added in the same way as building other custom processes. Refer to Automation Process Steps and to the articles in the section Process Step Details for detailed information.
Note: When two or more event trigger Automation Processes are configured on the same field, updates to that field can trigger multiple processes simultaneously, resulting in very high volumes of automations, duplicate data including document creation and delays in automation execution.
Ensure that each event trigger is clearly defined and existing automations are reviewed, to avoid duplicate data and errors occurring.
It is important to note that the following steps are not supported when an Event trigger is selected:
- Summary Notification
- Xero Ledger
- FYI reports
Testing the Process
Processes configured with an Event still require testing to ensure they work as expected. However due to the nature of this automation type normally being triggered by a system activity, for example a New Client or Update Job, the testing approach differs from standard methods.
Rather than waiting for an activity to occur, for example a new client created, a test is run using an existing Client or Job record as sample data. This allows a user to still safely test the automation process steps without waiting for a live event to trigger the automation.
Important Note: The test runs in the same way as when the process is active. For example, the process may update client or job records, create emails, documents or tasks. It is recommended to choose a Sample Client or create a sample Job to run the test against.
To test a process configured with an Event:
- Open the relevant Custom Process.
- Click the Test button.
- The Select Test pop-up displays.
- Select a View. The type of view available depends on the Event Type:
- Client View: New Client and Client Update event type.
-
Job View: New Job and Job Update event type.
The following is an example of selecting a sample client from a Client View.
- Once a view is selected, search for and select an active client or job to test against.
- Click Run Test.
The Automation test will run using the selected record as sample data and displays the result in the same way as standard testing methods.
Activating the Process
To activate the process, click the Status toggle to change it to active.
Important Note: The process will run immediately when the Process Filter details are triggered. Ensure that you have reviewed filter details and all steps before activating the process.
To view details on when the process runs, refer to Process History and Activity.
Event Process Examples
The following table provides examples on where a process can be created with an Event Trigger.
| Event Filter | Example |
| Update Client | When a client's details are updated, for example Mobile Number, add a step to the automation to Create a Task to review the related Client Group details. |
| New Client | When a new client is created, create onboarding tasks, or execute an onboarding automation. |
| Update Job | When a job's details are updated, for example Job State is changed to 'Review', create a Task for the Manager to review the job. |
| New Job | When a new job is created, create a Task to review the job details to ensure all details have been set up. |
Troubleshooting Event Automations
Issue
A potential chain reaction of event automations has been detected, and the following warning messages are displayed when opening the process:
- "Implicated in chain reaction" displayed in the Action step of the process
- "Process Chain Reaction. If run, this process may recursively trigger itself and other processes in exponentially increasing volumes."
Cause
When two or more event trigger Automation Processes are configured on the same filter field selected, updates to that field can trigger multiple processes simultaneously. If these processes update the same field or trigger additional processes, this can result in a looping scenario where processes continuously trigger each other.
This may lead to:
- Very high volumes of automations being created
- Delays in automation execution
- A large number of pending automations
Solution
To resolve the issue:
- Review all event trigger Automation Processes and identify any processes that update the same field or trigger other Automation Processes. For example, multiple event automations with an Update Job filter triggered when the On Update To you forgot the On :) is set as 'Manager'.
- Remove or modify duplicate or conflicting filters to ensure that each process is clearly defined and no fields are overlapping.