In this article:
Recording the Date of the Event
Send a Notice to Team Members
Send an Automatic Confirmation Email
Update Tasks Status Automatically
Assign Team Members to a Subtask
The video above is set with chapters, so if you want to see a certain Automation recipe, look for the timestamps on the play bar.
Learning Automation is a matter of practice and experimentation. Let’s reference some wizardry and learn some fantastic automations and how to build them.
These are simply meant to help you get the synapses firing upstairs. As you see how these are made, feel free to experiment and change it up for your various situations!
Recording the Date of Event
Let’s start first by setting a date on the task after something has been completed, like E-filing completion date.
For this automation you'll need:
A Date, either Due date or Custom date will do.
To create the automation:
Add Automation in the automation tab
Select Condition as ‘when task has a status of”
Select a status- 'completed'
Select action, “then record the date”
Then choose your date to record - 'E-file Completion'
Now, when your chosen task status is reached, Canopy records the date of when the automation was triggered.
Send a Notice to Team Members
Next, let’s add an automation to send a team notification as a date is approaching.
For this automation you'll need:
Team members assigned to this task
a date (due date)
To create this automation:
Select Add Automation from the automation tab
Select Condition as “When the task is approaching a date”
Enter a number of days (let’s go with 7)
Then choose a date type (due date)
Select Action as “then send team member notification”
In the next dropdown, select “to all team members assigned to the task”
Click Add Automation.
Now, a week before the due date, team members assigned to this task will receive a notification.
Send an Automatic Confirmation Email
It’s a nice touch to confirm when you’ve received a client’s documents, after your client has responded to your client request.
For this automation you'll need:
A client request
An email template for the confirmation
To create this automation:
Select Add Automation from the automation tab
Select Condition as “When a specific subtask or client request has a status of”
Select a Client Request
Then choose the status (as a default needs review is when a client request has come back to you)
Select Action as “then send a client email”
In the next dropdown, select your email template
Enter an email to receive replies.
Click Add Automation.
You can also preview your email by selecting preview email.
Now, when that client request is under “needs review” status, it will trigger an email to the client to let them know you received the documents and you're ready to begin your work!
Update Tasks Status Automatically
Let’s go through an example changing the status of the main or parent task as the work progresses through each stage or subtask.
For this automation you'll need:
a couple subtasks or client requests
And it might help to have custom statuses.
To create this automation:
Click Add Automation from the automation tab on the parent task
Select Condition as “when a specific subtask or client request has a status of”
Select the first subtask in your sequence
Set a status of the subtask (Completed)
Select Action as “then set the task status”
Select a task status (Gather Info)
Select Add Automation
Let’s add another automation and follow the same steps, but this time, we’ll make one with the second subtask in the sequence.
Now, that you created the automation rules to change the overall task, as you update the status on the subtasks, you’ll see the main parent task changes its status automatically!
Manage Hand-Off Between Subtasks and Team Members
In our last example, let's talk about how to manage a handoff between certain subtasks and client requests.
For this automation you'll need:
a client request and at least one subtask
To create this automation:
Step 1
Create a client request and save it as a draft
Drag the client request to the top of the list of subtasks
Click on the three dots inline with the client request and select edit
Select Add Automation
Select the condition as "When the task has a status of"
Choose the status "In Progress"
Select the Action "Then send the client request"
Add Automation.
Now when the parent task status is "In Progress" the client request will be sent to the client.
Step 2
Click on the subtask right under the client request.
Select Add Automation
Select the Condition "When the previous subtask or client request has a status of"
Select the status "Needs Review"
Select the Action "Then set assignee(s)"
Select the team member(s) you want to assign this subtask to.
Add Automation.
Now when the client completes the request and the status of the client request is set to needs review the next subtask will be assigned to your team member.