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AUTOMATION 101: One Email from Multiple Matching Records

  • May 7, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 47 views
A
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Happy weekend all!

So I have built myself two awesome automations:

  1. Creates 10 tasks for each record added
  2. Email me the list of ‘tasks’ for each new record added

So when I ran the 1st automation it ran flawlessly! It was #2 that boogered me all up! It sent 10 emails for each new record… each with all 10 tasks listed beautifully!

PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY:

The issue I am running into is that the 1st automation is running from where the new record lives. I found that if I add the ‘send email’ option with the same trigger, it emails an empty list (I’m guessing because it is sending the email before the list is populated).

I’m sure this is an easy one, but Its been a loooong week already.

As always, thanks for your time!

DG

Best answer by augmented

Hey augmented, thanks for the info! I think I see where you are going with this.

Let me try and lay out the process for you with pics:

It starts with the 1st Automation: Create New Cust Task List. This occurs when “A Record is created in ‘1. Customers’ table”.

(you can see the “REQUIRED” and “OPTIONAL” tasks being created above)

… and then goes on to 1b-Find Records (tasks) and Send Email

So to your suggestion, I began attempting to add another “conditional action”, send email, to this step. I set the “Airtable ID’s” to match “DYNAMICALLY”. But I’m getting stuck with the “Action” that I would take next.

Because, how would I know that it won’t fire before all of the ‘tasks’ have been populated?!?

:call_me_hand: DG


I would just simplify things first (and see if it works).

  1. Trigger (same)
  2. Create record actions
  3. Find records in Tasks table where link field = record id from trigger
  4. Send email

You can put the last action in a conditional group as you suggested, but you should just check to see if the list returned from step 3 has a length > 0. You’ll see what I mean as you test the steps.

Also, if this automation is going to get run a lot, it’s not very efficient as it eats heavily into your automation quota. Each “step” counts as 1 (I think). Someone will correct me if I’m wrong.

4 replies

A
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  • augmented
  • Inspiring
  • 326 replies
  • May 8, 2022

Hi DG. Without seeing your 2nd automation, it’s difficult to give accurate help. However, have you tried putting everything in one automation?

After you create your 10 tasks in the task table, add an action to “find” those tasks based on the record id of the record that kicked off the automation. I’m assuming that you have linked the tables (i.e. the 10 new tasks have a link field to the new record in the 1st table).

The next action would be to send the email and include the results from the find action in the body of the email. Does this suggestion make sense? The only downside I see is that Airtable doesn’t work the way I expect.

A
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  • AUTORRARI_MAIN
  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 33 replies
  • May 8, 2022

Hey augmented, thanks for the info! I think I see where you are going with this.

Let me try and lay out the process for you with pics:

It starts with the 1st Automation: Create New Cust Task List. This occurs when “A Record is created in ‘1. Customers’ table”.

(you can see the “REQUIRED” and “OPTIONAL” tasks being created above)

… and then goes on to 1b-Find Records (tasks) and Send Email

So to your suggestion, I began attempting to add another “conditional action”, send email, to this step. I set the “Airtable ID’s” to match “DYNAMICALLY”. But I’m getting stuck with the “Action” that I would take next.

Because, how would I know that it won’t fire before all of the ‘tasks’ have been populated?!?

:call_me_hand: DG

A
Forum|alt.badge.img+18
  • augmented
  • Inspiring
  • 326 replies
  • Answer
  • May 8, 2022

Hey augmented, thanks for the info! I think I see where you are going with this.

Let me try and lay out the process for you with pics:

It starts with the 1st Automation: Create New Cust Task List. This occurs when “A Record is created in ‘1. Customers’ table”.

(you can see the “REQUIRED” and “OPTIONAL” tasks being created above)

… and then goes on to 1b-Find Records (tasks) and Send Email

So to your suggestion, I began attempting to add another “conditional action”, send email, to this step. I set the “Airtable ID’s” to match “DYNAMICALLY”. But I’m getting stuck with the “Action” that I would take next.

Because, how would I know that it won’t fire before all of the ‘tasks’ have been populated?!?

:call_me_hand: DG


I would just simplify things first (and see if it works).

  1. Trigger (same)
  2. Create record actions
  3. Find records in Tasks table where link field = record id from trigger
  4. Send email

You can put the last action in a conditional group as you suggested, but you should just check to see if the list returned from step 3 has a length > 0. You’ll see what I mean as you test the steps.

Also, if this automation is going to get run a lot, it’s not very efficient as it eats heavily into your automation quota. Each “step” counts as 1 (I think). Someone will correct me if I’m wrong.

A
Forum|alt.badge.img+10
  • AUTORRARI_MAIN
  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • 33 replies
  • May 8, 2022

I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DID… HECK, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I DID…

BUT IT WORKED!!! THANK YOU augmented! MUCH LOVE!
DG


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