how to setup an automation that triggers only once 5 minutes after a scheduled date and time in

[ydoc]

I was trying to set up an automation that after 5 minutes of a scheduled date and time in a record email the person of the record but I can't find that option in the automation list.

[TheTimeSavingCo]

Try:
1. Create a formula field to calculate what 5 minutes after the date value would be
2. Create a formula field that will calculate whether the current time is after the value from the field from step 1
3. Trigger your automation off the field from step 2

I've separated them into two different fields below so that it's clear what they do, but you can combine them into one!

IF(
  Date,
  DATEADD(
    Date,
    5,
    'minutes'
  )
)

IS_AFTER(
  NOW(),
  {5 Minutes after Date}
)

Link to base

[kuovonne]

This is not realistic to do with Airtable by itself. 

The NOW() formula is only updated about every 5 minutes when the base is open, but also might not be updated for hours when the base is closed. Plus, the NOW() formula is resource intensive because it recalculated for every record in the table, even if you no longer need that result. 

Here are some alternatives:

- use a third party automation service, like Make.com that can has a delay module. 

- Chain together several automation scripting actions that last slightly less than 30 seconds each. 

[ScottWorld]

@ydoc 

As @kuovonne mentioned above, It isn’t possible to do it exactly 5 minutes after the deadline time, but if you’re okay with it being “approximately 5-15 minutes” after the deadline time, then you should be able to trigger your automation with the formula that @TheTimeSavingCo outlined above.

However, another issue to be aware of: Bases will fall asleep if they’re not actively being used, so an automation based on a formula trigger will likely not run unless you wake up the base on a regular basis.

So you will probably need to create another “dummy automation” that runs on a recurring scheduled frequency, and doesn’t do anything except maybe do a dummy search for some records. This dummy automation will simply serve to wake up the base if it has fallen asleep.

However, if you're looking to get the exact accuracy that you were asking about, you cna get this by using a more advanced automation tool like Make's advanced automations & integrations for Airtable.

If you’ve never used Make before, I’ve assembled a bunch of Make training resources in this thread.

I also give live demonstrations of how to use Make in many of my Airtable podcast appearances.

Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire an expert Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld

[TheTimeSavingCo]

Appreciate the detailed reply!  Just wanted to clarify, I checked in with Airtable support and they've confirmed that the NOW() function does keep running on its own if the base has time-dependent automation triggers, actions, or sync dependencies, even when the base isn't active.  So no need for the dummy automation workaround to keep things awake!

[Thomasrobinson]

You can create a time-based delay in your automation tool. While many automation platforms don't have a direct 5 minutes after option, you can work around this by setting the trigger to the scheduled date and time, then adding a delay action of 5 minutes before proceeding with the action (such as sending the email). If your platform doesn’t support this natively, consider using a custom script or third-party integration like Zapier to introduce the delay before sending the email.