Workflow Automation
Workflow Automation in AnyDB enables teams to design and run custom business workflows that automatically execute tasks based on changes in structured data.
Instead of relying on manual follow-ups, email reminders, or status tracking, you can configure event-driven workflows that keep your operations moving in real time.
By combining triggers (when something happens) with actions (what should happen next), AnyDB becomes not just a data storage platform, but an operational engine for your business processes.
Workflow Automation helps you:
- Eliminate repetitive manual work
- Enforce business rules automatically
- Keep teams aligned with real-time notifications
- Maintain consistent data states across records
- Reduce errors caused by missed updates
- Scale processes without increasing operational overhead
Just like any automation platform, AnyDB Workflows allows you to build logic directly on top of your structured data — but with native awareness of your records, templates, fields.
Typical business use cases include:
- Automatically assigning tasks when a new issue is created
- Sending notifications when a status changes
- Creating follow-up records for sales or support workflows
- Escalating high-priority records
- Updating related records to maintain consistency
- Triggering downstream business processes
Because automation runs directly inside AnyDB, it operates securely within your workspace and respects your data structure, permissions, and record hierarchy.
With Workflow Automation, AnyDB evolves from a system of record into a system of action — enabling your data to actively drive business outcomes.
Overview
Workflow automations consist of two main components:
- Triggers: Events that initiate the workflow
- Actions: Tasks that are executed when the trigger conditions are met
Supported Triggers
1. When a Record is Created
This trigger fires when a new record is created in your workspace.
Configuration Options:
| Field Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Trigger only if a record of this Type or Template is created | "AnyDB Issue" or "All" |
| Parent | Trigger only if a record is created under the specified Parent | "Trigger Folder" or No Parent |
| Conditions | Set specific conditions that must be met to trigger. This can be a field name such as "TYPE" or position "A1" | TYPE == "BUG" , A1 == "BUG". Compound expresion with OR and AND are also allowed like 'Sales Stage'=='Closed' OR VALUE > 1000 |
Use Cases:
- Automatically notify team members when new issues are created
- Create related records in other databases
- Trigger approval workflows for new submissions
2. When a Record is Updated
This trigger fires when an existing record is modified.
Configuration Options:
| Field Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Trigger only if a record of this Type or Template is updated | "AnyDB Issue" will only trigger if a record of this type is updated |
| Parent | Specify the folder or location to monitor | "Project Folder" only will be monitored for updates |
| Conditions | Set specific conditions that must be met to trigger. This can be a field name such as "TYPE" or position "A1" | TYPE == "BUG" , A1 == "BUG". Compound expresion with OR and AND are also allowed like 'Sales Stage'=='Closed' OR VALUE > 1000 |
| Trigger Fields | Trigger only if the fields specified here are changed. Comma seperated key name or position can be specified here | "STATUS,PRIORITY,A3" will only trigger if an update happens in one of these three fields, STATUS, PRIORITY, A3 |
Use Cases:
- Send notifications when record status changes
- Update related records automatically
- Trigger escalation workflows based on field updates
Supported Actions
1. Create Record
Creates a new record in the selected folder using the provided data.
Data Sources: Every action has access to multiple data.
- Trigger Record: This is the record that triggered the workflow. The fields of this record is available to all action
- Previous Action: This is the output of the previous action. For example, if previous action creates record, it may supply the newly created record id as output. This fields will be updated as need arises.
Configuration Options:
| Field Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Select the record type (template) to create . Default is "All" which will create a "Sheet" (untyped) record | "All" or specific template name |
| Parent | Specify if you want the record to be attached to a parent | "My Issues Folder" selection will cause the new record to be created under "My Issues Folder" record |
| Name* | Set the record name (can use static and dynamic values). Pick fields from the Trigger Record or Previous Action | "New record " + Record Name from Picker |
| Set Values* | Populate field values for the new record. This is a comma seperated key and value. You can use field name or position. For example Status="open",A2=300,Priority="High". If the field name is not found in the record created (using a template type) then it will be ignored. If a position is provided, the cell will be created if not present | Field mappings from trigger |
| Follow Up | Configure follow-up date for the newly created record | "No Follow Up" or pick a date |
| Assignees | Assign users to the new record | "Not Assigned" or user list |
| Locked | Set the lock status of the record | "Unlocked" or "Locked" |
Use Cases:
- Create follow-up tasks automatically
- Generate related documentation records
- Create audit trail records
2. Update Record
Updates an existing record with the specified field values.
Configuration Options:
| Field Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Record* | Select which record to update | This can be dynamically picked or static value of record id can be provided |
| Set Values* | A comma-separated list of values to update using labels or positions e.g. 'Sales Stage=Closed,Amount=10000' or 'A9=Closed,B12=10000' | C2="CLOSED",A2=1000 |
| Follow Up | Set or follow-up date | "No Follow Up" |
| Assignees | Modify assigned users | "Not Assigned" |
| Locked | Change the lock status | "Unlocked" |
Use Cases:
- Auto-close related issues
- Update status fields across connected records
- Modify records based on business rules
3. Send Email
Sends an email to specified recipients with custom subject and body.
Configuration Options:
| Field Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To* | Email address(es) of recipients | jane@test.com or dynamically pick from fields such as createdby user |
| Subject* | Email subject line (supports dynamic values from records) | "Record Name updated to TICKET STATE" |
| Body* | Email message content (supports dynamic values from records) | "state was changed to TICKET STATE" |
Dynamic Values:
- Use record fields in subject and body (e.g., "Record Name", "TICKET STATE")
- Reference trigger record data dynamically
Use Cases:
- Notify stakeholders of status changes
- Send alerts when critical issues are created
- Deliver automated reports or summaries
Building a Workflow
- Navigate to Automation: Access the Automation section in your workspace
- Create New Automation: Click to create a new workflow
- Configure Trigger: Select and configure your trigger event
- Add Actions: Add one or more actions to execute
- Configure Actions: Set up each action with the required parameters
- Test: Test your automation to ensure it works as expected
- Save and Activate: Save your workflow to activate it
Multiple Actions
You can chain multiple actions together in a single workflow. Actions are executed in sequence:
- First action completes
- Second action completes
- And so on...
This allows you to create complex automation workflows such as:
- Create a record → Send an email notification
- Update a record → Create a follow-up task → Send email to assignee
Coming Soon
AnyDB is continuously expanding workflow automation capabilities. Upcoming features include:
Upcoming Triggers
- Timer-Based Triggers: Run workflows on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Form Submission Triggers: Trigger workflows when forms are submitted
- Additional event-based triggers
Upcoming Actions
- AI Action: Leverage AI to process and analyze data
- Find Action: Search and find records based on criteria
- Call Webhook: Integrate with external systems via HTTP requests
- Additional integration actions
Best Practices
- Start Simple: Begin with simple workflows and add complexity as needed
- Use Conditions: Apply conditions to triggers to ensure workflows run only when appropriate
- Test Thoroughly: Test automations with sample data before deploying to production
- Document Workflows: Keep track of what each automation does and why it exists
- Monitor Performance: Regularly review automation logs to ensure they're working correctly
Requesting New Features
If you need additional triggers, actions, or automation capabilities that are not currently available:
Contact AnyDB Support to discuss your requirements. The AnyDB team can work with you to implement custom automation features tailored to your business needs.
Troubleshooting
Automation Not Triggering
- Verify that the automation is saved and activated
- Check that trigger conditions are properly configured
- Ensure the record type matches the trigger settings
Actions Not Executing
- Verify that all required fields are configured
- Check that you have permissions to perform the actions
- Review action settings for correct field mappings
Email Not Sending
- Verify recipient email addresses are correct
- Check that dynamic field references are valid
- Ensure email content meets formatting requirements
Additional Resources
For more information about workflow automation:
- Review use case examples in the Use Cases section
- Check integration guides for connecting with external systems
- Contact AnyDB Support for personalized assistance