Actions Reference

This comprehensive reference guide covers all available actions in Elementum’s automation system. Each action includes a description, example usage, and common use cases to help you build sophisticated automations.

Looking to understand automation concepts? Start with the Automation System guide to learn about event-driven automation and AI integration.

Logic Actions

Logic actions control the flow and decision-making in your automations.

Purpose: Evaluate conditions and execute actions only when the condition is true.How it works: Creates a decision point in your automation where subsequent actions only run if the specified condition is met.Example:

IF customer_tier = "Enterprise"
  → Send Message to Teams (priority channel)
  → Make Assignment (senior agent)

Common Use Cases:

Route high-value customers to priority support
Apply different approval processes based on amounts
Trigger escalations for critical issues
Customize responses based on customer type

Variables: Outputs boolean result that can be referenced by other actions

Otherwise If

Purpose: Provide alternative logic paths when the initial IF condition is false.How it works: Creates multiple conditional branches, allowing complex decision trees in your automation.Example:

IF order_amount > $10,000
  → Start Approval Process (CFO approval)
OTHERWISE IF order_amount > $1,000
  → Start Approval Process (manager approval)
OTHERWISE
  → Update Record Fields (auto-approved)

Common Use Cases:

Multi-tier approval workflows
Customer service routing based on multiple criteria
Pricing logic with different discount tiers
Escalation procedures with multiple levels

Variables: Outputs boolean result for each branch condition

Repeat for Each

Purpose: Execute a set of actions for each item in a collection or list.How it works: Loops through a collection of records or data, performing the same actions on each item.Example:

Search Records (today's orders) → Repeat for Each order:
  → Run Calculation (shipping cost)
  → Update Record Fields (add shipping)
  → Send Email Notification (shipping confirmation)

Common Use Cases:

Process multiple orders simultaneously
Send notifications to multiple users
Update multiple records with the same information
Generate reports for multiple departments

Variables: Provides access to current item in loop and loop iteration count

Record Actions

Record actions manage data creation, updates, and relationships within your system.

Create Record

Purpose: Add new records to your tables automatically.How it works: Creates a new record with specified field values, often using data from triggers or previous actions.Example:

Email Received → Create Record (Support Ticket)
  → Fields: Subject, Customer Email, Priority, Description
  → Result: New support ticket ready for assignment

Common Use Cases:

Generate support tickets from emails
Create project records for new customers
Log activities and interactions
Generate invoices from completed orders

Variables: Outputs new record ID and all field values for use in subsequent actions

Update Record Fields

Purpose: Modify existing record data with new information.How it works: Changes field values in existing records, often using data from AI analysis or calculations.Example:

AI Classification → Update Record Fields (Lead Record)
  → Fields: Lead Score, Priority, Qualification Status
  → Result: Lead record updated with AI insights

Common Use Cases:

Update customer information from external sources
Change order status as it progresses
Apply AI-generated classifications to records
Update project progress and milestones

Variables: Outputs updated record with new field values

Search Records

Purpose: Find records that match specific criteria.How it works: Queries your data to find records meeting certain conditions, returning matching results.Example:

Search Records (Customers)
  → Criteria: Email = trigger.sender_email
  → Result: Customer record for follow-up actions

Common Use Cases:

Find customer records from email addresses
Locate related orders or projects
Identify overdue tasks or activities
Find records needing attention or updates

Variables: Outputs matching records with all field data accessible

Relate Records

Purpose: Create connections between different records.How it works: Establishes relationships between records, enabling data connections and workflows.Example:

Create Record (Project) → Relate Records
  → Link: New Project → Customer Record
  → Result: Project connected to customer for tracking

Common Use Cases:

Link projects to customers
Connect orders to customer accounts
Associate support tickets with products
Create document relationships

Variables: Outputs relationship details and connected record information

Start Approval Process

Purpose: Initiate approval workflows for records requiring authorization.How it works: Begins an approval process with designated approvers and workflow steps.Example:

Create Record (Purchase Order) → Start Approval Process
  → Approver: Manager (if < $5,000), CFO (if > $5,000)
  → Result: Approval workflow begins with notifications

Common Use Cases:

Purchase order approvals
Document review processes
Budget approval workflows
Policy exception requests

Variables: Outputs approval process ID and current status

Make Assignment

Purpose: Automatically assign records or tasks to appropriate team members.How it works: Routes work to specific users based on criteria like workload, expertise, or availability.Example:

AI Classification → Make Assignment
  → IF category = "Technical" → Assign to Technical Team
  → IF category = "Billing" → Assign to Billing Team

Common Use Cases:

Route support tickets to appropriate teams
Assign leads to sales representatives
Distribute work based on expertise
Balance workloads across team members

Variables: Outputs assigned user information and assignment details

Add Watcher

Purpose: Add users to monitor record changes and updates.How it works: Subscribes users to receive notifications when records are modified.Example:

Create Record (High Priority Issue) → Add Watcher
  → Watcher: Department Manager
  → Result: Manager receives updates on issue progress

Common Use Cases:

Keep managers informed of critical issues
Notify stakeholders of project changes
Alert team members to important updates
Maintain oversight on sensitive matters

Variables: Outputs watcher details and notification preferences

Find Related Records

Purpose: Locate records connected to a specific record.How it works: Searches for records with established relationships to the current record.Example:

Find Related Records (Customer)
  → Find: All Orders, Support Tickets, Projects
  → Result: Complete customer interaction history

Common Use Cases:

Get customer history for support calls
Find all projects for a client
Locate related documents or files
Gather context for decision-making

Variables: Outputs collection of related records with full details

Record Field Locking

Purpose: Prevent changes to specific record fields.How it works: Applies field-level restrictions to maintain data integrity.Example:

Approval Process Complete → Record Field Locking
  → Lock: Price, Terms, Approval Status
  → Result: Critical fields protected from changes

Common Use Cases:

Lock approved contract terms
Protect financial calculations
Secure completed approval decisions
Maintain audit trail integrity

Variables: Outputs locking status and protected field list

Update Approval Status

Purpose: Modify the status of approval processes.How it works: Changes approval workflow status based on decisions or conditions.Example:

Manager Decision → Update Approval Status
  → Status: Approved/Rejected/Pending
  → Result: Workflow advances to next step

Common Use Cases:

Process manager decisions
Handle approval timeouts
Update workflow progress
Trigger post-approval actions

Variables: Outputs new approval status and workflow state

Communication Actions

Communication actions manage notifications, messages, and team collaboration.

Send Email Notification

Purpose: Send professional emails to up to 25 recipients as part of your workflow.How it works: Delivers formatted emails with dynamic content using variables from your automation.Example:

Support Ticket Created → Send Email Notification
  → To: Customer, Account Manager
  → Subject: "Ticket #{{ticket_number}} - {{issue_summary}}"
  → Content: Professional acknowledgment with next steps

Features:

Multiple recipients (up to 25)
HTML formatting support
Dynamic content with variables
Attachment capability
Professional templates

Common Use Cases:

Customer confirmations and updates
Team notifications and alerts
Executive summaries and reports
Process completion notifications

Variables: Outputs email delivery status and recipient information

Send Message to Teams

Purpose: Send real-time messages to Microsoft Teams channels.How it works: Integrates with Teams to deliver instant notifications to team collaboration spaces.Example:

High Priority Alert → Send Message to Teams
  → Channel: #critical-alerts
  → Message: "🚨 Critical issue: {{issue_description}} - Customer: {{customer_name}}"

Common Use Cases:

Critical issue alerts
Team coordination messages
Progress updates and milestones
Urgent escalations

Variables: Outputs message delivery status and channel information

Post Comment

Purpose: Add comments to records for documentation and audit trails.How it works: Creates timestamped comments on records to document automation actions and decisions.Example:

AI Classification → Post Comment
  → Comment: "AI classified as {{category}} with {{confidence}}% confidence"
  → Result: Automated documentation of AI decision

Common Use Cases:

Document automation decisions
Log process milestones
Track approval reasoning
Maintain audit trails

Variables: Outputs comment ID and timestamp for reference

File Actions

File actions process documents, extract information, and manage file operations.

Read File

Purpose: Extract text content from uploaded files.How it works: Processes various file formats to extract readable text for further automation processing.Supported Formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, CSV, ExcelExample:

Attachment Added → Read File
  → Input: Uploaded contract PDF
  → Output: Full text content for analysis

Common Use Cases:

Extract content from contracts
Process uploaded reports
Read customer communications
Import data from documents

Variables: Outputs file content as text and file metadata

AI File Analysis

Purpose: Use AI to analyze documents and extract key information intelligently.How it works: AI understands document context and extracts relevant structured data automatically.Example:

Contract Upload → AI File Analysis
  → Analysis: Extract parties, dates, terms, obligations
  → Result: Structured contract data for tracking

Analysis Types:

Contract Analysis: Parties, dates, terms, obligations
Invoice Processing: Vendor, amount, line items, due dates
Resume Screening: Skills, experience, education
Report Analysis: Key metrics, trends, insights

Common Use Cases:

Automated contract processing
Invoice data extraction
Resume screening
Document classification

Variables: Outputs structured data extracted from document

Read Bulk File

Purpose: Process multiple files simultaneously.How it works: Handles batch file processing for efficiency when dealing with multiple documents.Example:

Multiple Files Uploaded → Read Bulk File
  → Process: All monthly reports
  → Result: Combined data from all files

Common Use Cases:

Process monthly report batches
Handle multiple customer uploads
Batch document processing
Archive file analysis

Variables: Outputs array of file contents and processing results

Save Attachment

Purpose: Save files as attachments to specific records.How it works: Associates uploaded files with records for organized document management.Example:

Email with PDF → Save Attachment
  → Attach to: Customer Record
  → Result: Document stored with customer

Common Use Cases:

Save contracts with customer records
Attach invoices to orders
Store documentation with projects
Organize file submissions

Variables: Outputs attachment details and storage location

Unzip File

Purpose: Extract files from compressed archives.How it works: Processes ZIP files to access contained documents for further processing.Example:

ZIP File Uploaded → Unzip File
  → Extract: Monthly reports and data files
  → Result: Individual files ready for processing

Common Use Cases:

Process batch document uploads
Handle archived file submissions
Extract backup file contents
Bulk document processing

Variables: Outputs list of extracted files and their contents

Data Actions

Data actions perform calculations, transformations, and AI-powered data processing.

Run Calculation

Purpose: Execute mathematical operations and business calculations.How it works: Performs calculations using record data and variables to generate computed values.Example:

Order Created → Run Calculation
  → Calculate: (Subtotal × Tax Rate) + Shipping
  → Result: Total order amount with taxes

Common Use Cases:

Calculate pricing and taxes
Compute discounts and fees
Determine shipping costs
Analyze financial metrics

Variables: Outputs calculated values for use in other actions

Transform Data with AI

Purpose: Use AI to clean, normalize, and enhance data automatically.How it works: AI analyzes data patterns and applies intelligent transformations for consistency.Example:

Customer Data Import → Transform Data with AI
  → Transform: Standardize addresses, format phone numbers
  → Result: Clean, consistent customer data

Transformation Types:

Address Standardization: “123 main st” → “123 Main Street”
Phone Formatting: “5551234567” → “(555) 123-4567”
Company Name Matching: “Microsoft Corp” → “Microsoft Corporation”
Date Normalization: Various formats → Standard format

Common Use Cases:

Clean imported data
Standardize customer information
Normalize addresses and contacts
Format business data consistently

Variables: Outputs transformed data in standardized format

AI Classification

Purpose: Automatically categorize and classify data using AI.How it works: AI analyzes content and assigns appropriate categories, tags, or classifications.Example:

Support Email → AI Classification
  → Analysis: Email content and context
  → Result: Category (Bug, Feature Request, General Support)

Classification Types:

Support Ticket Categorization: Bug, Feature, Support
Lead Qualification: Hot, Warm, Cold
Document Classification: Contract, Invoice, Report
Content Analysis: Sentiment, Priority, Topic

Common Use Cases:

Categorize support tickets
Classify lead quality
Organize documents
Analyze customer sentiment

Variables: Outputs classification results and confidence scores

AI Summarization

Purpose: Generate concise summaries of lengthy content.How it works: AI analyzes long-form content and extracts key points into digestible summaries.Example:

Long Customer Feedback → AI Summarization
  → Analysis: Extract key points and sentiment
  → Result: Executive summary for leadership

Summarization Types:

Executive Summaries: Key business points
Technical Summaries: Main technical details
Customer Feedback: Sentiment and main concerns
Report Summaries: Key metrics and findings

Common Use Cases:

Summarize customer feedback
Create executive briefings
Digest long reports
Extract meeting highlights

Variables: Outputs summary text and key extracted points

Set Variable

Purpose: Store values for use in subsequent automation actions.How it works: Creates named variables that can be referenced throughout your automation workflow.Example:

Run Calculation → Set Variable
  → Variable Name: discount_amount
  → Value: ${{calculated_discount}}
  → Usage: Apply discount in subsequent actions

Common Use Cases:

Store calculation results
Save API response data
Cache frequently used values
Create dynamic content

Variables: Creates the specified variable for use in later actions

User actions manage user searches and assignments within your system.

Search Users

Purpose: Find users within your system based on criteria.How it works: Queries user database to find appropriate team members for assignments or notifications.Example:

Technical Issue → Search Users
  → Criteria: Department = "Engineering", Available = true
  → Result: Available engineers for assignment

Search Criteria:

Department or team
Skills and expertise
Availability status
Location or time zone
Role or permissions

Common Use Cases:

Find appropriate agents for assignments
Locate subject matter experts
Identify available team members
Route based on expertise

Variables: Outputs user details and availability information

External Actions

External actions integrate with external systems and services.

Send API Request

Purpose: Connect with external systems through API calls.How it works: Makes HTTP requests to external services to retrieve or send data.Example:

Order Created → Send API Request
  → Endpoint: Inventory Management System
  → Request: Check stock levels for order items
  → Result: Current inventory status

Request Types:

GET: Retrieve data from external systems
POST: Send data to external services
PUT: Update external system records
DELETE: Remove data from external systems

Common Use Cases:

Check inventory levels
Validate addresses
Process payments
Update CRM systems
Sync with accounting software

Variables: Outputs API response data and status information

Run Function

Purpose: Execute custom business logic and specialized processing.How it works: Runs custom functions when built-in actions don’t meet specific requirements.Example:

Complex Data → Run Function
  → Function: Custom pricing algorithm
  → Input: Customer data, order details
  → Result: Specialized pricing calculation

Function Types:

Custom Calculations: Specialized business logic
Data Processing: Complex transformations
External Integrations: Custom API handling
Analytics: Advanced data analysis

Common Use Cases:

Complex pricing calculations
Specialized data processing
Custom integrations
Advanced analytics

Variables: Outputs function results and computed values

Workflow Actions

Workflow actions manage automation processes and system interactions.

Generate Report

Purpose: Create reports based on data criteria and analysis.How it works: Compiles data into formatted reports for stakeholders and analysis.Example:

End of Month → Generate Report
  → Report Type: Sales Performance Summary
  → Data: Monthly sales, targets, performance metrics
  → Result: Executive dashboard report

Report Types:

Performance Reports: Sales, productivity, efficiency
Status Reports: Project progress, system health
Compliance Reports: Audit trails, regulatory data
Analytics Reports: Trends, insights, predictions

Common Use Cases:

Monthly performance summaries
Project status reports
Compliance documentation
Executive dashboards

Variables: Outputs report content and distribution information

Quick Action Categories

Logic & Control

If, Otherwise If, Repeat for Each

Data Management

Create, Update, Search, Relate Records

Communication

Email, Teams Messages, Comments

File Processing

Read, AI Analysis, Bulk Processing

AI Intelligence

Classification, Summarization, Data Transform

External Integration

API Requests, Custom Functions

Getting Started with Actions

Choose Your Trigger: Start with an event that matters to your business
Add Intelligence: Use AI actions to analyze and understand your data
Take Action: Apply the appropriate record, communication, or file actions
Monitor Results: Use the automation history to track performance

Ready to build your first automation? Return to the Automation System guide for step-by-step instructions and real-world examples.

Overview

Workflow Orchestration

Agents & AI

Data

Security

Logic Actions

Record Actions

Communication Actions

File Actions

Data Actions

User Actions

External Actions

Workflow Actions

Quick Action Categories

Logic & Control

Data Management

Communication

File Processing

AI Intelligence

External Integration

Getting Started with Actions

Overview

Workflow Orchestration

Agents & AI

Data

Security

​Logic Actions

​Record Actions

​Communication Actions

​File Actions

​Data Actions

​User Actions

​External Actions

​Workflow Actions

​Quick Action Categories

Logic & Control

Data Management

Communication

File Processing

AI Intelligence

External Integration

​Getting Started with Actions

Logic Actions

Record Actions

Communication Actions

File Actions

Data Actions

User Actions

External Actions

Workflow Actions

Quick Action Categories

Getting Started with Actions