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Create your first automation and test it safely
Start from a ready-made template or a blank page, try the automation with a practice run that sends only to you, and then turn it on.
Before you start · 3 things · for owners and managersThe parts of an automation, a WhatsApp channel linked to the unit, a verified WhatsApp number in your profile
Before you start · 3 things · for owners and managers
The parts of an automation, a WhatsApp channel linked to the unit, a verified WhatsApp number in your profile
- You need: The permission to create and edit workflows
- Learn the parts of an automation in How do automations (workflows) work? The complete guide.
- To send on WhatsApp: a WhatsApp channel linked to the unit.
- For the practice run that sends to you: a verified WhatsApp number in your profile.
Steps
1
Open Settings → WorkFlow Builder and press New workflow, or choose a template from Ready-made.
There are 25 templates across 5 goals. A template connects itself to your units, fields and channels on its own. Details in Ready templates: 25 automations by goal.
2
Choose the trigger and the unit. For example: A new record is added, with the “Leads” unit under Which records?.
The trigger shows at the top of the map. See Start an automation when a new record is created.
3
Add conditions if you need them, in Settings → Only records that…. For example: “Source is Instagram”. See Conditions: operators, relative dates, messages and language.
4
Press Add a step and choose the first action. For example: Send a WhatsApp message with the text “Hi Full name, thanks for contacting Namaa Academy”, where Full name is a detail of the record.
Press Insert a detail to add record data, such as the name. It shows as a grey word and fills in for each record. See Variables: put record data in messages and fields.
5
Add more steps if you need them: Wait, Choose a path, Wait for a reply or Ask for approval.
6
On the Map, press Practice run at the bottom to see the message yourself.
Messages go only to your verified WhatsApp number and your email, and the email subject starts with
[Practice]. See Send automation messages to yourself only (practice run).7
Press Turn on.
The Before you turn it on window shows everything that stops it from turning on, all at once. Fix it, then turn it on. See Turn on an automation and apply it to existing records.
8
Optional: include existing records, so the automation runs on up to 2,000 records you already have.
9
Follow the first runs in History. See Follow the run log, and retry or resume from the failed step.
How it works
Your work is saved as you build. A step that’s missing something says what it needs in plain words, such as “Choose who gets it”.
After you turn it on: any edit is saved as a draft, and runs stay on the current version until you publish. See Edit a live automation safely: draft, publish, versions.
The assistant builds the automation from your description, but it never publishes it or turns it on. See Add notes to the map, and build with the AI assistant.
If something goes wrong
What you see
Why
What to do
“The line isn’t linked to this unit”
The message channel the automation listens to isn’t linked to a unit.
Link it from the session settings, or make the automation only reply.
“The template isn’t approved by Meta yet”
Meta hasn’t approved the WhatsApp Cloud template yet.
Wait for approval, or choose another template. See Create a message template and get it approved by Meta.
“Someone else changed this workflow”
A teammate saved a change at the same time.
Press Reload, then make your change again.
A real example
Basma Clinics
The situation
The clinic wants to remind every patient of their appointment one day before it.
What they did
- The Before or after a date trigger checks the “Appointments” unit every day at 10, one day before the appointment date field.
- The Send a WhatsApp template step sends the approved “Appointment reminder” template on WhatsApp Cloud.
- A Wait for a reply step: “Confirm” changes the status to “Confirmed”, and no reply within 3 hours creates a call task for the front desk.
- The owner tried it with a practice run on her own number before turning it on.
The result
The front desk now calls only the patients who didn’t confirm.
A made-up company, to show the idea. The numbers are rounded.
Good to know
Practice run: 5 times every 10 minutes and 20 times a day per member, and 10 messages in one practice run.
An automation that starts with a message or an email can’t have a practice run, because it has no sample record.
Including existing records: up to 2,000 records.
Did this guide solve it?
If not, we’ll ask what was missing.