Automation Engine V1

Introduction

Teams spend hours on predictable tasks: copying data between systems, sending routine communications, updating status fields, and generating standard documents. This work requires accuracy but not creativity.

The Automation Engine handles these operations through rule-based workflows. Specify trigger conditions and desired outcomes. The system executes immediately when conditions are met, maintaining audit trails and handling errors according to configured logic.

What is the Automation Engine?

The Automation Engine enables you to create automated workflows that connect your data, tools, and processes. Build visual workflows without code to eliminate manual tasks and ensure consistent execution.

Common use cases include:

• Sending notifications when data changes

• Creating tasks from form submissions

• Synchronizing data between systems

• Generating documents from templates

• Processing bulk operations on schedules

Core Components

1. Triggers

Triggers initiate automation workflows. Available trigger types:

Data Events

• Row Inserted - Activates when a new record is created in a Dataset

• Row Updated - Activates when any field in an existing record changes

Form Events

• Form Submitted - Activates when users submit a specified Form View

• Payment Completed - Activates after successful payment processing

• Payment Failed - Activates when payment processing fails

Scheduled Events

• Time-based - Activates at specified intervals (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly)

• Cron Expression - Activates based on custom cron schedules

External Events

• Webhook - Activates when receiving HTTP requests at a unique endpoint

• API Call - Activates through direct API invocation

2. Actions

Actions execute tasks within your workflow. Actions process sequentially with data flowing from one step to the next.

Data Operations

• Create Row - Insert new records into Datasets

• Update Row - Modify existing record fields

• Delete Row - Remove records from Datasets

  

Communications

Modern businesses run on communication. These actions ensure the right message reaches the right person at the right time.

Send Email delivers messages through your configured email provider. The action supports rich templates where you can insert dynamic data—turning "Dear Customer" into "Dear Sarah Chen" with her recent order details. Configure sender addresses, reply-to settings, and even attachments generated by previous workflow steps.

Send SMS reaches people wherever they are. Text messages achieve near-perfect open rates, making them ideal for urgent notifications, appointment reminders, and two-factor authentication codes.

Push Notification sends alerts directly to users within Proma's web and mobile interfaces. These lightweight messages keep teams informed without cluttering email inboxes.

External Integrations

Proma lives at the center of your tech stack, orchestrating actions across all your tools.

The platform includes pre-built connectors for major business services. Google Workspace actions can create documents, update spreadsheets, and manage calendar events. Salesforce connectors synchronize customer data bidirectionally. Slack integrations keep teams informed through channel messages and direct notifications.

Each connector handles authentication, data formatting, and error recovery. You focus on what to do; Proma handles how to do it.

Advanced Operations

Sometimes you need capabilities beyond standard actions. These advanced operations unlock unlimited possibilities.

Execute JavaScript runs custom code within your workflow. Transform data in complex ways, implement business logic too nuanced for visual configuration, or integrate with services lacking pre-built connectors. The action provides a sandboxed environment with access to workflow data and common libraries.

Call API makes HTTP requests to any endpoint. Whether you're integrating with internal microservices, calling specialized APIs, or connecting to that one vendor who still doesn't have a proper integration, this action handles GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests with full header and authentication support.

AI Processing brings intelligence to your workflows. Generate content, classify text, extract information from unstructured data, or make decisions based on natural language inputs. The AI understands context from your workflow, producing relevant, accurate outputs.

3. Logic

Real-world processes rarely follow straight lines. Logic controls add intelligence to your automations, enabling them to make decisions and handle complexity.

Conditional Branching

Business logic often requires different actions based on circumstances. Logic controls turn your linear workflows into intelligent decision trees.

If/Else statements evaluate conditions and route execution accordingly. If the order total exceeds $1,000, send it for manual approval. Otherwise, process automatically. These binary decisions form the backbone of most conditional logic.

Switch statements handle multiple possibilities efficiently. Rather than chaining multiple If/Else blocks, Switch evaluates once and branches to the appropriate path. Perfect for routing support tickets by category or handling different payment methods.

Nested Conditions combine multiple logic levels. Perhaps high-value orders from new customers require extra verification, while repeat customers enjoy streamlined processing. Nest conditions to encode nuanced business rules.

Iteration

Many workflows process collections of data—all items in an order, every attendee in an event, each line in an uploaded file.

For Each loops process arrays item by item. When an order contains multiple products, loop through each one to check inventory, calculate shipping, and update quantities. The loop provides access to both the current item and its index.

While Loop continues until a condition becomes false. Use it for polling external systems, retrying failed operations, or processing queues of unknown length. Always include exit conditions to prevent infinite loops.

Fixed Loop executes a specific number of times. Need to check something every hour for the next six hours? A fixed loop with a wait action handles it elegantly.

Flow Control

Not all actions should execute immediately or in sequence. Flow controls fine-tune your workflow's behavior.

Wait pauses execution for specified durations. After sending a welcome email, wait three days before sending the getting-started guide. Waits can be fixed (always 24 hours) or dynamic (until the scheduled appointment time).

Parallel Execution runs multiple action branches simultaneously. While one branch updates your CRM, another generates a PDF, and a third sends notifications. Parallel execution dramatically reduces total workflow time for independent operations.

Error Handling defines what happens when things go wrong. Network requests fail. APIs return errors. External services go down. Robust automations anticipate these failures, defining fallback actions that ensure critical processes complete even when individual steps fail.

Key Automation Features

Runs

Every automation execution creates a "run"—a complete record of what happened. Runs are your window into automation performance and behavior. The runs dashboard shows all executions at a glance.

Run Status Indicators:

• ✅ Success - Completed without errors

• ❌ Failed - Encountered error during execution

• ⏱️ Duration - Execution time in seconds

• 📋 Details - Full execution log

Track average execution times to identify bottlenecks. Monitor success rates to ensure reliability. Set up alerts for failure patterns that might indicate systematic issues.

Flow Toggle

The flow toggle acts as your automation's on/off switch, but with intelligence. When disabled, the automation preserves all configuration while ignoring triggers. This proves invaluable during maintenance windows, seasonal deactivations, or when debugging issues.

Consider a holiday promotion automation. Enable it during your campaign period, then disable it cleanly afterward. Next year, simply re-enable without rebuilding. The toggle maintains state without deleting valuable configuration work.

Real-Time Flow

Proma automations execute in real-time, processing triggers within milliseconds of occurrence. This speed enables responsive customer experiences and maintains data consistency across your system.

Real-time execution doesn't mean reckless speed. The engine manages queue depth, prevents cascade failures, and ensures reliable delivery even under high load. Built-in retry logic handles transient failures, while circuit breakers prevent systemic issues from spreading.

Versions

Professional automation requires version control. Every save creates a new version, preserving your automation's evolution over time.

The version history shows who made changes and when. Compare versions side-by-side to understand modifications. Roll back to previous versions if new changes introduce issues. Add commit messages explaining significant updates.

This safety net encourages experimentation. Try new approaches knowing you can always return to the proven version. Test major changes in development before promoting to production.

Automation Types

Proma provides three automation approaches for different use cases:

Standard Automations

Event-driven workflows that execute immediately when triggered.

Standard automations are your workhorses—event-driven workflows that execute immediately when triggered. They excel at responding to changes, processing submissions, and maintaining data consistency. Example is demonstrated in the building automation sections.

Consider a customer onboarding workflow. The moment someone completes your signup form, a standard automation springs into action. It creates their account record, sends a welcome email with login credentials, adds them to your newsletter, creates a getting-started task for your success team, and logs the acquisition in your analytics. All of this happens in seconds, automatically, every single time.

Building standard automations follows a predictable pattern. First, identify the triggering event—what kicks off this process? Next, map out the required actions in sequence. Configure each action with the necessary data mappings, pulling information from the trigger event or previous action results. Finally, activate the automation and monitor its performance. Also, another complete step-by-step example is demonstrated in the Building Automations section.

Automation Sequences

While standard automations excel at immediate responses, many business processes unfold over time. Automation sequences add temporal intelligence to your workflows.

A trial user nurture sequence demonstrates this perfectly. When someone starts a free trial, you don't want to bombard them with every possible resource immediately. Instead, a sequence delivers perfectly timed touch points. Day 1 brings a warm welcome and quick-start guide. Day 3 checks in with helpful tips based on their usage. Day 7 showcases advanced features they haven't discovered. Day 13 reminds them the trial ends soon, with a special offer to convert.

Sequences respect the natural rhythm of business relationships. They can pause when users take specific actions (no need to send "complete your profile" emails once they've done it) and resume when appropriate. Exit conditions ensure sequences end gracefully when their purpose is fulfilled.

In-Place Automations

Sometimes automation belongs right where users work. In-Place automations embed intelligent behavior directly into your data fields.

The Button column type transforms static data views into interactive command centers. Place a "Generate Invoice" button directly in your orders table. When clicked, it triggers an automation that pulls order data, generates a PDF, emails the customer, and updates the order status—all without leaving the current view.

Time Tracker columns automatically monitor duration. Team members click to start tracking time on a task. When they stop, the automation can update timesheets, calculate costs, and even trigger billing workflows for client work.

Approval columns embed entire approval workflows into a single field. The column shows pending/approved/rejected status with action buttons visible only to authorized approvers. Behind the scenes, automations route requests, send notifications, and enforce business rules.

Watch columns compute values based on other fields, but unlike simple formulas, they can trigger complex workflows. A "Calculate Shipping" field might call external APIs, apply business rules, and update multiple related records.

Document Generator columns create PDFs on demand. Click the field, and automation assembles data from across your system into professionally formatted documents using your templates.

You can find the columns when you click on “+ Add Column” button.

Building Automations

Create Your First Automation

Time to first automation: 5 minutes

This example creates an automation that sends an email when a form is submitted.

1. Enable Build Mode

   Open your Board → Toggle "Build Mode" → Click "Add Automations"

2. Set Your Trigger

   Name: "Welcome Email" Trigger: Form Submitted Select: Your contact form

3. Add Email Action

   Action: Send Email To: {{form.email}} Subject: "Thanks for contacting us!" Body: "Hi {{form.name}}, we'll respond within 24 hours."

4. Activate

   Save → Test with your email → Enable automation

✓ Done! Submit your form to see the automation in action.

Communications

• Send Email - Send templated emails via configured providers

• Send SMS - Send text messages through SMS gateways

  

• Push Notification - Send in-app and mobile notifications

  

External Integrations

Pre-built connectors for third-party services:

• Productivity: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Teams

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive

• Finance: QuickBooks, Stripe, PayPal

• Marketing: Mailchimp, SendGrid

• Development: GitHub, Jira, Linear

Advanced Operations

• Execute JavaScript - Run custom code for complex transformations

• Call API - Make HTTP requests to external endpoints

• AI Processing - Integrate with language models for content generation

3. Logic Controls

Logic controls determine workflow execution paths based on conditions.

Conditional Branching

• If/Else - Route execution based on data comparisons

• Switch - Handle multiple condition branches efficiently

• Nested Conditions - Combine multiple logic levels

Iteration

• For Each - Process arrays and lists item by item

• While Loop - Repeat actions until condition is met

• Fixed Loop - Execute actions a specific number of times

Flow Control

• Wait - Pause execution for specified duration

• Parallel Execution - Run multiple action branches simultaneously

• Error Handling - Define fallback paths for failures

Key Automation Features

Runs

View automation run history to monitor performance and troubleshoot issues.

Run Status Indicators:

• ✅ Success - Completed without errors

• ❌ Failed - Encountered error during execution

• ⏱️ Duration - Execution time in seconds

• 📋 Details - Full execution log

Access runs to:

• Track success rates over time

• Identify failure patterns

• Analyze performance trends

• Debug specific run instances

Flow Toggle

Control automation execution without deleting configuration:

• Enabled - Automation runs when triggered

• Disabled - Automation ignores triggers

• Maintains all settings while paused

• Useful for maintenance or seasonal workflows

Real-Time Flow

Automations execute immediately upon trigger activation:

• Synchronous execution for time-sensitive operations

• Sub-second response times for most workflows

• Queue management for high-volume scenarios

• Automatic retry for transient failures

Versions

The system maintains version history for all automations:

• Create new versions when making significant changes

• Rollback to previous versions if issues occur

• Compare versions to track modifications

• Document version changes for team reference

Each version preserves:

• Complete workflow configuration

• Data mappings and conditions

• Integration credentials

• Associated documentation

Automation Types

Proma provides three automation approaches for different use cases:

Standard Automations

Event-driven workflows that execute immediately when triggered.

Use cases:

• Send confirmation emails after form submission

• Create tasks when deals close

• Update inventory after order completion

Configuration:

1. Select trigger event

2. Add sequential actions

3. Configure data mappings

4. Enable automation

Also, another complete step-by-step example is demonstrated in the Building Automations section.

Automation Sequences

Time-based workflows with scheduled delays between steps.

Use cases:

• Customer onboarding email series

• Appointment reminders

• Follow-up campaigns

• Escalation procedures

Configuration:

1. Define initial trigger

2. Add actions with time delays

3. Set exit conditions

4. Activate sequence

In-Place Automations

Data fields with built-in automation capabilities.

Available types:

• Button - Trigger actions via user interface

• Time Tracker - Automatically log time durations

• Approval - Manage approval workflows

• Watch - Compute values from other fields

• Document Generator - Create PDFs from data

Configuration:

1. Add column to Dataset

2. Select Smart Column type

3. Configure automation behavior

4. Column operates automatically

You can find the columns when you click on “+ Add Column” button.

Building Automations

Create Your First Automation

Time to first automation: 5 minutes

This example creates an automation that sends an email when a form is submitted.

1. Enable Build Mode

   Open your Board → Toggle "Build Mode" → Click "Add Automations"

2. Set Your Trigger

   Name: "Welcome Email" Trigger: Form Submitted Select: Your contact form

3. Add Email Action

   Action: Send Email To: {{form.email}} Subject: "Thanks for contacting us!" Body: "Hi {{form.name}}, we'll respond within 24 hours."

4. Activate

   Save → Test with your email → Enable automation

✓ Done! Submit your form to see the automation in action.

Best Practices

Design Principles

Start Simple
Build single-action automations first. Add complexity incrementally after confirming basic functionality.

Handle Errors
Include error handling for external service failures. Define fallback actions for critical workflows.

Document Logic
Use descriptive names and add comments explaining complex conditions or business rules.

Performance Optimization

Batch Operations
Process multiple records in single operations when possible. Schedule bulk updates during off-peak hours.

Minimize API Calls
Cache frequently accessed external data. Combine multiple requests when services support batch operations.

Efficient Loops
Limit iteration counts to prevent timeouts. Use filtering to process only necessary records.

Security Considerations

Access Control
Grant minimum required permissions to automations. Use separate credentials for different integrations.

Data Protection
Avoid logging sensitive information. Encrypt stored credentials and API keys.

Audit Trail
Maintain logs of automation modifications. Review access permissions quarterly.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Automation Not Triggering

Verify:

• Automation is enabled

• Trigger conditions match exactly

• User has required permissions

• Dataset/form is correctly specified

Execution Failures

Check for:

• Changed field names in datasets

• Expired API credentials

• Rate limit violations

• Network connectivity issues

Performance Problems

Investigate:

• Complex nested loops

• Large data processing volumes

• Sequential API calls that could be parallelized

• Missing indexes on filtered datasets

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging to capture detailed execution information:

1. Open automation settings

2. Enable "Debug Mode"

3. Run automation

4. Review detailed logs in execution history

Next Steps

Explore related Proma features that enhance automation capabilities:

• Logic Builder - Create complex conditional workflows with visual programming

• Smart Columns - Add intelligent, automated fields to your datasets

• Interfaces - Build custom user interfaces that trigger and display automations