Automations can take repetitive tasks off your plate, reduce manual work, and help ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Whether you're onboarding new employees, managing documents, or keeping teams informed, there are countless ways automations can save time and keep your workflows running smoothly. Below are some of the most common automation use cases to help you get started.
How to Set up Automations
To set up a new automation, follow these steps:
Access the Automations tab on the left sidebar, located under Smart Groups.
Click Add new on the right side.
Decide whether to create a new automation from scratch, use a pre-existing template, or generate an automation using AI.
If you decide to start from scratch, define an action and a trigger.
Automations connect different parts of Connecteam, so when one action happens, the next step runs automatically; keeping your processes consistent and reducing manual follow-up.
Common Use Cases
How can I notify our admin team when a user starts a shift?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User clocks in, then select the relevant Time Clock.
Action: Set the action to Send message to group. Select the group chat where the message should be posted, choose the custom publisher the message will be sent from, and customize the message. You can also add variables, as shown in the example below, to automatically include the triggering user's full name in the message.
How can I remind users to complete an onboarding course?
Trigger: Set the trigger to Time since start date, then define when the reminder should be sent, such as 1 day after the user's start date, and define the time.
Action: Set the action to Send message to user. Customize the reminder message and include variables, such as the user's first name, to make it more personal.
How can I reward users for completing a quiz?
Trigger: Set the trigger to Quiz was submitted, then select the relevant quiz.
Action: Set the action to Send user tokens. Choose how many tokens users should receive after successfully submitting the quiz.
How can I notify a user's direct manager when they request time off?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User requested time off, then select the relevant time off policy if needed.
Action: Set the action to Send message to team. Choose to send the message to the triggering user's Direct Manager and customize the notification message using variables, such as the user's full name and the requested dates.
How can I automatically add a tag to users after they complete a course?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User completes a course, then select the relevant course.
Action: Set the action to Add user tags. Choose the tag you'd like to add to the user's profile, such as Certified or Onboarding Complete, and set the triggering user as the recipient.
How can I automatically assign time off policies based on users' seniority?
Trigger: Set the trigger to Time since start date, then define how long a user must be employed before the automation runs.
Action: Set the action to Assign to time off policy. Select the appropriate time off policy that should be assigned once the user reaches the defined seniority, and set the triggering user as the recipient.
How can I notify a user's direct manager if they leave the geofence during work hours?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User left geofence, then select the relevant geofence.
Action: Set the action to send message to user and send it to the triggering user's direct manager. Customize the notification message and use variables, such as the user's full name.
How can I send an SMS for urgent tasks?
Trigger: Set the trigger to Task published, then select the relevant task board.
Action: Set the action to Send SMS. Enter the message you'd like recipients to receive and customize it with variables if necessary, for example 'task title'.
How can I notify an admin when a user is late to their shift?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User is late for shift, then select the relevant schedule and define the number of minutes after the scheduled shift start that should trigger the automation.
Action: Set the action to send message to user and send it to the triggering user's direct manager. Next, select the custom publisher it will be sent from, and customize the message using variables, such as the user's name and scheduled shift time.
How can I automatically assign the next course after a user completes one?
Trigger: Set the trigger to User completes a course, then select the course that should trigger the next assignment.
Action: Set the action to Assign course. Choose the course that should automatically be assigned once the previous course is completed. For example, if it's a new manager they will be required to complete the general onboarding course before being assigned to the Onboarding managers course.
How can I automatically assign an onboarding course to new employees?
Trigger: Set the trigger to Time since start date, then configure it to run 1 day after the user's start date.
Action: Set the action to Assign course. Select the onboarding course that should automatically be assigned to new employees.
How can I remind admins to complete annual performance reviews?
Trigger: Set the trigger to On recurrence, then set the recurrence. For example, every 12 months on the first of the month at 09:00 AM. Next, select when the recurrence should begin.
Action: Set the action to Send message to group and select your admin or management group chat. Next, select the relevant performance review form and customize the message so admins can quickly access and complete the review.
How can I send users a birthday message?
Trigger: Set the trigger to employee birthday.
Action: Set the action to Send message to user. Customize the birthday message and add variables, such as the user's first name, to make it more personal.
💡Tip: While many of the examples above use chat messages, you can also configure automations to send SMS messages whenever needed.
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