How to set up a Job to trigger automations when a field is updated
Jobs allow users to perform automated actions such as sending email notifications or moving records based on specified Triggers. The Field Updated Trigger allows you to initiate these automations immediately when a specific field on a record is changed.
Field Updated Jobs are typically used to move records through a workflow based on status changes, trigger alerts when specific criteria are met (like a failed test), or chain automated actions together.
Step-by-step guide on setting up Field Updated Jobs
- Navigate to Build > Jobs and click the + New Job button.
- Select Field Updated as the Trigger type.
- Once the Job Trigger (Field Updated) is selected, fill out the following information to dictate which Field updates should initiate the automation:
- Workflow: Select the Workflow for which you would like the Job to be active.
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Field: Select the field you would like to use to trigger automations.
- Note: The Field Updated trigger supports the following field types: Select, Radio, Standard Calculation, Linked Records Count, and User fields.
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Ending Field Value: The job will only be triggered when the field is updated to the selected value. This can be a specific value defined in the field, or “Any Value”.
- Note: Avoid using "Any Value" without adding extra Conditions to the Job. Selecting "Any Value" without conditions will cause the Job to fire every time the field is updated, which may lead to excessive notifications or unintentional updates.
Note: Once a field is updated, there will be a delay of a few seconds before the job is fired to avoid unintentional firings.
- When you are finished, click Save Trigger. You must now either Add an Operation or Add a Condition to take place when your Job is triggered.
- Once you are done adding Operations, confirm your Job Name and click Publish Job to save your newly created Job. Note: Jobs will not save until the Publish Job button is clicked.
Key Use Cases for Field Updated Jobs
- Status Updates: Move a record to a new Step or send an email notification based on a status field being updated (e.g., changing a status on a Step or editing records in a Table Report).
- Linked Record Logic: Trigger an action based on all linked records being submitted (triggered by a Calculation field) or when a new record is linked (triggered by a Linked Records Count field).
- Failed Tests: Send an email notification when an Automated Evidence Test fails.
- Complex Logic: Use condition-operation groups to trigger different actions based on the specific value a field was updated to, all within a single job.
Guardrails & Important Considerations
To prevent infinite loops where a Job triggers itself repeatedly, the following guardrails are in place:
- Calculation Fields: When a Calculation field is used to trigger a Job, the Update Field operation will NOT be allowed. This prevents unintentional updates to input fields that would recalculate the trigger field, creating a loop.
- Self-Updates: When any field is used to trigger a Job, the Update Field operation will not be able to update that specific triggering field directly.
Bulk Update Fields
You can use the Bulk Update Fields feature to quickly update a field on many records at once. Paired with the Field Updated Trigger, this is a powerful tool for triggering automations.
Note: Field Updated jobs will only fire when a field is updated to a new value.
Additional Resources
You can find more general information about setting up Jobs and the features available from the Creating Jobs article.