Automations
When this happens, do that. Rules that keep boards moving without anyone remembering to update them.
How rules work
An automation is one trigger paired with one action. Open a board and choose Automatein the board header to see the rules on that board, switch them on or off, or create a new one. The button shows how many rules are enabled, and a small "Automation running" indicator appears on boards that have at least one enabled rule.
Rules belong to the board they were created on. They are saved in the board settings, so duplicating a board copies its rules and a rule on one board never fires for items on another. Automations are available on every plan.
Rules run on the server. Live triggers fire as the change happens in the app or through the REST API and MCP server. Changes made by an automation do not fire other automations, so rules cannot loop. If one rule fails, the others still run.
Triggers
| Trigger | When it fires |
|---|---|
| When an item is created | Fires when a new item is added to the board, by hand, from a form or through the API. You can narrow it to one group. |
| When status changes to… | Fires when an item's status becomes the status you choose. |
| When priority changes to… | Fires when an item's priority becomes the priority you choose. |
| When a column changes | Fires when any column changes, or only a chosen column, optionally only when it changes to a specific value (useful with dropdown and checkbox columns). |
| When the due date arrives | Fires once per due date, on the day the item is due, from the daily check described below. |
Actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Change status to… | Sets the item's status. |
| Change priority to… | Sets the item's priority. |
| Move item to group… | Moves the item into the group you choose. |
| Notify someone… | Sends an in-app notification and an email to the member you choose. |
| Set due date… | Sets the due date to today or to a number of days from today. |
| Change a column value… | Writes a value into the custom column you choose. |
| Create a subitem… | Adds a subitem with the name you enter under the item. |
Actions that would not change anything are skipped. For example, "Change status to Done" does nothing on an item that is already Done, and the activity log stays clean.
The daily check for due dates
"When the due date arrives" is different from the other triggers: nothing changes on the item at the moment it becomes due, so there is no event to react to. Instead, TallyWeekruns a scheduled check once a day. The check looks at open items with a due date that has arrived, skips items that are already in the finished status, and runs any matching "When the due date arrives" rules on their board. Each due date is handled once; if you move the due date later, the rule will fire again on the new date.
The same daily job sends due-date reminders to assignees for items due today, due tomorrow or overdue. Because it runs once a day, a rule that sets a due date to "today" will not trigger a due-date rule until the next daily check.
Three recipes
1. Start work when someone picks up a task
- Trigger: When status changes to In progress.
- Action: Move item to group In progress.
Keeps groups in step with statuses on a Project tasks board, so the table and the Kanban always agree. Add a second rule for Done to move finished items to the Done group.
2. Escalate urgent items
- Trigger: When priority changes to Urgent.
- Action: Notify someone, the team lead.
Anyone can flag an item as urgent and the right person hears about it immediately, in the app and by email, without a message in another tool.
3. Chase overdue work
- Trigger: When the due date arrives.
- Action: Change priority to High.
Runs from the daily check. Items that reach their due date without being finished are bumped to High so they sort to the top and stand out in the Kanban. Pair it with a "When priority changes to High" rule that notifies the owner if you also want a nudge.
Related
- Boards and columns for the fields these rules act on.
- Forms: a form submission counts as "When an item is created".
- Permissions and sharing for who can edit a board and its rules.
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