Overview

When an automation sends an email or text at the wrong time, skips a project, or doesn't run at all, the cause is almost always one of a handful of things: timing rules, a Stop If condition, the automation's project type filter, or another automation changing the project first. This article walks through how to find the cause and fix it.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Check what an automation actually did on a project
• Understand how daylight saving time affects automation timing
• Find out why an automation skipped a project or didn't run
• Find out why an automation ran when you didn't expect it to

Step 1: Check the Automation History on the Project

Start with the project the automation should have run on (or ran on unexpectedly).

1. Open the project.
2. In the project toolbar, open Automations.
3. Review each run. A run shows as Completed, Cancelled, or Error, along with the step it reached.

• No run listed: the trigger never fired for this project. See The automation didn't run at all below.
• Cancelled: a Stop If condition was met, or the project changed so the automation no longer applied. See The automation skipped or stopped.
• Error: an action couldn't complete (for example, the client has no email address or phone number for an email or SMS step). Fix the missing information, then re-check future runs.
• Completed at an unexpected time: see The automation ran early or late.

The Automation Ran Early or Late (Daylight Saving Time)

How an automation handles a clock change depends on which kind of timing it uses.

If a Delay step with "Run at a specific time" is sending an hour off:

• Where possible, move the timing into the trigger itself (for example, "1 day before the job, at 10:00 AM"), since scheduled triggers follow daylight saving, or
• Adjust the time on the Delay step by one hour until the clocks change again.

If a scheduled trigger runs at an unexpected time, open the automation and confirm the time and your company's time zone in Company Settings.

The Automation Skipped or Stopped

A Stop If condition was met

Stop If steps end the automation when a condition is true, such as the project's status or sales stage, or a tag on the project. This is how reminders avoid sending to customers who already booked or cancelled.

1. Open the automation and review each Stop If step.
2. Compare each condition to the project as it was at the time of the run. A project that changed status during a Delay step will be stopped when the automation reaches the Stop If step.
3. If the condition is broader than you meant, narrow it and save.

The project was cancelled

Automation runs are cancelled when the project they belong to is cancelled, including when another automation cancels it. Check the project's history to see what cancelled it.

Another automation changed the project first

Automations can change a project's status, sales stage, or tags. If one automation moves the project (for example, to Confirmation Sent), another automation's Stop If condition may then stop. Review the other automations that run on the same trigger.

The Automation Didn't Run at All

• The automation is off. Go to Settings → Automations and make sure the automation is turned on.
• The project type isn't included. Automations can be limited to certain project types. Open the automation and confirm the project's type is selected.
• The trigger event didn't happen. For example, a "Confirmation sent" trigger won't fire if the project was booked using Skip Confirmation. Confirm the event in the project's history.
• The scheduled time had already passed. A trigger such as "2 days before the job" can't fire for a job that was created or rescheduled inside that window.
• Something depended on an automation that was turned off. If you recently turned off an automation, check whether another step relied on what it did (for example, moving projects to Booked).

The Automation Ran When It Shouldn't Have

• The trigger is broader than expected. A "New project created" trigger fires for every new lead, including leads from lead providers and website forms. Add a project type filter or a Stop If condition to limit it.
• It changed the sales stage. An automation that sends a quote or confirmation can also move the project's sales stage. Review its actions if a project ended up in a stage you didn't expect.
• It ran twice. Two automations with similar triggers can both send. Use a tag (added by the first automation) and a Stop If condition (in the second) to prevent duplicate sends.

⚠️ Important Notes

• Editing an automation affects future runs. Runs that are already waiting on a Delay step may continue with the settings they started with.
• Turning off an automation doesn't undo actions it already took.
• When building reminders, a common pattern is: Trigger → Delay → Stop If → Send Email/SMS. The Stop If step right before the send is what prevents reminders to customers whose plans have changed.

FAQ

Do I need to change my automation times when the clocks change?
Not for scheduled triggers. They run at the time you chose in your company's time zone all year round. Delay steps set to "Run at a specific time" do shift by an hour, so review those when the clocks change.

Where do I see why a run was cancelled?
Open the project, then Automations in the project toolbar. The run shows the step where it stopped.

Can I re-run an automation that skipped a project?
If the project still meets the trigger, the next qualifying event will start a new run. To send the message now, send it manually from the project.

Related articles: Automation Overview · Events (Triggers) and Actions Overview · List of Events (Triggers) and Actions

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