> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://withforerunner.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Overview
> Run tasks, emails, and property updates automatically when records change
Automations run the "when this happens, then that should happen" logic your team already follows. When a record is created or updated, Forerunner can create the right task, send the right email, or flag a property, so the step happens without anyone remembering to do it.
Automations are built visually, set up for one record type at a time, and managed from a single page in the sidebar.
Pick a trigger, add actions and conditions, and publish
Review run history and resolve failures
The triggers and actions available today
Live, Paused, and Draft
## What an automation is
Every automation has a trigger and at least one action, and can branch on what's in the record.
| Part | What it does |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trigger** | The record event that starts the automation |
| **Action** | What Forerunner does when the automation runs |
| **Condition** | An optional branch that sends the automation down different paths depending on the record |
An automation runs on one record type. If you need the same behavior on permits and on code cases, build one automation for each.
## Triggers and actions
Two triggers are available:
| Trigger | Fires when |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| When a record is created | A new record of that type is created |
| When a record is updated | An existing record of that type changes |
Three actions are available:
| Action | What it does |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Create a task | Creates a [task](/docs/tasks/overview) with a name, description, status, priority, assignee, and due date. The task can be linked to a specific property or object. |
| Send an email | Sends a plain-text email with a subject, body, recipient, and CC. Every email includes a button linking back to the record that triggered it. |
| Update a property warning | Adds or clears a warning on a property. |
Task and email fields can pull values from the triggering record, so one automation handles every record of that type. See [variables](/docs/automations/building-automations#making-an-automation-dynamic-with-variables).
## The Automations page
Automations live on the Automations page in the sidebar, which lists every automation in your account.
Each row shows:
* The automation's name and category
* How many times it has run
* Its status: Live, Paused, or Draft
* Who created it and when it was last updated
Click any row to open the automation for editing, or select "+ Add" to start a new one.
## Automation statuses
| Status | Meaning |
| ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Live | Published and running against new record events |
| Paused | Published but not running. The configuration is kept, so you can resume it later. |
| Draft | Not yet published. A draft never runs. |
Pause an automation instead of deleting it when you want to stop it temporarily, such as before a bulk data import that would otherwise trigger it.
## Integration automations
Automations that keep Forerunner in sync with an outside system appear on the Automations page alongside the ones your team builds, marked with the Integration category. Forerunner configures these, and they can't be edited or deleted from the builder. See [Integrations](/docs/administration/integrations).
## Who can build automations
Building and editing automations requires the **Manager** role. Managers see the Automations page and the builder; other users don't. See [User roles](/docs/administration/user-roles).
## Automations vs. record email notifications
Record types have their own email notification settings, which overlap with what an automation can do. Which one to use depends on who you're emailing and how much control you need.
* Use record email notifications to email guests, meaning people who submitted a record without a Forerunner account.
* Use automations when you need a custom subject line, a message body with values from the record, or conditional logic.
* Automations can reach people other than the submitter, such as an assigned evaluator or contractor, through a user field on the record. Those recipients need Forerunner accounts.
## Current limits
A few things automations don't do today:
* Emails are plain text. No formatting or attachments.
* Email recipients must be Forerunner users. You can't type in an arbitrary email address.
* Triggers and actions are record-based. An automation can't be triggered by a change to an object.
* A failed run can't be re-run. Correct the cause and the next run succeeds.