Automation rules

User-configurable rules that trigger actions when specified conditions are met.

Automation rules are user-configurable rules that trigger actions when specified conditions are met. They take the form of "when X, do Y" statements and run automatically as the graph changes. Automation rules are a Paid feature available on Paid and Team tiers.

What a rule consists of

Every automation rule has two parts:

  • A trigger: a condition that fires the rule (a node changes state, a date is reached, a field is updated)
  • An action: what happens when the trigger fires (assign a user, set a field, create a node, send a notification)

Rules can be simple ("when a node moves to in-progress, start a timer") or compound ("when a node moves to complete AND its custom field 'requires-review' is true, create a follow-up review node and assign it to the team lead").

Available triggers

Triggers include:

  • Node state changes: locked to available, available to in-progress, etc.
  • Field updates: a specific custom field is set or changed
  • Date events: a due date is reached, a node has been in-progress for N days
  • Edge events: a dependency is added, removed, or redirected
  • Time-based: a recurring schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)

Available actions

Actions include:

  • Update a node: change its state, type, or custom fields
  • Create a node: spawn a new node with configured properties
  • Send a notification: via in-app, Slack, email, or Webhooks
  • Assign a user: assign or reassign the node (Team feature, see Assignments)
  • Apply a tag: add or remove tags
  • Run a webhook: send the event to an external URL

When automation matters

Automation rules are useful for:

  • Reducing repetitive work: automating the same action that happens after every state change
  • Enforcing process: automatically creating follow-up work or notifications
  • Coordinating teams: notifying the right people at the right time
  • Cleaning up: archiving completed projects, removing stale nodes

Rules are scoped to a single project. Cross-project automation isn't currently supported.

Tier availability

Automation rules are a Paid feature, available on Paid and Team. Free does not include automation rules.

LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-12