From Manual to Magical: Mastering Aptly Automations
Let's go!
What are Automations?
Repetitive actions that Aptly can accomplish for you - automatically.
83%
of customers expect an immediate connection and response
+22%
Tenant retention rate for companies with automated systems
90%
of employees reported increased productivity when using automations
Continue
Benefits
Save Time: Nearly 75% of tech leaders report a savings of up to 4 hours a week with automations. Connect Faster: Connect with prospects, owners, and residents quickly to establish and build relationships. Less Manual: Allow your teams (and yourself) more time for strategic work.
Continue
How to Leverage Automations in Aptly
As part of a process board: Use automations to help automate routine tasks and progress work
On integrated locational boards: Perform functions like setting routine tasks or updating fields
+info
+info
Continue
Automations 101
Every automation consists of 3 parts:
How
What
When
Trigger & Conditions
Timing
Action
Rules or logic that guide how the action is performed, otherwise known as "The Trigger
The "Action"(s) Aptly should take
When should the automation run
More Info
More Info
More Info
Continue
6 Common Automation Scenarios
Assign Cards
Change the Stage
Add Tasks to a Card
Send an Email/SMS
Update a field
Create a PDF of a Form
Continue
Change Stage
In order to move a card along in a process, we'll want to change the stage of the card. In this scenario, we will move the card once there is an email reply for a card. This is typically found on a leads board in order to signal activity on the card.
The lead replies to an email while in the Nurturing stage which will signal to Aptly that it meets the criteria.
Once a reply is received on the card, the action will fire. For this scenario, the action will be to move the card to the Engaged stage.
A Lead is sent an email about the property. When the lead replies back with a question, the automation is triggered.
It's all about the timing. When will the card change stages? We want it to happen immediately - once the reply
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Assign Cards
Assign cards automatically to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
A lease end date is approaching and a lease renewal card is added to the Owner Renewals board.
The lease enters into the New Stage to jump start the Renewals process.
The new card is assigned to someone on the Renewals team via Round Robin.
It's all about the timing. When will the card change stages? We want the card to be assigned 5 minutes after entering the stage.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Create Tasks
Create tasks automatically at different points in a process to handle all of the elements of the process.
A new lease is in the process of moving in and your team needs to add a task once the move-in date is near. We'd use a custom condition trigger.
Custom condition triggers are based off of fields on the card. We can use the Move-in Date as one of the conditions.
Select a task template to create tasks on the card, assigned to the card assignee OR to anyone responsible for completing the task(s).
In an effort to reduce noise for the team after hours, we can set the timing to immediately but within business hours only.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Send Email/SMS
The biggest time saver is automated emails/SMS. Send emails to leads, reminders to tenants, and notifications about work orders.
Firing an email off after a completed task is one of many ways to set off an email automation.
You can select one, a few, or all tasks within a template to be completed.
Send an email/SMS to specified contacts on a card using a selected communication template.
Use any date field on the card to designate when the email/SMS will be sent.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Update Specific Fields
Update a field on a card to continue a process, jumpstart another, or simply update information.
Field groups can be used as tasks by simply completing the fields within the group. For this example, all vendor insurance fields must be completed.
Select the field group that needs to be completely filled out in order for the automation to fire.
Update any field on a card. Once the vendor insurance field are completed, the vendor can be deemed preferred.
The field will be updated as soon as all of the vendor insurance fields are completed.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Create a PDF of a Form
Update a field on a card to continue a process, jumpstart another, or simply update information.
Custom conditions can be used to be specific to your process. Let's create a PDF once the field on a form is completed.
Once a card is in the Info Received stage of the Owner/Property Onboarding and the form is completed, this automations will fire.
Create a PDF of a form once the form is completed to save the first submission of the form.
Once the form is submitted, immediately save it as a PDF.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Thank you!
Have more questions or want to learn more about our automations?
- Check out our helpful automation articles in the Help Center.
- Connect with your Account Manager.
- Sit in on Office Hours.
- Post your questions to other Aptly Masterminds in Ask the Community.
Email Support
Ask the Community
Help Center
Office Hours
Start
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? You can select to send the email after a certain amount of time based on a specific field. In this example, you can choose to send after the field: Tour Date/Time to ensure that the prospect doesn't get the email too early.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Action
Update Specific Fields
Update a field as part of the process. When connected to a location (with a 2 way syncing integration), the field can also update to the Property Management System if the field is integrated. In this example, if the field group for Vendor Insurance has all of the required details, the automation will update the Preferred Vendor field to Yes. This is pinned on the card so we know that we'd select a vendor with a Yes over any other vendor.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Update the assignee whenever a card first enters the board. You can also reassign at any point in the process depending on your procedures.
Assignment Rules
Trigger - Custom Condition
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Custom condition automations are very open-ended and rely on card fields for the automation to trigger.
Article: Intro to Automations
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For task completion, you'll select a stage and a task (or tasks) that must be marked as done before the automation will fire. In this scenario, a prospect has completed a tour and the agent needs to check the submitted form. After checking the form, they mark the task as done so that an email will go out to the prospect.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? You can set automations to fire after a set amount of time in minutes, hours, days, or months and based on any date field on the card.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select the corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. Custom conditions are set by the fields on a card along with the data within the fields. In this example, a card needs to be in the stage Info Received and the Form Complete field needs to show Yes.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Action
Once the task is marked as complete, the email will send.
Best practice is to send email automations from a Shared Inbox for better visibility Send to - certain contact types. It will send to all contacts for the type you select.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Create a task on a card is a great way to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks within a process. We recommend using Task Templates to organize and manage your tasks. You'll be able to access your tasks at any time from the Board menu.
How to Create and Use a Task Template
What is an Action in Aptly?
An action is what Aptly will do automatically when a trigger happens.For example, if a tenant says they plan to move out, Aptly can take action by moving the card to the "Moving Out" stage and create a task to begin the notice to vacate process. There are many actions you can choose from like sending an email, assigning tasks, or updating fields to help keep your workflows running smoothly.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For On Reply triggers, you'll select the stage(s) that Aptly should pay attention to. Any replies received in the stages will trigger the automation.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? For this scenario, you'll want to create the PDF immediately in order to capture the form data as soon as it is submitted.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. For Change Stage Automations, the action is clearly defined by selecting the stage to move the card to. In this example, when the card in the Nurturing stage receives a reply from a contact on the card, the card will move to the Engaged stage.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Field Group Completion looks at all fields within a group as though it was a task. Once all fields are completed in the selected group, the automation will fire.
Article: Intro to Automations
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. You'll select a stage where the fields will likely be completed along with the field group. In this example, the vendor card must be active and the field group includes all of the required Vendor Insurance details.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Create a PDF of a Form to gather a real time capture of a submitted form. Forms in Aptly can be overwritten by multiple submissions and creating a PDF captures that initial submission.
Creating a PDF from a Form
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? If a lead responds to one of my emails, I want this card to move immediately - no time to waste. Just remember, immediately does not mean ASAP; it means that the card will be moved into the queue right away to complete the action.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
What is Timing in Aptly?
Timing controls when Aptly will perform the action. You can choose to:
- Run actions immediately when the trigger happens
- Run actions only during business hours
- Set recurring actions for specific days of the week or month
This helps you schedule your automations to run at the right time.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? When you update a field, you can time it whenever it works best for you. Immediately will add it to the queue as soon as the field group is completed.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. In this scenario, a task must be completed to send the email.
Article: Intro to Automations
A Word of Caution
Locational boards are connected to your property management system (PMS), so any changes you make, such as adding automations or updating a property, unit, or lease, could sync back to your PMS depending on your integration settings. Before making changes or adding automations, take a moment to review your sync settings to ensure data isn't overwritten.
Integration Articles
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For Custom Condition automations, you can select any fields on the card to define the perfect scenario for your action to happen. In this example on the Move-Ins board, we want to add a task only if the Scheduled Move-in is within the next 2 days and in the Scheduled Move-In stage.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Custom Condition automations are triggered by any field (or fields) on a card.
Article: Intro to Automations
How - Trigger & Conditions
"What is a Trigger in Aptly? A trigger is the condition that tells Aptly what to look for before taking action. For example, imagine a lease ending in 6 months. If a tenant replies saying they plan to move out, that reply can trigger the next step in your process. Here are some common triggers you can choose from:
- On Stage Change - The card moves to a different stage.
- On Reply - Someone replies to a message.
- Custom Condition - A specific set of criteria is met.
- Field Group Completion - All required fields in a group are completed.
- Task Completion - A task is marked as done.
Article: Intro to Automations
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? Since this is a time based task, I want it to be added immediately. It can wait until business hours so that my agents are receiving notifications at night.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For On Stage Change triggers, you'll select the stage that the automation will apply to. This automation will only ever trigger once even if the card leaves and re-enters the stage.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Trigger - On Reply
On Reply triggers when an email is received by a contact related to a card. For example, a Lead is sent an email about the property. When the lead replies back with a question, the automation is triggered.
The automation can be triggered on every single reply or only once. Depending on your scenario, you'll select the best option.
Article: Intro to Automations
Trigger - On Stage Change
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. On Stage Change triggers when a card enters a designated stage.
Article: Intro to Automations
From Manual to Magical: Mastering Aptly Automations
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Transcript
From Manual to Magical: Mastering Aptly Automations
Let's go!
What are Automations?
Repetitive actions that Aptly can accomplish for you - automatically.
83%
of customers expect an immediate connection and response
+22%
Tenant retention rate for companies with automated systems
90%
of employees reported increased productivity when using automations
Continue
Benefits
Save Time: Nearly 75% of tech leaders report a savings of up to 4 hours a week with automations. Connect Faster: Connect with prospects, owners, and residents quickly to establish and build relationships. Less Manual: Allow your teams (and yourself) more time for strategic work.
Continue
How to Leverage Automations in Aptly
As part of a process board: Use automations to help automate routine tasks and progress work
On integrated locational boards: Perform functions like setting routine tasks or updating fields
+info
+info
Continue
Automations 101
Every automation consists of 3 parts:
How
What
When
Trigger & Conditions
Timing
Action
Rules or logic that guide how the action is performed, otherwise known as "The Trigger
The "Action"(s) Aptly should take
When should the automation run
More Info
More Info
More Info
Continue
6 Common Automation Scenarios
Assign Cards
Change the Stage
Add Tasks to a Card
Send an Email/SMS
Update a field
Create a PDF of a Form
Continue
Change Stage
In order to move a card along in a process, we'll want to change the stage of the card. In this scenario, we will move the card once there is an email reply for a card. This is typically found on a leads board in order to signal activity on the card.
The lead replies to an email while in the Nurturing stage which will signal to Aptly that it meets the criteria.
Once a reply is received on the card, the action will fire. For this scenario, the action will be to move the card to the Engaged stage.
A Lead is sent an email about the property. When the lead replies back with a question, the automation is triggered.
It's all about the timing. When will the card change stages? We want it to happen immediately - once the reply
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Assign Cards
Assign cards automatically to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
A lease end date is approaching and a lease renewal card is added to the Owner Renewals board.
The lease enters into the New Stage to jump start the Renewals process.
The new card is assigned to someone on the Renewals team via Round Robin.
It's all about the timing. When will the card change stages? We want the card to be assigned 5 minutes after entering the stage.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Create Tasks
Create tasks automatically at different points in a process to handle all of the elements of the process.
A new lease is in the process of moving in and your team needs to add a task once the move-in date is near. We'd use a custom condition trigger.
Custom condition triggers are based off of fields on the card. We can use the Move-in Date as one of the conditions.
Select a task template to create tasks on the card, assigned to the card assignee OR to anyone responsible for completing the task(s).
In an effort to reduce noise for the team after hours, we can set the timing to immediately but within business hours only.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Send Email/SMS
The biggest time saver is automated emails/SMS. Send emails to leads, reminders to tenants, and notifications about work orders.
Firing an email off after a completed task is one of many ways to set off an email automation.
You can select one, a few, or all tasks within a template to be completed.
Send an email/SMS to specified contacts on a card using a selected communication template.
Use any date field on the card to designate when the email/SMS will be sent.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Update Specific Fields
Update a field on a card to continue a process, jumpstart another, or simply update information.
Field groups can be used as tasks by simply completing the fields within the group. For this example, all vendor insurance fields must be completed.
Select the field group that needs to be completely filled out in order for the automation to fire.
Update any field on a card. Once the vendor insurance field are completed, the vendor can be deemed preferred.
The field will be updated as soon as all of the vendor insurance fields are completed.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Create a PDF of a Form
Update a field on a card to continue a process, jumpstart another, or simply update information.
Custom conditions can be used to be specific to your process. Let's create a PDF once the field on a form is completed.
Once a card is in the Info Received stage of the Owner/Property Onboarding and the form is completed, this automations will fire.
Create a PDF of a form once the form is completed to save the first submission of the form.
Once the form is submitted, immediately save it as a PDF.
Timing
Action
Condition
Trigger
Continue
Thank you!
Have more questions or want to learn more about our automations?
Email Support
Ask the Community
Help Center
Office Hours
Start
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? You can select to send the email after a certain amount of time based on a specific field. In this example, you can choose to send after the field: Tour Date/Time to ensure that the prospect doesn't get the email too early.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Action
Update Specific Fields
Update a field as part of the process. When connected to a location (with a 2 way syncing integration), the field can also update to the Property Management System if the field is integrated. In this example, if the field group for Vendor Insurance has all of the required details, the automation will update the Preferred Vendor field to Yes. This is pinned on the card so we know that we'd select a vendor with a Yes over any other vendor.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Update the assignee whenever a card first enters the board. You can also reassign at any point in the process depending on your procedures.
Assignment Rules
Trigger - Custom Condition
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Custom condition automations are very open-ended and rely on card fields for the automation to trigger.
Article: Intro to Automations
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For task completion, you'll select a stage and a task (or tasks) that must be marked as done before the automation will fire. In this scenario, a prospect has completed a tour and the agent needs to check the submitted form. After checking the form, they mark the task as done so that an email will go out to the prospect.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? You can set automations to fire after a set amount of time in minutes, hours, days, or months and based on any date field on the card.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select the corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. Custom conditions are set by the fields on a card along with the data within the fields. In this example, a card needs to be in the stage Info Received and the Form Complete field needs to show Yes.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Action
Once the task is marked as complete, the email will send.
Best practice is to send email automations from a Shared Inbox for better visibility Send to - certain contact types. It will send to all contacts for the type you select.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Create a task on a card is a great way to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks within a process. We recommend using Task Templates to organize and manage your tasks. You'll be able to access your tasks at any time from the Board menu.
How to Create and Use a Task Template
What is an Action in Aptly?
An action is what Aptly will do automatically when a trigger happens.For example, if a tenant says they plan to move out, Aptly can take action by moving the card to the "Moving Out" stage and create a task to begin the notice to vacate process. There are many actions you can choose from like sending an email, assigning tasks, or updating fields to help keep your workflows running smoothly.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For On Reply triggers, you'll select the stage(s) that Aptly should pay attention to. Any replies received in the stages will trigger the automation.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? For this scenario, you'll want to create the PDF immediately in order to capture the form data as soon as it is submitted.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. For Change Stage Automations, the action is clearly defined by selecting the stage to move the card to. In this example, when the card in the Nurturing stage receives a reply from a contact on the card, the card will move to the Engaged stage.
Intro to Automations: Actions
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Field Group Completion looks at all fields within a group as though it was a task. Once all fields are completed in the selected group, the automation will fire.
Article: Intro to Automations
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. You'll select a stage where the fields will likely be completed along with the field group. In this example, the vendor card must be active and the field group includes all of the required Vendor Insurance details.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Action
An action is what Aptly will do for you - what will occur. Create a PDF of a Form to gather a real time capture of a submitted form. Forms in Aptly can be overwritten by multiple submissions and creating a PDF captures that initial submission.
Creating a PDF from a Form
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? If a lead responds to one of my emails, I want this card to move immediately - no time to waste. Just remember, immediately does not mean ASAP; it means that the card will be moved into the queue right away to complete the action.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
What is Timing in Aptly?
Timing controls when Aptly will perform the action. You can choose to:
This helps you schedule your automations to run at the right time.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? When you update a field, you can time it whenever it works best for you. Immediately will add it to the queue as soon as the field group is completed.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. In this scenario, a task must be completed to send the email.
Article: Intro to Automations
A Word of Caution
Locational boards are connected to your property management system (PMS), so any changes you make, such as adding automations or updating a property, unit, or lease, could sync back to your PMS depending on your integration settings. Before making changes or adding automations, take a moment to review your sync settings to ensure data isn't overwritten.
Integration Articles
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For Custom Condition automations, you can select any fields on the card to define the perfect scenario for your action to happen. In this example on the Move-Ins board, we want to add a task only if the Scheduled Move-in is within the next 2 days and in the Scheduled Move-In stage.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Trigger
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. Custom Condition automations are triggered by any field (or fields) on a card.
Article: Intro to Automations
How - Trigger & Conditions
"What is a Trigger in Aptly? A trigger is the condition that tells Aptly what to look for before taking action. For example, imagine a lease ending in 6 months. If a tenant replies saying they plan to move out, that reply can trigger the next step in your process. Here are some common triggers you can choose from:
Article: Intro to Automations
Timing
When will Aptly complete the action(s) for you? Since this is a time based task, I want it to be added immediately. It can wait until business hours so that my agents are receiving notifications at night.
Article: Intro to Automations - Timing
Condition & Criteria
Once you've selected a trigger, you'll select corresponding conditions and criteria. These further define the scenario that needs to take place for the action to happen. For On Stage Change triggers, you'll select the stage that the automation will apply to. This automation will only ever trigger once even if the card leaves and re-enters the stage.
Article: Intro to Automations - Conditions
Trigger - On Reply
On Reply triggers when an email is received by a contact related to a card. For example, a Lead is sent an email about the property. When the lead replies back with a question, the automation is triggered.
The automation can be triggered on every single reply or only once. Depending on your scenario, you'll select the best option.
Article: Intro to Automations
Trigger - On Stage Change
When selecting a trigger, you're deciding the scenario in which Aptly will take action on your behalf. On Stage Change triggers when a card enters a designated stage.
Article: Intro to Automations