Automations — Work That Runs Itself, Governed End to End
Build trigger-and-action workflows in a drag-and-drop, no-code builder—routing approvals, escalating overdue work, and syncing external tools automatically, with every run logged for full accountability.
What Is Automations?
Automations is SmartSuite's no-code workflow engine: a trigger-and-action system where a defined event starts an automation and one or more actions run in response, without writing code. It helps GRC, IT, project, and business operations teams eliminate manual handoffs—routing, notifying, updating, and generating documents automatically, with every run recorded in Run History. Automations are included on every SmartSuite plan, with monthly run allowances that scale by tier.
No-Code Builder
Build Automations in a Drag-and-Drop Builder
Choose a trigger, add actions, and turn it on—the builder walks any authorized user from event to outcome in minutes, no code required. Scope exactly when an automation fires with field-based conditions using AND/OR logic, including "changes from" and "changes to" rules that react to specific transitions.
Automations can be toggled on and off, duplicated, and shared via link—so proven recipes spread across Solutions instead of being rebuilt.
Triggers
Start Automations From the Events That Matter
Automations fire from record events—a Record created, updated, or newly matching a condition—as well as form submissions, button clicks for human-in-the-loop approvals, defined schedules, and inbound email to a connected Gmail or Outlook inbox.
Scheduled triggers run by the minute, hour, day, week, or month—or once—with a preview of upcoming runs, so a nightly overdue-record sweep is a five-minute setup.
Multi-Step Actions
Chain Record Operations, Communications, and Documents
Each automation runs a sequence of actions: create, update, find, merge, or delete Records; post comments and assign them to teammates; send emails with dynamic content and attachments; and generate PDFs from a Record using Document Designer templates.
Outbound webhook requests call external systems with full REST methods, and native integrations connect Slack, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Google Workspace, Outlook, and more.
Branching & Looping
Route Work with Conditional Logic and Looping
Conditional Logic splits an automation into met and not-met paths using the same AND/OR condition builder—approve above a threshold, escalate below it—so one automation replaces a family of near-duplicates. Looping repeats a group of actions for every record in a list, such as each overdue item a Find Records step returns.
Branches and loops nest inside each other up to two levels deep, covering per-item handling inside routed paths.
AI Steps
Add AI Steps That Follow Your Governance
The AI Workflow Agent action puts an LLM inside any automation—classifying requests, summarizing records, or enriching data—with prompts that mix static text and dynamic field values. Structured outputs map AI responses into typed fields that later steps consume directly.
Workspace Administrators govern the providers and models centrally in the AI Control Center, with support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Amazon Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Perplexity AI, Nscale, IBM watsonx, and xAI.
Governance
Monitor and Govern Every Automation Run
Only Administrators and Solution Managers create, edit, or manage automations, keeping workflow logic with accountable owners. Run History records every execution—start time, status, duration, and actions executed—and admins are notified as monthly run quotas approach their limit.
Automation that acts on governed data is itself governed—which is what makes it safe to automate the workflows auditors care about.
Automations
Manual handoffs are where governed workflows slip—control tests missed, escalations skipped, evidence unlogged. Automations execute those steps the same way every time, and record proof that they ran.
A scheduled automation finds controls due for testing, creates test Records, assigns owners, and emails reminders—recurring assessments fire on time without a compliance manager chasing them.
When a control enters its testing window, an automation emails the evidence owner, posts an assigned comment, and updates the request status—each step logged for the audit trail.
Conditional Logic routes new findings by severity: critical issues notify the risk owner and post to a leadership Slack channel, while lower severities queue for the next review cycle—one automation, every path covered.
A button click on a policy Record launches the approval automation—updating status, notifying approvers, and generating a PDF of the approved version attached to the Record.
Combine Automations with Run History so every automated control test, escalation, and notification leaves a timestamped execution record—automation you can show an auditor.
Automations is SmartSuite's no-code workflow engine: when a defined event occurs—a record change, form submission, button click, schedule, or inbound email—one or more actions run automatically. Workflows are built in a drag-and-drop builder, no code required.
Automations start from record events (created, updated, or newly matching conditions), form submissions, button clicks, defined schedules, and inbound email to a connected Gmail or Outlook inbox. Triggers can be scoped with AND/OR field conditions.
Actions span record operations (create, update, find, merge, delete), communications (emails, assigned comments), PDF generation, outbound webhook requests, AI steps via the AI Workflow Agent, looping over record lists, and conditional branching—chained as multi-step sequences of up to 10 actions.
No. Triggers, conditions, and actions are configured in a drag-and-drop builder, and SmartSuite describes complex automations as buildable in a matter of minutes. Webhook actions are available when you do want to call external APIs.
Per SmartSuite's pricing page, monthly automation runs are 25,000 on Team, 100,000 on Professional, and 500,000 on Enterprise, with custom volume on Signature. Admins are notified at 90% and 100% of quota, and additional runs are available as an overage add-on.
Only Administrators and Solution Managers can create, edit, or manage automations. Each Solution supports up to 50 automations, and automations can be duplicated and shared via link across Solutions.
Yes. The AI Workflow Agent action integrates an LLM into any automation step, with structured outputs that feed later steps. Providers and models—including OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, IBM WatsonX, and Azure OpenAI—are governed centrally by Workspace Administrators in the AI Control Center.
Every run is recorded in Run History with start time, status, duration, and actions executed, and error notifications go to Administrators and Solution Managers. Automated steps in controlled processes leave timestamped execution records—helping teams stay audit-ready.
Automate Your Workflows in Minutes, Not Months
Pick a trigger, chain your actions, and let governed automation carry the handoffs your team shouldn't.