Title: Actions User Guide Description: Create and manage automation workflows without coding Tags: actions, automation, workflows, user-guide --- This guide walks you through using the Actions system in the backoffice interface to create and manage automation workflows without any coding required. Overview The Actions system allows you to create automated workflows that respond to events in your application. You can visually design these workflows using triggers (what starts the automation) and blocks (what actions to perform). Accessing Actions Navigate to your project in the backoffice Go to Settings by clicking the settings menu item Select Actions from the settings modules The Actions page displays all your existing automation workflows with options to create, edit, and delete them. Creating a New Action Step 1: Create the Action Click the "Create New Action" button Fill in the required information: Title: A descriptive name for your automation (required) Description: Optional details about what this automation does Click "Create" to save your new action Step 2: Configure the Workflow After creating an action, you can click on it and then click "Open" to access the Visual Flow Editor where you build your automation workflow. Visual Flow Editor The Visual Flow Editor provides an intuitive canvas for designing your automation workflows using a node-based interface. Interface Components Canvas: The main area where you drag, zoom, and pan to view your workflow Controls: Zoom in/out and fit-to-view controls in the bottom-right Background: Grid background for easier node alignment Add Buttons: Buttons to add new triggers and blocks to your workflow Building Your Workflow Adding Triggers Triggers define when your automation should run: Click "Add Trigger" button Select from available trigger types: Document Created: Runs when a new document is created Document Updated: Runs when an existing document is modified Document Deleted: Runs when a document is removed Cron Job / Scheduled: Runs on a schedule defined by a cron expression (minimum interval: every 5 minutes). Example: 0 9 * runs daily at 9am. Common cron expressions (minute hour day month weekday): | Expression | Schedule | |---|---| | /5 * | Every 5 minutes (minimum allowed) | | 0 | Every hour | | 0 9 * | Daily at 9:00 AM | | 0 9 1 | Every Monday at 9:00 AM | | 0 2 * | Daily at 2:00 AM (useful for nightly cleanup) | | 0 0 1 | First day of each month at midnight | → For complete workflow examples using cron triggers, see Scheduled Workflows. Webhook: Runs when a specific webhook URL is called from an external system > Body size limit: Webhook request bodies are capped at 1 MiB (1,048,576 bytes). If a POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE request sends more than that, the platform responds with HTTP 413 and the body { "error": "Webhook body exceeds the maximum allowed size of 1048576 bytes" }, and the action does not run. The cap is also enforced when only the Content-Length header declares an over-limit size. The sending system must reduce the payload or split it across multiple webhook calls. API / Manual: Can be triggered via API call or manually from the backoffice The trigger appears as a blue node on the canvas Tip: Document triggers let you filter by collection name — so you can run an automation only when documents of a specific data type are created or updated. Adding Blocks Blocks define what actions to perform: Click "Add Block" button Select from available block types: Send Email: Send an email to a recipient address AI Summary: Generate an AI-powered summary of entity data and write it to a chosen field Topic Push Notification: Send a push notification to subscribers of a specific topic Save Entity: Save incoming data as an entity — creates a new document or updates an existing one Data Mapper: Transform incoming data by mapping fields from one shape into another Send Chat Message: Send a message to Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams via webhook The block appears as a green node on the canvas Connecting Components The visual editor automatically creates connections between triggers and blocks based on your workflow design. You can see the data flow visually represented by lines connecting the nodes. Navigation Controls Drag: Click and drag to pan around the canvas Zoom: Use mouse wheel or zoom controls Fit View: Click the fit-view control to see your entire workflow Managing Actions Viewing Actions The main Actions page shows all your automation workflows in a searchable, filterable list with the following information: Title: The name of your action Description: What the action does Created Date: When the action was created Last Modified: When the action was last updated Editing Actions Find your action in the list Click the edit button (pencil icon) in the action row Modify the title or description as needed Save your changes Deleting Actions Find your action in the list Click the delete button (trash icon) in the action row Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears ⚠️ Warning: Deleting an action permanently removes the automation workflow and cannot be undone. Common Workflow Patterns Email Notifications Use Case: Send an email when a new document is created Create a new action titled "Document Notification" Add a "Document Created" trigger Add a "Send Email" block Configure the email block with recipient and message details Data Processing Use Case: Reshape and persist data when a document changes Create a new action titled "Process Incoming Records" Add a "Document Updated" trigger Add a "Data Mapper" block to reshape the fields Add a "Save Entity" block to persist the mapped data to the target collection External Integration Use Case: Notify a chat platform about changes Create a new action titled "Notify Chat" Add appropriate trigger (Created/Updated/Deleted) Add a "Send Chat Message" block Configure the block with the Slack, Discord, or Teams webhook URL and message template Best Practices Naming Conventions Use descriptive, clear titles for your actions Include the trigger type and primary action in the name Examples: "Email on Document Creation", "Sync to CRM on Update" Documentation Always add meaningful descriptions to your actions Explain what the automation does and when it triggers Include any important configuration details Testing Test your automations with sample data before deploying Verify that triggers activate correctly Confirm that all blocks execute as expected Performance Keep workflows simple and focused on specific tasks Avoid overly complex automation chains Monitor execution logs for performance issues Troubleshooting Action Not Triggering Check trigger configuration: Ensure the trigger type matches your use case Verify permissions: Confirm you have access to the relevant documents Review execution logs: Look for error messages in the system logs Blocks Not Executing Check connections: Ensure triggers are properly connected to blocks Verify block configuration: Confirm all required settings are provided Test individual blocks: Isolate and test each block separately Performance Issues Simplify workflows: Break complex automations into smaller actions Optimize block configuration: Remove unnecessary processing Monitor resource usage: Check system performance during execution Support and Resources For additional help with the Actions system: Developer Guide: Technical details for extending the system API Reference: Complete interface documentation Examples: Sample workflows and patterns Architecture: System design and technical overview Keyboard Shortcuts When using the Visual Flow Editor: Space + Drag: Pan around the canvas Mouse Wheel: Zoom in and out F: Fit entire workflow to view Escape: Close any open dialogs or selection modes Mobile and Responsive Design The Actions interface is fully responsive and works on: Desktop: Full functionality with mouse and keyboard Tablet: Touch-friendly interface with gesture support Mobile: Optimized layout for smaller screens All features remain available across different device sizes, ensuring you can manage your automations from anywhere.