Creating your first automation
A custom automation can be live in under 5 minutes. This guide walks you through every field — from picking your trigger to hitting Enable and watching it work.
Step-by-step
Click "Automations" in the left-hand sidebar. This shows all existing automations and their current status.
Hit the blue "New Automation" button in the top-right corner. A blank automation builder opens.
Select what starts the automation. Options include: Job status changes to Complete, Quote sent, Invoice becomes overdue, Job status changes to Booked, and Customer created.
Narrow down when the automation fires by adding a condition. For example: "Job type equals Boiler Service" or "Invoice value is greater than £500". Leave blank to fire for all matching triggers.
Pick what Trade2Base does when the trigger fires. You can send a WhatsApp message, an email, or an SMS. Select the channel and write or paste your message.
Use the delay field to wait before sending. Enter the number of hours or days. A 24-hour delay on a review request, for example, gives the customer time to settle in before you ask for feedback.
Toggle the automation to "Enabled" and click Save. Trade2Base will now monitor for the trigger and fire the action automatically.
Trigger the event manually in a test job or with a dummy customer to confirm the message arrives as expected. Check the Activity Log under Automations to see the delivery status.
Available triggers at a glance
| Trigger | When it fires |
|---|---|
| Job completed | Job status changes to Complete |
| Quote sent | A quote is marked as Sent to the customer |
| Invoice overdue | Invoice passes its payment due date |
| Job booked | Job status changes to Booked |
| Customer created | A new customer record is saved |
Tips for writing automation messages
Insert dynamic values into your message using merge tags like {{customer_name}}, {{job_reference}}, and {{invoice_amount}}. These are replaced with real data when the message sends.
WhatsApp messages that look like marketing blasts are often ignored. Aim for 2–3 sentences max. Write as if you were sending it from your personal phone — friendly, direct, and specific to the job.
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