> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://filla.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# On-submit automations

> Run actions automatically when a form is submitted. Update records, send emails, trigger webhooks, and more.

## What automations do

Automations are actions that execute automatically after a form submission is saved to Airtable. You can use them to:

* Update fields on the submitted record with calculated or fixed values
* Send a webhook to an external system
* Pause and then run further actions after a delay
* Run different actions based on what the respondent submitted

## How automations are structured

Each form can have multiple named automations. Each automation has:

* **Name**: a label to identify it (e.g., "Set approval status", "Notify Zapier")
* **Enabled** toggle: turn the automation on or off without deleting it
* **Actions**: an ordered list of things to do

Actions within a single automation run sequentially. If you have multiple automations on the same form, they run in parallel with each other.

## Available action types

| Action                                            | Status | What it does                                                            |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Send Email**                                    | Live   | Send a custom email with dynamic content                                |
| **Update submitted record**                       | Live   | Write values to fields on the submitted record                          |
| **[Generate PDF](/docs/automations/generate-pdf)**     | Live   | Create a PDF from an auto-generated, document, or fillable PDF template |
| **Webhook**                                       | Live   | Send an HTTP request to an external URL                                 |
| **[Wait](/docs/automations/wait-action)**              | Live   | Pause execution for a set time before continuing                        |
| **[If / Else](/docs/automations/conditional-actions)** | Live   | Branch into different actions based on field conditions                 |

<Info>
  For respondent confirmation emails and admin alerts on every submission, you can also use the **Notifications** section in the Form Settings dialog — it's a quicker setup than wiring up a Send Email action.
</Info>

## Per-action settings

Every action (regardless of type) has these common settings:

| Setting            | Description                                                                                                                                                    |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**           | A label to identify the action (e.g., "Generate invoice PDF")                                                                                                  |
| **Enabled**        | Toggle the action on or off without removing it from the automation                                                                                            |
| **Only run if...** | An optional filter condition that determines whether this specific action runs. If the condition is not met, the action is skipped and the next one continues. |

## Managing automations

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Automations tab">
    In the form editor, click the **Automations** tab in the top toolbar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create an automation">
    Click **New automation** and give it a name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add actions">
    Click **Add action** and select the action type. Configure each action's settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable it">
    Toggle the automation on. It runs on the next submission.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Execution timing

Automations execute after the record is saved to Airtable. The respondent sees the thank you page immediately and does not wait for automations to complete.

Each action in an automation can have an optional **"Only run if..."** condition, a filter that determines whether that specific action runs. If the condition is not met, the action is skipped and the next one continues.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Confirmation emails" icon="envelope" href="/docs/automations/confirmation-emails">
    Send a personalized email to respondents after they submit.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Admin notifications" icon="bell" href="/docs/automations/admin-notifications">
    Notify your team when a new submission comes in.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Update fields on submit" icon="pen" href="/docs/automations/update-fields-on-submit">
    Automatically fill in record fields using form data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Generate PDF" icon="file-pdf" href="/docs/automations/generate-pdf">
    Create a PDF document from a template on each submission.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="webhook" href="/docs/automations/webhooks">
    Trigger external tools and workflows on submission.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conditional actions" icon="code-branch" href="/docs/automations/conditional-actions">
    Run different actions based on what the respondent submitted.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Wait action" icon="clock" href="/docs/automations/wait-action">
    Pause an automation before running the next action.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>