Core Automation Concepts

Before building your first automation, you need to understand the vocabulary. These five concepts form the foundation of every workflow, regardless of which platform you use.

The Five Building Blocks

┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│   TRIGGER   │───▶│   ACTION    │───▶│   ACTION    │
│  (Start)    │    │  (Do this)  │    │  (Then this)│
└─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
                   ┌─────────────┐
                   │   FILTER    │
                   │ (Only if...) │
                   └─────────────┘
                          │
                          ▼
                   ┌─────────────┐
                   │   AI STEP   │
                   │ (Understand) │
                   └─────────────┘

1. Trigger: "When This Happens..."

A trigger starts your automation. It's the event that kicks everything off.

Trigger Type	Example	What Happens
New data	New email received	Workflow starts when email arrives
Updated data	Spreadsheet row changed	Workflow starts when data changes
Scheduled	Every day at 9 AM	Workflow runs on a timer
Webhook	External system calls	Another system triggers your workflow
Manual	Button clicked	You trigger it yourself

Key insight: Every automation needs exactly one trigger. This is the "when" of your workflow.

2. Action: "Do This..."

Actions are the tasks your automation performs. Most workflows have multiple actions.

Action Type	Example
Create	Create a new Slack message
Update	Update a CRM contact
Send	Send an email
Search	Find records in a database
Delete	Remove old files

Key insight: Actions can be chained—the output of one action becomes the input for the next.

3. Filter: "Only If..."

Filters add conditions. They let you control when actions should run.

TRIGGER: New email received
    ↓
FILTER: Subject contains "urgent"?
    ↓ YES              ↓ NO
Send Slack alert    Do nothing

Filter Logic	Example
Contains	Subject contains "invoice"
Equals	Status equals "new"
Greater than	Amount > $1,000
Is empty	Phone field is empty
AND/OR	Status = "new" AND Amount > $500

Key insight: Filters prevent unnecessary actions and make your automations smarter.

4. AI Step: "Understand and Create..."

AI steps are what make modern automation intelligent. They understand, analyze, and generate.

AI Capability	Example Use
Analyze	Read email sentiment (positive/negative)
Extract	Pull company name from message
Classify	Categorize support ticket by type
Generate	Write a response email
Summarize	Create meeting notes summary
Translate	Convert text to another language

Key insight: AI steps turn data processing into data understanding.

5. Path/Branch: "If This, Then That..."

Paths let your workflow take different routes based on conditions.

                    ┌─── Hot lead ──→ Notify sales manager
                    │
TRIGGER ─→ AI Score │─── Warm lead ──→ Add to nurture sequence
                    │
                    └─── Cold lead ──→ Archive for later

Key insight: Paths handle complexity without making separate workflows.

Putting It Together: A Real Example

Here's how these concepts combine in a practical workflow:

WORKFLOW: Smart Email Assistant
════════════════════════════════

TRIGGER: New email in inbox
    ↓
FILTER: From address is NOT in contacts
    ↓ (passes)
AI STEP: Analyze email
    - Determine intent: inquiry | complaint | spam | other
    - Extract: sender company, topic, urgency level
    - Generate: suggested reply
    ↓
PATH: Based on intent
    │
    ├─→ [inquiry] → Create CRM lead → Notify sales
    │
    ├─→ [complaint] → Create support ticket → Escalate
    │
    ├─→ [spam] → Move to trash → End
    │
    └─→ [other] → Forward to inbox → No action

Terminology Quick Reference

Term	Meaning	Also Called
Trigger	Event that starts workflow	Starter, Event
Action	Task that workflow performs	Step, Module
Filter	Condition that controls flow	Condition, Gate
AI Step	Intelligent processing	AI Action, AI Module
Path	Branching based on conditions	Router, Branch
Workflow	Complete automation sequence	Zap (Zapier), Scenario (Make)

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake	Why It's a Problem	Solution
Too many triggers	Workflows can only have one trigger	Use filters instead of multiple triggers
No filters	Every email/message triggers actions	Add conditions to be selective
No error handling	Workflow breaks and stops	Add paths for error cases
Overusing AI	Costs increase, slows down	Use AI only when understanding is needed

Next: You're ready to build. Let's create your first AI-powered workflow step by step. :::