# FAQ and troubleshooting

> Source: https://support.usebluehill.com/automations-faq-and-troubleshooting  |  Updated: 2026-10-27T18:49:55Z

## A rule did not fire

Check these in order:

1. **Is it on?** A dimmed row with an **Off** badge is switched off. Use the switch on the row.
2. **Did it already run for this item?** Rules set to **Run once per item** ignore items they have handled. Choose **Clear run-once history** from the **⋮** menu to reset. See [Let a run-once rule fire again](./automations-create-a-rule#let-a-run-once-rule-fire-again).
3. **Is it paused on the board?** Open the board's **Automations** tab and check the **Run on this board** switches for template and organization rules. See [Pause inherited rules on one board](./automations-where-rules-live#pause-inherited-rules-on-one-board).
4. **Did the conditions match?** Open the **Run log** and look for a **Skipped** run; the reason tells you which condition failed.
5. **Is it waiting?** A **Scheduled** run is holding for a delay, business hours or a weekday. See [Run statuses](./automations-run-log#run-statuses).
6. **Does the trigger apply?** *An item is added to a board* does not fire for the items a new board starts with; *The customer completes an item in the portal* does not fire when your team completes it; due-date and inactivity triggers skip completed items and boards; *A customer or prospect is created* never fires for bulk imports.

## The customer did not receive the email

Open the run and read the reason on the email action. The usual ones are *the board has no linked customer*, *automated emails are paused for this customer*, *the contact opted out of email*, a suppressed or Do-Not-Mail address, and *automatic emails reach only your own addresses until your business is verified*. See [When an email is skipped](./automations-email-the-customer#when-an-email-is-skipped).

## An automation ran that I did not expect

Open the board's **Automations** tab and switch to **Run log**: the **Automation** column names the rule, and inherited rules carry an **Organization** or **From template** badge in the rules list. Pause them on this board with **Run on this board**, or edit the rule where it lives.

## Why does a run say "Scheduled"?

The rule is waiting: *waiting out the delay*, *waiting for business hours*, *waiting for a weekday* or *scheduled digest*. It runs when the window opens and checks its conditions again first. You can **Cancel run** from the run detail.

## What does "Needs attention" mean?

The rule refers to something that no longer exists or cannot be used, such as a deleted status, a departed team member, a deleted template or a paused webhook endpoint. Hover the badge for the reason, open the rule and pick a replacement. See [Why a rule says "Needs attention"](./automations-automations-page-overview#why-a-rule-says-needs-attention).

## Can one automation set off another?

Yes. A rule that sets a status can trigger a rule that watches for that status; the run log marks the second run *chained*. BlueHill stops after three chained runs with *too many chained automations (loop guard)*, and the editor refuses rules that would trigger themselves directly.

## Why can't an organization rule pick a specific item?

Organization rules run on every board, and boards built from different templates have different items. Organization rules can only act on **This item (the one that triggered the rule)**. Put rules that name a particular item on the template or the board.

## The recipe says "Map these first"

The recipe uses a status, category or template your workspace does not have, for example a status called *Waiting on Customer*. Create it (or rename yours to match) and open the recipe again. See [Add a recipe](./automations-recipes#add-a-recipe).

## My webhook keeps failing

The endpoint must be a public *https://* URL that answers within five seconds with a 2xx status. Open the delivery under **Recent deliveries** to read the error and the **Request body**, fix the receiving side and click **Redeliver**. Failed deliveries retry on their own for about a day. A **Paused** endpoint holds deliveries until you **Resume** it. See [Deliveries and retries](./automations-webhooks#deliveries-and-retries).

## Who is "Automation · rule name"?

That is how automations sign what they do: in an item's change history, on notes they add, on tickets they open and in the bell notification they send. On the organization's Activity page the same note shows a **System** chip.

## Does deleting a rule delete its history?

No. The **Delete automation?** dialog says it: queued runs are cancelled, the log is kept.

## Where are automations in the mobile app?

Open **Settings → Automations** for organization rules, or the **Automations** row on a board, template or form. The mobile app shows the same rules, run log, recipes and deliveries.

Back to the [user guide index](./automations-overview).