# BlueHill Automations: user guide

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

## What an automation is

An automation is a rule with four parts. **When** something happens (the trigger), **if** certain conditions hold, **then** do one or more actions, with **timing** that says whether to run right away, wait a while, or stay inside business hours.

Rules live in one of four places: the whole organization, a board template, a single board or a form. A template rule applies to every board built from that template; an organization rule applies to every board, and can also react to new customers, accepted quotes and form submissions. Every time a rule fires, BlueHill records a run that shows what each action did or why it was skipped.

## Key terms

| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Automation / rule** | One *when → if → then* rule with a name and an **On** switch. The words are used interchangeably in the app. |
| **Trigger** | The event that starts a rule, such as *An item enters a status* or *A board is created*. Some triggers run on a schedule instead, such as due-date checks and digests. |
| **Condition** | An optional test the rule checks before it runs, such as the item's priority or the board's template. Conditions in a group must all match; separate OR groups let any group match. |
| **Action** | What the rule does: email the customer, notify the team, update the board, open a ticket, send a webhook and more. A rule can have up to ten actions, run in order. |
| **Scope** | Where a rule lives: the organization, a template, one board or a form. |
| **Inherited rule** | A template or organization rule as seen from a board. Boards can pause inherited rules with **Run on this board**. |
| **Run** | One firing of a rule. Runs appear in the **Run log** with a status such as *Done*, *Scheduled* or *Skipped*. |
| **Run once per item** | A timing option that stops a rule firing twice for the same item, board, customer or deal. |
| **Recipe** | A ready-made set of rules for a common workflow. Recipes are added switched off so you can review them first. |
| **Merge field** | A placeholder such as *{{customer_name}}* that is filled in when an email, notification or note is sent. |
| **Digest** | A scheduled email that lists overdue items for your team or reports a board's progress to the customer. |
| **Webhook** | A signed JSON message BlueHill posts to a URL you set up, so other tools can react to board events. |
| **Business hours profile** | A set of working hours from **Support settings → SLA** that rules can wait for. |

## Where to find Automations

- **Operations → Automations** opens the organization's Automations page, with tabs for rules, the run log, webhooks, recipes and defaults.
- A board's rules are under **⋮ → Automations** in the board header, or the **Automations** tab of the Edit Board panel.
- A template's rules are on **Operations → Board Templates → *template* → Automations**.
- A form's rules are on the **Workflow** tab of the form.
- The **Automated emails** switch for one customer is in the **Info** popover on the customer page.
- The BlueHill mobile app has **Automations** under **Settings**, and an **Automations** row on each board, template and form.

## Guides

1. [The Automations page at a glance](./automations-automations-page-overview). The five tabs, the rules list and how to read a rule row.
2. [Where rules live](./automations-where-rules-live). Organization, template, board and form rules, and how boards inherit and pause them.
3. [Create and manage a rule](./automations-create-a-rule). The rule editor from name to **Create automation**, plus editing, duplicating, pausing and deleting.
4. [Triggers](./automations-triggers). Every event that can start a rule, with its settings.
5. [Conditions](./automations-conditions). Narrow a rule with *and* rows and OR groups; every condition field.
6. [Actions](./automations-actions). Every action a rule can take and the settings each one asks for.
7. [Email the customer](./automations-email-the-customer). Write the email, insert merge fields, preview it, send a test, and see why an email is skipped.
8. [Timing, business hours and digests](./automations-timing-and-digests). Delays, business hours, weekdays, run-once, scheduled digests and the **Defaults** tab.
9. [Check the run log](./automations-run-log). Every run, its status, what each action did, and how to cancel or retry.
10. [Start from a recipe](./automations-recipes). Ready-made rule sets and how they map to your statuses and categories.
11. [Webhooks](./automations-webhooks). Endpoints, signing secrets, test events and deliveries.
12. [FAQ and troubleshooting](./automations-faq-and-troubleshooting). Why a rule did not fire, why an email was skipped, and other common questions.

## How these guides are written

- **Bold text** is a label you will see on screen, such as a button, a tab or a field.
- A path with arrows, such as **Operations → Automations**, means open the first item, then the next.
- *Italic text* is a value you might pick, such as a trigger or status name.
- Screenshots were taken in a demo workspace called Acme Inc. Your boards, customers, statuses and team members will differ.