A key feature of the product is its bots. Once installed, they automate workflows to reclaim working hours on mundane tasks while streamlining operations. Bots are software robots that perform actions based on recipient actions, internal triggers, or external third-party service triggers. This article familiarizes you with the main terms you’ll need to know when getting started with automation.
Bot execution condition — simple “if-this-then-that” rule that defines when a bot, step, branch, jump, or autostart will run. Conditions are set based on document field information, recipient data, step settings, tags, revisions, and dates. For example, you set a condition for a bot to send an email notification only when a particular field in a document is filled out with a specific value. This would ensure that the notification is only sent when it is relevant and necessary. By setting up execution conditions, users can ensure that their bots are performing the appropriate actions at the right times and with the right data.
Learn more about Bot conditions usage in this article.
Bot action — a successfully completed task that a bot performs when triggered. Examples include sending an email notification or creating a new record in a database. Learn more about bot action usage in this article.
Bot trigger — an event or set of events that cause a bot to start performing a specific action or set of actions. Triggers are based on various criteria, such as the creation or modification of a document, the submission of a form, or the receipt of an email.
Triggers differ from bot conditions in their respective roles within the automation process. Triggers initiate the start of a bot's work, whereas conditions are used to evaluate specific criteria or rules during the bot's execution. Conditions determine whether the intended action should be performed based on the evaluation results. Each bot typically has its own set of available triggers, which are predetermined by the platform and cannot be customized.
Connection settings — connect the bot to the integration system the data will be pre-filled or imported from/to.
Starting record — the specific record that is used as a reference or starting point for a bot's actions within an integrated service.
The available options inside a starting record may vary depending on the specific integration. These options typically include criteria or filters that define how the starting record is identified or matched within the integrated service. Some common options might include matching by specific fields or using unique identifiers to determine the starting record.
For example, you could set up a bot to update a specific record in a database whenever a certain field in that record is changed. In this case, the starting record would be the specific record in the database that you have chosen to trigger the bot's workflow. For more information on the configuration of a starting record, refer to the article on the bot you intend to use.
Select base object and Select related Objects - refer to the configuration options available when integrating with a specific platform or system, such as Salesforce. These options allow you to define the primary object and any related objects that you want to interact with during the integration process:
Select base object - the main entity or primary record type that forms the foundation of an integration. It represents the central focus of the integration and determines the starting point for data retrieval or synchronization. When setting up an integration Bot, you are typically required to select the base object to specify which type of records or data you want to work with. For example, in Salesforce, the base object could be an Account, Contact, Opportunity, or any other standard or custom object available in the system.
Select related objects - secondary entities or record types that are connected or associated with the base object through predefined relationships. These relationships define how data is linked between different objects in a system. By selecting related objects in the integration bot configuration, you are indicating that you want to access or interact with data from these connected entities. This allows you to retrieve, update, or synchronize data across multiple objects. The specific related objects available for selection depend on the integration platform and the supported relationships between objects.
Pre-fill document fields with (Mapping) establishes connections for moving data from various sources, such as spreadsheets or other systems, into specific fields within documents. For example, mapping defines how information is transferred between the platform and any other system, or between two documents within a workflow when their fields are linked.Export bots perform the reverse process, transferring data from documents back into documents or external systems.
Best practice: Make sure to map to no more than 50 fields to speed up the process of the bot execution.
Lookup (Match) — the process of searching for specific data in an integrated service or application, based on a set of criteria. This is often used in the context of pre-fill bots, which use lookup functionality to find and retrieve specific data from an integrated service.
For example, a pre-fill bot could be set up to look up a customer's contact information in an integrated system based on their email address. The bot would search in the system for a record that matches the email address. It would then retrieve the relevant contact information (such as name, phone number, and address) and populate it into the appropriate fields in a document.
Data transfer method - transfer data to or from documents using the Single line or Table data transfer method depending on your specific requirements.
Single line allows you to fill single fields in a document from single fields in selected records. It is useful when you need to transfer data from one field to another in a document. For example, you can pre-fill an employee's name in a document based on their email address.
Table data transfer allows you to fill table rows in a document using fields from multiple selected records. It is designed for scenarios where you need to pre-fill an array of data, such as a list of employees, into a table format within the document. Each row in the table represents a record and the fields in the selected records populate the corresponding columns in the table.
Advanced settings
Configure some advanced settings to further tweak a bot’s actions.
Select:
How often will the bot run when the conditions are met?
By default, many bots act only once right after the trigger event occurs and the execution conditions are met. This means that the bot will execute its actions once and not repeat them unless triggered again.
However, in some cases, you may have the option to configure the bot to perform an action after each revision. This means that if subsequent revisions or changes are made to the document or the conditions are met again, the bot will execute its actions each time.
What should happen to a revision if the bot fails?
Sometimes a bot fails because the setup of a particular bot isn’t relevant or due to some other reasons. Depending on how important the bot is to the document, decide what to do with the revision: Proceed with revision or Block revision.
Which tag should appear next to the documents once the bot acts?
Most bots assign a default tag that allows you to track the progress of a specific document, though you can also add custom tags to easily find a document among all other documents and visualize the automations for a specific document.
You can enter custom tags manually or use data from the + Data variable by selecting the document's field, time and date, recipient, template, document, or decline reason.
As a result, a tag will be visible in the document once the bot actions have been completed.
Note: The availability of the Advanced settings may vary depending on the specific bot or tool that you are using.