Automation
Runs another automation from inside this one, through that automation's On Demand trigger. Reach for it to factor shared work into one automation that several others call, rather than copying the same run of steps into each.
Fields
The action carries one operation, Trigger, with these fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Target Automation | The automation to run. |
| Target Trigger | Which of the target's on-demand triggers to start. |
| Input Payload | The input to start the run with. When the chosen trigger defines a Content Type payload, this is that content type's form. When it defines a Custom Shape payload, choose Variable to pass an object built by an earlier step, or Object to build one here field by field; see Building a custom payload. |
| Wait For Completion | When on, this step waits for the target to finish. When off—the default—it starts the target and continues immediately. |
Building a custom payload
Each field of an Object has a name and a value, and each value is one of these:
- Variable—a value from an earlier step, passed as it is. An object or a list stays one, and text holding JSON is read as JSON where the target's shape expects an object or a list.
- Text—typed text, with variables placed inside it. Where the target's shape expects a number or true/false, type it as text, such as
42ortrue. - Object—a nested object, built the same way.
- List—a list of values, each built the same way.
Leaving the payload empty sends an empty object. A payload that does not match the target's shape fails the step when it runs, with a message naming what is wrong.
What later steps see
- Fire and forget, with the wait off: a receipt identifying the run that was started.
- Wait for completion, with the wait on: a completion snapshot carrying the target's outcome, timing, and any error summary. A failed outcome fails this step, so it can follow the node's error path.
When the target is off
The target has to be on for this step to start it, with one exception: when you run this automation yourself as a dry run—a draft or a revision, or Run as Dry Run on a published one—a target that is off rehearses as part of that run, so you can build and test the two together without turning the target on. A dry-run caller always runs its target as a dry run. A run this automation's own trigger started, or a live run, fails the step with a message saying the target is turned off.
Gotchas
The target automation and the trigger inside it are stored as a pair. Deleting the target clears both, and the step then fails at run time saying what is missing rather than blocking the save—which is what lets an imported automation whose target does not exist here still be saved and repaired.