> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.contactship.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inbox automations

> Build event-driven rules, inspect execution history, and retry failed steps.

export const Availability = ({lang = 'es', plan, addon, permission, route, status}) => {
  const L = lang === 'en' ? {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permission',
    route: 'Where',
    status: 'Status',
    addonNote: 'enabled on request',
    allPlans: 'All plans',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'New',
    soon: 'Coming soon'
  } : {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permiso',
    route: 'Dónde',
    status: 'Estado',
    addonNote: 'se activa a pedido',
    allPlans: 'Todos los planes',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'Nuevo',
    soon: 'Próximamente'
  };
  const items = [];
  if (plan) items.push([L.plan, plan]);
  if (addon) items.push([L.addon, `${addon} · ${L.addonNote}`]);
  if (permission) items.push([L.permission, permission]);
  if (route) items.push([L.route, route]);
  if (status) items.push([L.status, L[status] || status]);
  return <div style={{
    display: 'flex',
    flexWrap: 'wrap',
    gap: '6px 22px',
    padding: '12px 16px',
    margin: '4px 0 24px',
    border: '1px solid rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.28)',
    borderLeft: '3px solid #0252ff',
    borderRadius: '8px',
    background: 'rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.05)',
    fontSize: '13.5px',
    lineHeight: '1.5'
  }}>
      {items.map(([k, v]) => <div key={k} style={{
    display: 'flex',
    gap: '6px',
    alignItems: 'baseline'
  }}>
          <span style={{
    fontSize: '10.5px',
    fontWeight: 600,
    letterSpacing: '0.07em',
    textTransform: 'uppercase',
    opacity: 0.65
  }}>{k}</span>
          <span style={{
    fontWeight: 500
  }}>{v}</span>
        </div>)}
    </div>;
};

<Availability lang="en" route="Settings → Inbox → Automation Rules" addon="Automation Rules" />

Automation Rules is an organization add-on. A rule combines **WHEN** (trigger), optional **IF** conditions, and ordered **THEN** actions. Enable it only when its actions are ready to run on real events.

## Create a rule

Choose **New Rule**, select a preset or start from scratch, name it, and select a trigger and channel scope. Add conditions and at least one action, inspect **Rule Preview**, and save with **Create Rule** or **Save Changes**. Use **Active/Inactive** to control execution.

Triggers include `thread.closed`, `thread.opened`, `thread.updated`, `message.new`, `contact.created`, `call.finished`, `call.started`, and `schedule`. The schedule option has no frequency editor yet. Channel choices beyond WhatsApp do not imply those channels can currently be connected.

Conditions include message count, spam status, contact tags, thread duration, and channel. Multiple conditions use AND. The current editor does not preserve the selected operator on save/reopen: it returns to **is**. Do not rely on an alternative operator without verifying the saved rule and actual execution.

## Actions

| Group         | Actions and configuration                                                                                                                                |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Freshdesk     | Sync contact, create ticket, add conversation note. Ticket settings include priority/status, custom fields, assignment, history, and duplicate handling. |
| AI            | Analyze the conversation into text, number, boolean, or enum fields.                                                                                     |
| Conversation  | Send a message in the current thread and channel.                                                                                                        |
| Organize      | Add conversation/contact tags; add, move, or remove a contact’s board card.                                                                              |
| People        | Assign conversation or contact to a specific user, round robin, or least busy.                                                                           |
| Calls         | Outbound AI call with agent, phone number, delay, and optional context.                                                                                  |
| Flow          | Wait, capped at five minutes even though the unit picker includes hours.                                                                                 |
| Developer     | Webhook with POST, PUT, or PATCH; optional headers and JSON body template.                                                                               |
| Google Sheets | Add a row or update a matched row using column mappings.                                                                                                 |

Freshdesk and Sheets require connected integrations. Actions run top to bottom. **Continue if this action fails** allows later steps to run after a failure; consider whether those steps depend on missing output.

Template values include `{{thread.id}}`, `{{contact.full_name}}`, `{{contact.phone_number}}`, `{{contact.email}}`, `{{system.now}}`, and `{{system.rule_id}}`. AI outputs such as `{{ai.summary}}` exist only after an analysis step in the same rule. Freshdesk note steps can use the created ticket’s ID and URL.

The three new-rule presets are Basic Freshdesk Ticket, WhatsApp High Priority, and AI-Powered Ticket. The separate **Templates** tab is disabled.

## Inspect and replay

**Run History** lists executions with success, partial success, failed, crashed, running, or skipped status. Open a run for its trigger payload, each step’s output, duration, and error. **Metrics** summarizes the last seven days.

**Replay** can repeat all steps or only failed/skipped steps. It can send messages, place calls, or create records again. Inspect completed effects first and use duplicate handling where supported. Replay is not an undo action.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does connecting Freshdesk create tickets automatically?">
    No. Configure and activate a rule with the relevant actions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is an AI variable empty?">
    An earlier analysis step must produce it in the same execution. Check the output and step order.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I schedule an hourly rule here?">
    The schedule trigger appears, but this editor has no frequency configuration yet.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is replay safe from duplicates?">
    Do not assume so. Review the actions and external results before replaying; the dialog flags actions that can repeat effects.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## See also

* [Freshdesk](/en/integrations/freshdesk)
* [Google Sheets](/en/integrations/google-sheets)
* [Quick replies and tags](/en/messages/quick-replies-and-tags)