Available on all subscriptions.
Feature overview
What
Create automations in Teamwork.com to automatically perform actions when task events (triggers) occur.
Why
  • Save time by automating steps in your workflow. You don't need to update key details as tasks progress. Teamwork.com can do that for you!
  • Ensure that people are notified of key events (and that they're notified in a timely manner). No more playing messenger!
Who
  • Site admins and standard users in the owner company
When
Any time there's repeatable work that a trigger or action exists for. Examples:
  • Have tasks automatically complete when moved to a "Done" column.
  • Set high priority on tasks created via form submissions.
  • Send notifications when key task details change.
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What is an automation?

An automation in Teamwork.com automatically performs actions when a trigger event occurs. You can refine when it runs using conditions and define what happens using actions.
 



Before you start

The successful execution of an automation depends on the creator's permissions on the automation's associated projects. For example, time-based automations require the creator to have permission to view estimated time and view time log on the selected projects in order to run successfully.

Usage limits

Each automation has to have a trigger and (at least one) action. Then each time a trigger event occurs, the automation runs. The number of times automations can run (aka be performed) depends on your subscription type.

Teamwork.com plan
Automation runs per month
Actions per automation
Free Forever (& legacy)
100
1 action per automation
Starter
1,000
1 action per automation
Deliver (& Pro)
5,000
Multiple actions per automation
Grow (& Premium)
20,000
Multiple actions per automation
Scale (& Enterprise)
100,000
Multiple actions per automation
View your usage from the Usage tab of the automations builder.

How do automations work?

Automations follow a simple structure: a trigger starts the automation, optional conditions refine when it runs, and one or more actions are performed.
Automation flow: Trigger event → Conditions (optional) → Actions (with target selection)
When a trigger event happens and any conditions are true, the selected actions run on the chosen target.


What you can automate

Use automations to reduce manual work and keep projects moving without constant updates.
  • Keep task details up to date automatically as work progresses.
  • Ensure the right people are notified when important changes happen.
  • Move tasks through your workflow as they reach key stages.
  • Create follow-up work such as tasks, subtasks, or template-based tasks.
  • Connect project work with customer support by updating or creating Desk tickets.

These examples show how those outcomes are achieved using triggers, conditions, and actions.

Examples

Scenario
How it works
Notify assignees when a task starts
When a task start date arrives
And the task priority is medium
Then notify task assignees
Move completed work through your workflow
When a task is completed
Then move the task to the "Done" column
Escalate tasks before deadlines
When a due date arrives
And progress is 90% and priority is high
Then move the task to "Review" and notify the Marketing team
Keep support teams aligned with project work
When a task is updated
And the task is linked to a Desk ticket
Then add a note or send a reply to the linked Desk ticket

Ready to set this up? Follow the steps below to create your first automation.


Create an automation in Teamwork.com

Step 1: Access automations

  1. Open a project.
  2. Select Automate in the project's main navigation menu.
  3. Click Custom automation in the automations builder. Alternatively, you can choose a pre-defined template.
     Automations builder showing the Custom automation option

Step 2: Set the automation trigger

  1. In the When section, select a trigger event from the Trigger dropdown. This is the event that'll prompt the corresponding action(s) to occur. In this example, we're using "Task added."
    Trigger dropdown showing Task added as the selected trigger
  2. Use the corresponding property fields to refine the trigger criteria. Options vary depending on the trigger you select. Here, we're using task added via forms.
  3. Choose which project or projects the trigger should pay attention to.
    Only trigger events in these projects will activate the automation. By default, only the current project is selected.

Step 3: Set conditions

  1. Click Add condition below the When section to refine your trigger with additional criteria.
    This is optional. Skip this step if the main trigger is sufficient.

Step 4: Set actions

  1. Navigate to the Then section.
  2. Select an action from the Action dropdown. This is the action that'll happen when the associated trigger event occurs. In this example, we're choosing to notify people (when tasks are added via forms).
  3. Use the corresponding property fields to refine the action. Options vary depending on the action you select. For our notify example, we can choose the recipient(s) and set a message title and content.
  4. For task-based actions, use the Target dropdown to choose which task the action should apply to (trigger task, parent task, subtasks, or a task created earlier in the automation).
Use static text and dynamic text fields to customize content such as comments, messages, task names, and task descriptions.

Step 5: Finalize the automation

  1. Toggle the Active switch on.
  2. (Optional) Set a custom description for the automation.
  3. Click Create to save the automation.

The automation is created and listed in the Manage Automations tab of the automations builder where you can edit, delete, or manage the automation's active status.

Limitations and considerations

Some conditions and actions have additional requirements depending on the trigger, project selection, or users selected. Examples:
  • Only one project can be selected when using the task list condition.
  • Conditions cannot be set when using the comment added trigger.
  • 'Comment added' condition will not trigger if Teamwork Bot creates the comment.
  • Notify and assignee actions only run successfully if the selected users are members of the associated projects.
  • The change tags action only displays project-specific tags when a single project is set for the trigger.
  • Previous task is only available as a target task action when an earlier action in the same automation creates or copies a task.
  • Automations based on task dates or estimated/logged time run on the automation creator's time zone. Example: An automation is set to notify task assignees when the task's due date arrives (at 9AM). The creator's timezone is New York City (EST), therefore assignees are notified at 9AM EST on the due date.
  • For time-based automations to run successfully, the creator must have the following permissions on the associated projects: view estimated time, view time log.


Use Desk actions when tasks are linked to customer support tickets and you want to automate replies, internal updates, or ticket creation.
These actions are available when working with tasks linked to Desk tickets.
  • Send a reply to linked Desk tickets when project work reaches a specific stage.
  • Add an internal note to linked Desk tickets so support teams can see project updates.
  • Create a new Desk ticket from a task and keep the two records linked.
Desk-related actions are configured in the Then section alongside other automation actions. They only run when the automation has the Desk context needed for the selected action.
Desk action
What it does
Send a reply to linked Desk tickets
Sends a reply to any linked Teamwork Desk tickets.
Add a note to linked Desk tickets
Adds an internal note to any linked Teamwork Desk tickets.
Create Desk ticket
Create a new Desk ticket and link the task it's created from.

Duplicate an automation

Don't want to start from scratch? Create an automation by duplicating an existing one with similar criteria.

  1. Open a project and click Automate in the project's main navigation menu.
  2. Switch to the Manage tab in the automations builder.
  3. Scroll to the relevant automation and click the three dots on the right-hand side.
  4. Select Duplicate from the dropdown. 
    Automation options menu showing the Duplicate action
  5. Adjust any of the automation's existing trigger or action criteria. These are populated automatically with the original automation's settings.
  6. Click Create to save the new automation.

Best practices

  • Efficiency: Save yourself manual work (and guarantee something gets done) by creating automations to run on multiple projects.
    Also using forms? You can create automations to update tasks created via form submissions.
  • Prioritization: Leverage priority and due date triggers in automations to keep track of time-sensitive work.
  • Time management: Use logged vs. estimated time triggers to monitor resources.
 

Advanced automation tips

  • Automate in templates: Set up automations directly in project templates so that they're populated by default in each project created from the template. Automate your workflows once and reap the benefits many times over.
  • Automate in forms: Set up automations to take key actions when tasks are created via form submissions. Ex. Update the task's details, log time, notify users.
  • Integrate: Take your automated workflows even further by creating automations between Teamwork.com and supported integrations (subscription dependent):