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Automation & Workflow: A Basic Understanding of Triggers
Authored by:
on 4/24/2024 2:44:00 PM

Introduction

CharityEngine offers many tools to help automate processes set forth by organizations such as the trigger and transformation tools. Automation will help save time and energy, especially when the tasks need to be preformed on a schedule, such as exporting a weekly report, setting status or priority settings on contact record for donor cultivation and awareness, or creating opportunities (moves management) & activities. 



Prerequisites

  • Please create a query or report builder report to identify your target population. 
  • Within your query or report builder, please include the primary key for record identification (contact id, transaction id, etc.)
  • Transforming data can cause irreversible changes to your database. Make sure you back up your data first. 

Instructions - Trigger Tool

The trigger tool will allow users to schedule actions to be preformed when other actions have been performed. Some of our more popular triggers include, auto sustainer deactivation, assigning activities, assigning contacts to lists, and creating opportunities.

Step 1: To use the trigger tool navigate to the Automation & Workflow App > Workflow > Triggers > Type: use the drop-down to select the type of trigger you want to preform > NEXT

Step 2: Select the Data Source: <query or report builder> 

In this example, we will assign a region based upon a query. The wizard will guide us through appropriate selections for the selected trigger. Our contact will be identified with the field Contact.Id

Click NEXT once all required selections for your trigger job have been made.

Step 3: Next select your Settings including any customized name, start date (null = today), description, in this example as we are updating region, we can select to clear prior regions. Expand the EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS to add recipients who will be notified once a trigger job has been completed. Click NEXT to review. 

Step 4: Review your settings. As a reminder, transforming data can cause irreversible changes to your database. Make sure you back up your data first. Once ready, click PROCESS to initiate your trigger job. 

Step 5: Click OK on the "Are you sure?" pop-up

Step 6: From here, you can View Import Status, Setup Recurring Schedule (of this trigger job), or Create Another One


FAQs

 Below are resources for some of our most common uses for the trigger tool

Q. What query elements are needed to leverage the "Assign Soft Credit" trigger?
A. Create a query using the Donations database and Transactions table. The minimum requirement for the Soft Credit Trigger is Transaction ID and the soft credit contact id (i.e. Person Organization.Contact Id). If Payment Amount is used, the value in the query will override original transaction amount. If transaction date is used, the value in the query will override the original transaction date. If tax-deductible amount is used, the value in the query will override the original transaction date.

Q. How can I use the trigger tool to schedule a sustainer deactivation?
A. See more details under the How to Configure Your Billing and Auto Deactivation section within our Help Center article Sustainers: How to Create and Manage Recurring Donors

Q. Can I use the Trigger Tool to create an opt-in list for email, mail, and/or SMS communication lists?
A. Yes! See more details in our Help Center Article Trigger Tool – Creating an Opt-In List

Q. Can I use the Trigger Tool for attribution maintenance?
A. Absolutely. Learn more in our Help Center Article How to Clear Contacts from Groups, Tags, and Lists Using Trigger Tool

Q. Is there a trigger feature to automatically create opportunities?
A. See our Help Center Article How to Create an Opportunity Using the Trigger Tool

Q. Where can I learn more about the data transformation feature?
A. See our Help Center Article Automation & Workflow: Data Transformation

 



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