Automation node reference

This is the field-level reference for the Automation builder — every trigger, every step, and how data moves between them. For what Automations are for, how runs are billed, and worked examples, start with Automations overview.

Automations list tabs

The /automations list page has three tabs:

Tab	Shows
Automations	Every workflow in the workspace — connected app icons, name (with its trigger, and the bound assistant if the trigger has one), tags, run count, when it last fired, and status. Search, filter by tag, and activate/pause/delete from the row menu.
Runs	Every run across every automation — which automation, trigger, status, credits charged, when, and the error if it failed. The same list, scoped to one automation, also lives in that automation’s own Runs tab in the editor.
Connections	Saved, reusable credentials for CRMs, SMTP, and MCP servers. Each row shows a provider icon, a kind badge (API or MCP), and a status pill (ok / pending / error) — test or edit one without touching the automations that use it.

Triggers

Call-completed trigger connected to an action with an add-step button — In the Automation builder, On Call Completed starts this example; use the + on the connection to add another step.

Every trigger starts from a specific event. Assistant-bound triggers (On Call Completed, On Inbound Call, Inject input variables) require picking a specific assistant. Booking, conversation, and email triggers take an optional Assistant filter instead; conversation triggers can also be narrowed to one messaging connection or platform, and booking triggers to a single booking page. For conversation triggers, Platform and Channel or widget show only active, connected channels assigned to the selected assistant. Without an assistant filter, they show the workspace’s connected channels. Web chat widgets are available for Conversation started. Choosing a connection sets its platform automatically. Saved filters remain visible as unavailable if their connection is removed, disabled or reassigned; review them before saving. Leaving the connection filter empty also includes future matching connections. REST and MCP use the same assistant, platform and connection filters.

Trigger	Fires when
On Call Completed	A voice call ends and its post-call analysis is ready.
On Inbound Call	An inbound call starts ringing, before it’s answered or analyzed.
Inject input variables	A call from the selected assistant is starting — this replaces that assistant’s variable webhook for the duration this automation is Live. Pair it with Return variables.
Conversation started	A new messaging or web chat conversation opens, including widget previews.
Conversation ended	A messaging conversation closes or times out.
Message received	Every inbound message on a channel, not just the first one — optionally filter by platform.
Email received	An inbound email arrives on a workspace address.
Booking created / cancelled / rescheduled	A booking-page event happens.
Contact created	A new Audience contact is added. Choose which sources count — created manually (on by default), CSV/file import, API, CRM sync — so a bulk import can’t fire thousands of runs by accident.
Manual	Runs only when you click Run now, call the API, or ask Milian.
Schedule	Cron-based, on a timezone (coming soon — selectable today for drafts).

A generic or CRM webhook trigger gets its own inbound URL and secret, shown directly in the trigger’s settings once the automation is saved. HighLevel and connected apps deliver events through a shared, pre-authenticated endpoint instead — set up once for the workspace, not per automation:

Trigger	Fires when
Incoming Webhook	Something POSTs JSON to this automation’s inbound URL, with the automation’s secret in an `X-Automation-Secret` header.
Airtable / HubSpot / Salesforce / Close.io / Pipedrive / Zoho CRM / Attio / Keap / Twenty CRM webhook	The connected CRM POSTs an event to this trigger’s own inbound URL — same mechanics as Incoming Webhook, just filed under that provider in the catalog.
HighLevel webhook	HighLevel sends a signed CRM or appointment event from its Marketplace app. One Marketplace webhook URL is reused across every HighLevel automation; you scope each automation by picking a HighLevel connection and one HighLevel event.
App event	A connected app delivers a signed event — a new commit, an inbox message, and so on. Pick the app and event from the catalog.

Steps

Logic & flow control

These don’t talk to anything outside the automation — they shape which path a run takes, or pause it.

Add Node chooser showing Famulor logic actions — In the Builder, open Add Node → Famulor to choose a logic action such as Condition, Loop on Items, Filter, or Set variable.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Condition	Branches true or false on a value from the payload.	Payload path, operator (equals / not equals / contains / exists), value	`data.analysis.success` equals `true` → branch to a follow-up text
Filter	Continues only if the condition matches; otherwise the run ends here, successfully — not as a failure.	Same as Condition	Only continue when `data.status` equals `open`
Switch	Matches a value against a list of cases — more than two outcomes.	Payload path, cases (JSON), default	Route `data.pipeline_stage` to a different step per stage
Random Outcome	Picks a random branch from a list — handy for A/B testing a message.	Outcomes (comma-separated)	Split traffic between `variant_a` and `variant_b`
Loop on Items	Repeats the connected steps once per item in a list. Wire the steps that should repeat off its Loop handle, and whatever runs after the loop off Done.	Items — a path to an array, e.g. `{{steps.step1.records}}`	Loop over `{{steps.list_records.records}}` and text each one
Delay For	Pauses the run for a fixed number of seconds.	Seconds	Wait 300 seconds before following up
Delay Until	Pauses until an absolute date and time.	Until (ISO datetime)	Wait until the day before a booking
Set variable	Writes a value into the run so later steps can reference it.	Path, value	Store `{{last.text}}` at `vars.summary`
Run Code	Runs a small restricted JavaScript snippet and returns its value — no imports, no file or process access.	Code (must `return` a value)	Uppercase a phone number before sending it onward
Note	Writes a message into the run log; changes nothing.	Message	Log `Call from {{data.from_number}}` for later debugging

Loop on Items processes at most 100 items per loop, and loops can nest up to 5 levels deep.

Ending a run

A run also ends cleanly whenever a step has no outgoing connection. These three end it explicitly, and two of them hand back a specific answer.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Stop	Ends the run successfully, right here.	Reason (optional, logged)	Bail out early once a case is already handled
Return variables	Hands variables back to the call at start time — pairs with the Inject input variables trigger. Ends the run.	Variables (key/value map)	Return `customer_name` and `tier` before the call begins
Respond to webhook	Answers the caller of an Incoming Webhook trigger with a status and body — the only way that caller gets a real response instead of a generic acknowledgement. Ends the run.	Mode (JSON object / raw text / forward last step), status code, body	Return `{ "ok": true, "id": "{{last.id}}" }`

When an assistant calls this automation mid-conversation, every path must end at Respond to webhook, with no Delay or Loop step first.

Time

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Get Current Date and Time	Reads the current time in a timezone.	Timezone	Stamp a note with the local call time
Convert Timezone	Converts an instant into another timezone’s display.	Datetime, target timezone	Show a UTC booking time in the customer’s zone
Convert Date and Time Format	Formats a datetime as date-only, time-only, or ISO.	Datetime, timezone, format	Format a booking time for a text message

AI

Grouped under Milian AI in the catalog. These actions use workspace credits based on token usage at your workspace’s rates. The charged amount appears on the run and in the step’s Test panel.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Custom Prompt	Runs a free-form prompt against a transcript, message, or any prior step’s output, and returns text.	Prompt, optional system prompt	Summarize `{{data.transcript}}` into two sentences
Extract Fields	Pulls named, typed fields out of a block of text. Each field is a row in the panel: name, type (text / email / number / boolean / enum), and whether it’s required.	Input data, fields	Extract `email` and `budget` from a chat transcript

Milian AI

Add a step in Automations → Milian AI to classify text, check a condition, score content, detect multiple labels or build a custom analysis. Custom Prompt and Extract Fields remain available.

Classify Text action configuration with example categories — Classify Text → Configure: choose Input Data, an Answer key, the Question, and the Categories. The shown values are editable examples.

Five new actions. Turn transcripts, messages and previous step outputs into categories, yes/no decisions, scores or labels.
Three editable templates. Start Custom Analysis with Analyze a call, Qualify a lead or Prioritize a message, then adjust the questions.
Clear uncertainty. Insufficient evidence produces an uncertain answer instead of a guessed value. Use the result status in a Condition before continuing.
Your workspace, your workflow. Preview inputs without spending credits, run a live test with workspace credits, and reuse the same configuration through REST or MCP.

Actual analysis uses workspace credits. Scores use your scoring levels and are displayed on a 0–100 scale. Choose Custom Analysis to mix question types or apply one of the three templates. Give each answer a unique key. Categories need 2–32 options with descriptions; scores need 2–10 ordered levels. An analysis can include up to 32 questions. Provide text up to 32 KB; split longer inputs deliberately rather than dropping part of a transcript. Use Minimum probability for category and yes/no decisions, and Minimum confidence for categories and scores. Every question also checks whether the input provides enough information. These thresholds are configurable controls, not guarantees of correctness. Each answer has a value and a status. An uncertain answer returns null; a supported negative answer returns false. In Detect Labels, the label list contains only accepted matches; check individual results for uncertain labels. A technical failure stops the step instead of becoming a negative answer. Multiple independent questions share one evaluation request. Use the variable picker to reference answers in subsequent steps. Check the status first, then compare the value with a Condition. A Milian AI evaluation step does not itself create extra routing branches. Summaries, translations and open-ended extraction continue to use Custom Prompt or Extract Fields.

Messaging

Send on an already-open conversation, or start a fresh WhatsApp conversation with an approved template.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Send Channel Message	Replies with text on an open conversation, on whichever platform it’s on.	Channel connection, conversation	Reply on whichever channel the trigger fired from
WhatsApp Send Message · Send Telegram · Send X (Twitter) · Send Teams Message · Send Slack Message · Send Discord Message · Send Messenger Message · Send Google Chat Message	Same as Send Channel Message, pinned to one platform. Slack and Discord can also post straight to a channel instead of replying to a conversation.	Channel connection, conversation (or channel, for Slack/Discord)	Post an alert to a Slack channel when a call needs a human
Send WhatsApp Template	Sends an approved WhatsApp business template to a phone number — the only send here that can open a brand-new conversation outside the 24-hour window.	WhatsApp sender, template, recipient, variable mapping	Text a booking-confirmation template right after Booking created
Send SMS	Sends a text from a workspace number that has SMS enabled.	From number, to, message	Text a missed-call follow-up to `{{data.from_number}}`
Send Email	Sends from the platform mail server or a verified assistant address.	Sender, to, subject, email format, body	Email the transcript to a support inbox
Send Email (SMTP)	Sends through your own saved SMTP relay instead of the platform mail server.	SMTP connection, to, subject, email format, body	Send a receipt through your company’s own mail server

Email format on both email steps decides how the body is sent:

Format	What the recipient gets
Auto (recommended)	HTML bodies go out as HTML. Any other body goes out as formatted text that keeps every line break, blank line, `-` list and link. Email steps created before this option use Auto.
Text	A plain-text email, exactly as written.
HTML	The body is HTML. A plain-text version is added for email apps that don’t show HTML.
Both	Formatted text plus plain text — the recipient’s email app picks the version it shows.

For mail apps such as Gmail or Outlook, Execute app tool offers the same Email format choice (Text or HTML). When an Extract Fields text field fills an email body, it puts each detail on its own line (Label: value), so the email keeps the same layout from call to call.

Contacts, calls & compliance

Suppression actions are idempotent — re-adding or re-removing the same identity never fails a run.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Create or Update Contact	Upserts an Audience lead by phone and/or email.	Phone, email, name, attributes	Save a caller as a lead right after the call ends
Get Contact by Phone Number	Looks up a lead by phone.	Phone	Check whether `{{data.from_number}}` is already a known lead
Get All Contacts	Lists recent leads (max 100).	Limit	Pull the newest leads for a digest email
Add Tags to Contact	Appends tags to a lead.	Contact ID, tags	Tag a lead `hot` after a qualifying call
Add Attributes to Contact	Merges custom attribute values onto a lead.	Contact ID, attributes	Save a deal size onto the matched lead
Add to blocklist	Suppresses a phone or email so campaigns and outbound messages skip it.	Phone, email, channel (optional — auto-selects voice or email), reason	Suppress a number the moment someone says “stop”
Remove from blocklist	Restores a previously suppressed phone or email.	Phone, email	Un-suppress after a fresh opt-in
Call Phone Number	Starts an outbound call with a chosen assistant.	Assistant, to (E.164), optional Variables	Call a lead back automatically after a missed inbound call

Call Phone Number also accepts optional Variables as a flat JSON object, for example { "auftrag": "{{data.task}}" }. Values may be text (up to 2000 characters), numbers or booleans. You can also use an entire mapping from a previous step, such as {{data.inputs}}. These are inputs for this call and do not edit the assistant or contact. Invalid or oversized resolved values fail the step before dialing. Check the resulting call’s expected inputs and actual outcome separately; creating a call is not proof that the task succeeded.

Knowledge

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Add Knowledge Source	Adds a text document to a knowledge base.	Knowledge base, title, content	Publish a fetched policy update straight into the KB
Get Knowledge Source	Loads a document’s metadata.	Knowledge base, document	Check whether a source already exists before adding it
Delete Knowledge Source	Removes a document.	Knowledge base, document	Retire an outdated FAQ document nightly

HTTP & webhooks

Neither of these needs a saved connection — paste a URL and go.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
HTTP Request	Calls any HTTPS endpoint with the trigger payload or a custom JSON body.	URL, method, headers, body	POST the call summary to an internal ops endpoint
Slack (Webhook)	Posts to a Slack channel via an Incoming Webhook URL.	Webhook URL, message	Drop a one-line alert in an ops channel when a run fails
Discord (Webhook)	Posts to a Discord channel via a webhook URL.	Webhook URL, message	Post a heads-up for every new booking
Microsoft Teams (Webhook)	Posts text to a Teams Incoming Webhook.	Webhook URL, title, message	Notify a Teams channel when a high-value lead comes in

HTTP Request actions retry temporary HTTP and connection failures up to twice within the configured timeout, using the same Idempotency-Key. Temporary failures are HTTP 408, 425, 429, 5xx and network errors. Permanent errors stop immediately. The timeout covers the whole action; retries stop when that budget is exhausted. The receiver must honor Idempotency-Key to prevent duplicate effects after a lost response.

External connections

CRM, MCP, and connected-app steps all read or write an external system through a saved credential — add one under Automations → Connections before using any of them. Each shows up in the catalog as Provider · Action (for example Airtable · Create record). CRM providers. See CRM sync for the recurring-sync setup and the HighLevel authorize flow — these action nodes write one record at a time, independent of any sync schedule.

Provider	What you can do
Airtable	List, find, search, find-or-create, get, create (single or up to 10 at once), update, and delete records — base/table/field/view pickers load from your schema automatically.
HubSpot	Get, create, update, and search contacts; create a deal; create a note.
Salesforce	Run a SOQL query, or get, create, and update any object record.
Close.io	Create or update a lead, create a contact, create an opportunity, create a note, and search.
HighLevel	List/get/create/update contacts, create an opportunity, create a note, plus calendar reads and appointment writes — list calendars, get free slots, create, update/reschedule, and cancel.
Pipedrive	List/search/get/create/update persons, create a deal, add a note.
Zoho CRM	List, search, get, create, and update records in any module.
Attio	List/filter, get, create, and update people, companies, or custom-object records.
Keap	List/search/get/create/update contacts, create an opportunity, create a note.
Twenty CRM	List/filter, get, create, and update records — hosted or self-hosted.

Example: after On Call Completed, use a HubSpot update to log {{data.analysis.success}} on the matched contact, or branch on it first with Condition. Vendor & generic MCP. Instead of fixed fields, these hand a prompt and the run’s context to an agent that picks the right tool and arguments itself — useful when the exact call varies run to run. Both bill workspace AI credits for the agent’s reasoning.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Supabase / Neon / Brevo / Atlassian / Shopify · Call MCP tool	Calls that provider’s own official MCP server through a saved connection.	Connection, allowed tools (optional whitelist), agent prompt	”List overdue Jira tickets and note the oldest one”
MCP · Call tool	Same agent-picks-the-tool pattern, for any MCP server saved as a connection.	Connection, allowed tools, agent prompt	”Add `{{last.email}}` to the CRM as a new contact”

Connected apps. Beyond the platforms above, the catalog also carries every app your workspace has connected over OAuth. Connect one under Connections → App marketplace, then pick it as a trigger or action like any built-in platform. See App Catalog for the full list and how connecting works. Apps with many actions load more as you scroll; type in Search actions… above the list to find any action by name or keyword, such as send message.

Step	What it does	Key fields	Example
Execute app tool	Runs one tool from a connected app; its fields load from the tool’s own schema.	App connection, tool	Create a row in a connected spreadsheet
App event (trigger)	Fires when a connected app delivers a signed event.	Picked from the catalog	Start a run on a new inbox message

How data flows between steps

Every field marked with a ⚡ accepts {{ }} templates pulled from the run’s current data.

Pattern	Resolves to
`{{data.from_number}}`	A field from the trigger’s payload
`{{steps.<nodeId>.<field>}}`	An output field from a specific earlier step
`{{last.<field>}}`	An output field from the step immediately before this one
`{{item}}` / `{{index}}`	The current item / position inside a Loop on Items body

Extract Fields returns its values twice — nested under fields ({{steps.step1.fields.email}}) and flattened onto the step itself ({{steps.step1.email}}) — use whichever reads more clearly.
Set variable writes into the run itself rather than a step’s own output — reference the path you chose the same way afterward, e.g. {{vars.summary}}.
Condition, Switch, and Loop on Items also decide which connected path runs next — drag separate connections out of their true/false, per-case, or Loop/Done handles.

Use Insert Variable to browse what’s available instead of typing paths by hand. For longer text, click the expand icon on any field to open the large editor: earlier steps’ fields on the left (click or drag them in), the expression in the middle, and the result with your test data on the right — for email bodies including a preview of the email exactly as it will be sent. Each step’s Test panel has two levels: Connect Test only checks your fields are valid; Run test executes the step for real and fills Insert Variable with live outputs for every later step.

Run test is a real execution, not a simulation — on connected apps, email, SMS, HTTP, and CRM steps it can create or change real data.

Classify Text Test panel requesting sample trigger data — Classify Text → Test prompts you to load sample data on the trigger first. Review the input before running an action; a live test uses workspace credits.

Statuses

Status	Meaning
Draft	Not live — triggers never start a run. Safe to keep editing.
Live	Active — matching trigger events start real runs.
Paused	Temporarily off. Switch it back to Live to resume.
Archived	Retired. Reactivate it the same way as Paused if you need it again.

An automation that fails five runs in a row is paused automatically, so a broken graph can’t keep firing. Check the Runs tab for the error, fix it, then switch it back to Live.

How an automation moves between these statuses:

Building automations with Milian

Open an automation and ask Milian, the AI copilot, to build or change it in plain language — add a trigger and steps, wire a condition’s true/false branches, rename or retag it, switch it Live, or debug a failed run, the same things you’d do by hand. Try “add an email step after the trigger,” “add a condition branch and wire true/false,” or “debug the last failed run.” Milian applying a change directly shows Milian saved changes; updating the canvas without saving shows Milian updated the canvas — click Save to persist, and the change stays a draft until you click Save.

Next steps

Automations overview

Concepts, billing, and worked example automations

App Catalog

Browse and connect apps for triggers and actions

CRM sync

Keep Audience and a connected CRM aligned on a schedule

​Automations list tabs

​Triggers

​Steps

​Logic & flow control

​Ending a run

​Time

​AI

​Milian AI

​Messaging

​Contacts, calls & compliance

​Knowledge

​HTTP & webhooks

​External connections

​How data flows between steps

​Statuses

​Building automations with Milian

​Next steps

Automations overview

App Catalog

CRM sync

Automations list tabs

Triggers

Steps

Logic & flow control

Ending a run

Time

AI

Milian AI

Messaging

Contacts, calls & compliance

Knowledge

HTTP & webhooks

External connections

How data flows between steps

Statuses

Building automations with Milian

Next steps