By using relative date fields in your automation rules, you can create dynamic, time-sensitive conditions and actions within your automations, ensuring that tasks are handled exactly when needed.
You can use relative fields in combination with any date-related conditions or actions.
Relative date fields allow you to:
Set conditions and actions based on dynamic timeframes.
Automate processes that depend on specific dates or periods.
Increase the accuracy and relevance of your automation.
Automation Steps Recap
In an automation setup, there are three main steps:
When
This step defines the trigger event for the automation. It could be related to tasks, budgets, deals, or invoices.
Check if
This optional step adds an additional layer of precision, ensuring the automation executes only under specific conditions.
Then
This final step defines the action to be taken once the conditions are met, achieving the desired outcome.
Using Relative Date Fields in "Check if" Steps
In the "Check if" step, relative date fields can be used to refine your conditions based on dynamic date criteria. Here are the key options available:
Offset Dates: Set conditions that depend on a date field being a certain number of days before or after the trigger.
Choose from various time units such as days, weeks, months, and years, and specify whether the action should occur before or after the trigger date.
For example, you can check if the "Sent date" for an invoice is within 15 days after the trigger.
Skip Weekends: When weekends are skipped, they are not counted in the date calculation. This is useful for business operations that only consider weekdays.
Equal (or not) to Specific Date: Check if a date field is equal to a specific date, such as checking if the invoice Sent date is the same as the Due date.
Specific Dates: Set conditions based on specific dates in the calendar picker. For instance, checking if the "Sent date" is a specific date.
Using Relative Date Fields in "Then" Steps
In the "Then" step, relative date fields are used to set dynamic due dates or other time-sensitive actions. Here are the primary options:
Offset Dates for Due Dates: Set due dates a specific number of days after the trigger.
Choose from various time units such as days, weeks, months, and years, and specify whether the action should occur before or after the trigger date.
For example, you can set the due date to be 3 days after the trigger if the task priority changes to high.
Skip Weekends: When weekends are skipped, they are not counted in the date calculation. This is useful for business operations that only consider weekdays.
Equal (or not) to Specific Date: Set actions where a date field equals a specific date, such as ensuring the due date is the same as the start date.
Specific Dates: Set actions based on specific dates in the calendar picker, such as setting a due date for a task to a specific date.
Practical Application
Let's consider a practical example to illustrate how relative date fields can be used to automatically update the due date of your task.
Example Scenario: Task Management Automation
When: A task is updated.
Check if: The task priority has been changed to high.
Then: Set the due date to 3 days after the task priority was set to high.
This automation ensures that high-priority tasks are scheduled for timely completion, improving overall task management efficiency.
