Automation flow triggers and steps

An Automation flow has one configured trigger and a connected graph of steps. The editor shows which connected app events and actions are currently available to the workspace.

Triggers

• Schedule runs on the configured recurring or scheduled trigger.
• API request starts through the flow’s authenticated trigger action. The public Developer API key does not grant access to this action; its supported operations are messages, conversations, and media.
• Signed webhook starts when the incoming request passes its signature checks.
• Platform event starts from a supported event produced inside Waaru.
• Connected app event starts from an event currently exposed by an enabled integration.

Keep the trigger contract narrow. Document required payload fields in the flow description and reject requests that cannot identify the intended workspace resource.

Data and connected actions

• Save a value stores a resolved value for later steps.
• Use connected app runs one reviewed action from a connected account.
• Find contacts retrieves a typed collection that matches every configured filter.
• Update a contact changes the supported fields on one workspace contact.
• Select audience freezes a static segment, a dynamic segment revision, or an earlier typed contact collection for this run.
• Schedule a broadcast creates a Broadcast from a preceding Select audience step.

An available editor node does not guarantee that an external account is connected or authorized. Confirm the integration status and use a failure path where the action is operationally important.

Audience selection is deliberately separate from Broadcast creation. The frozen run audience records what was evaluated and when, so a later segment edit cannot silently change the recipients for the same run. A Broadcast step must refer to a Select audience step that is guaranteed to finish earlier on every path.

Control flow

• Check a condition selects between true and false branches.
• Choose a path selects among named cases and a fallback.
• Check for a duplicate routes repeated work away from steps that should run once.
• Repeat for each item applies a bounded path to each item in a list.
• Finish the run ends with an explicit completed, failed, or stopped outcome.

Use deduplication when an upstream system may retry the same event. Keep loops bounded and make their per-item effect clear in the run history. Long waits, scripts, raw provider requests, and reserved step types that are not exposed in the editor are not available for production use.

Configure the schedule

Choose Schedule type: Repeating or One time. A one-time schedule uses Run at and saves one exact instant; it has no separate timezone control.

For repeating schedules, review the Timezone IANA value, initially taken from the browser, and choose Frequency:

If a chosen day does not exist in a month, that month is skipped. The 31st does not mean the last day of every month. Review the next scheduled run after saving, then validate, publish and activate.

Declare request and event inputs

For API and signed-webhook triggers, define Input fields with unique request keys, labels, types and required status. Only declared fields are accepted; unknown fields fail validation. Use the supported authenticated trigger or signing setup for that flow, not a public messaging API key.

The current platform-event choices are WhatsApp number connected, Contact import completed, Segment created, and Broadcast completed. For a connected-app event, select the intended connected account and an event in its available catalog. A provider connection alone does not activate the trigger.

Send a prepared file

Send prepared file accepts a typed file result from a successful earlier Drive import for the same number. It requires an eligible active conversation and open reply window. Follow the prepared-file guide for the import, mapping and outcome checks. Automation sub-flows and delay/wait steps are not available in the current editor.

Next: Test and monitor the flow.