Automation Overview

Automation in Tadabase: Complete Overview

Automation is at the heart of Tadabase, enabling you to build powerful, intelligent applications that work for you automatically. This guide provides a complete overview of all automation features available in Tadabase and how they work together to streamline your business processes.

What is Automation?

Automation in Tadabase allows you to create rules, triggers, and workflows that execute automatically based on specific conditions or events. Instead of manually performing repetitive tasks, you can configure your app to handle these operations automatically, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring consistency.

Types of Automation in Tadabase

Tadabase offers several types of automation tools, each designed for specific use cases:

1. Table Rules

What they are: Table Rules are predefined conditions and actions that run automatically at the data table level whenever records are created or edited.

When they run: Automatically when records are created, edited, or both (you choose the trigger)

Best for:

Available actions:

📖 Learn more about Table Rules

2. Record Rules

What they are: Record Rules are automation tools found within Form Components that automatically execute actions when forms are submitted.

When they run: When a form is submitted (either adding a new record or editing an existing one)

Best for:

Available actions:

Key Difference: Record Rules are form-specific and run only when that particular form is submitted, while Table Rules run whenever any record in the table is created or edited, regardless of how it was created.

📖 Learn more about Record Rules

3. Action Rules (Action Links)

What they are: Action Rules allow users to trigger automated actions with a single click through action links or buttons in tables, lists, and other display components.

When they run: When a user clicks an action link or button

Best for:

Available actions:

📖 Learn more about Action Rules

4. Scheduled Tasks

What they are: Scheduled Tasks are automated workflows that run automatically on a recurring schedule or on-demand, processing multiple records based on custom conditions.

When they run: On a custom schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) or triggered manually/via API

Best for:

Schedule options:

Available actions:

📖 Learn more about Scheduled Tasks

Form Automation Rules

In addition to data automation, Tadabase provides powerful form-level automation rules that control form behavior and validation:

5. Display Rules

What they are: Display Rules control the visibility, behavior, and appearance of form fields dynamically based on other field values or conditions.

When they run: In real-time as users interact with forms

Best for:

Available actions:

📖 Learn more about Display Rules

6. Submit Rules

What they are: Submit Rules control what happens after a user submits a form, allowing you to redirect users or show custom messages based on the data they submitted.

When they run: Immediately after a form is successfully submitted

Best for:

Available actions:

📖 Learn more about Submit Rules

7. Validation Rules

What they are: Validation Rules enforce data quality by preventing form submission when specific conditions aren't met, displaying custom error messages to guide users.

When they run: When users attempt to submit a form

Best for:

Validation types:

📖 Learn more about Validation Rules

Choosing the Right Automation Type

With so many automation options, how do you choose the right one? Here's a decision guide:

If you need to...	Use this automation type
Control when form fields appear or are required	Display Rules
Validate data before form submission	Validation Rules
Redirect users after form submission	Submit Rules
Auto-populate form values when submitting	Record Rules
Automate actions whenever data changes (any source)	Table Rules
Let users trigger actions with a button click	Action Rules
Run automated processes on a schedule	Scheduled Tasks
Send recurring emails or notifications	Scheduled Tasks
Process multiple records at once	Scheduled Tasks or Table Rules

Automation Execution Order

Understanding when each automation type executes is crucial for building reliable workflows. Here's the typical execution order:

When Adding or Editing Records via Form

1. Display Rules - Run in real-time as users interact with the form
2. Validation Rules - Check conditions when user attempts to submit
3. Record Rules - Execute when form passes validation and is submitted
4. Table Rules - Execute after the record is saved to the database
5. Submit Rules - Determine what happens after successful submission

When Using Action Links

1. Action Rules - Execute when the action link is clicked
2. Table Rules - May execute if the action rule modifies data

When Records are Updated via API or Import

1. Table Rules - Execute automatically (Record Rules do NOT run)

Scheduled Execution

• Scheduled Tasks - Run at their configured schedule time
• When a scheduled task modifies records, Table Rules may execute

Automation Best Practices

1. Start Simple

• Begin with basic automation and gradually add complexity
• Test each automation thoroughly before building upon it
• Document what each automation does

2. Avoid Circular Dependencies

• Be careful when Table Rule A updates a record that triggers Table Rule B, which updates a record that triggers Table Rule A
• Use conditions carefully to prevent infinite loops
• Consider using Record Rules instead of Table Rules when appropriate

3. Use Descriptive Names

• Name your automation rules clearly to explain what they do
• Example: "Send Welcome Email to New Users" instead of "Email Rule 1"

4. Test with Sample Data

• Use test records to verify automation works as expected
• Check that conditions trigger correctly
• Verify that actions produce the intended results

5. Monitor and Maintain

• Regularly review automation logs and history
• Update automation when business requirements change
• Disable unused automation rules

6. Consider Performance

• Complex automation can impact form submission speed
• Use scheduled tasks for heavy processing
• Limit the number of rules that execute on each action

Automation Limitations and Plan Features

Automation features and limits vary by subscription plan:

Scheduled Tasks

• Availability: Not all plans include scheduled tasks
• Frequency: Minimum intervals vary by plan (Enterprise allows hourly/per-minute)
• Execution Time: Tasks have time limits (5-60 minutes depending on plan)
• API Access: Running tasks via API requires specific plan features
• PDF Generation: Requires plans with PDF task support

All Automation Types

• Multi-Action Rules: Number of actions per automation may be limited by plan
• Advanced Features: Some automation features are restricted to higher-tier plans

Check your subscription page or contact support to understand which automation features are available on your current plan.

Common Automation Use Cases

Project Management

• Automatically assign tasks when projects are created (Record Rules)
• Send notifications when task status changes (Table Rules)
• Mark projects as overdue daily (Scheduled Tasks)
• Show priority fields only for urgent tasks (Display Rules)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

• Auto-assign leads to sales reps (Record Rules)
• Send welcome emails to new customers (Table Rules)
• Schedule weekly follow-up reminders (Scheduled Tasks)
• Quick-approve deals with action links (Action Rules)
• Require approval notes for large discounts (Display Rules + Validation Rules)

Inventory Management

• Alert when stock falls below minimum (Table Rules)
• Generate daily inventory reports (Scheduled Tasks)
• Prevent orders when items out of stock (Validation Rules)
• Quick-reorder buttons for suppliers (Action Rules)

Event Management

• Send reminder emails before events (Scheduled Tasks)
• Prevent double-booking venues (Validation Rules)
• Auto-calculate attendee counts (Record Rules)
• Show catering fields only for large events (Display Rules)
• Check-in attendees with action links (Action Rules)

Subscription Billing

• Generate monthly invoices automatically (Scheduled Tasks)
• Send payment reminders (Scheduled Tasks)
• Suspend accounts after failed payments (Table Rules)
• Calculate prorated amounts (Record Rules)

Troubleshooting Automation

Automation Not Running

• Verify the automation is enabled/active
• Check that conditions are being met
• Review execution logs and history
• Ensure your plan includes the feature

Unexpected Results

• Review the order of execution
• Check for multiple conflicting rules
• Verify field values are what you expect
• Test with simple conditions first

Performance Issues

• Reduce the number of automation rules
• Simplify complex conditions
• Move heavy processing to scheduled tasks
• Consider upgrading your plan for better limits

Related Resources

Detailed Documentation

• Table Rules Guide
• Record Rules Guide
• Action Rules Guide
• Scheduled Tasks Guide
• Display Rules Guide
• Submit Rules Guide
• Validation Rules Guide

Other Related Topics

• Pipes - Advanced Data Processing
• Webhooks - Integrating with External Systems
• Email Configuration
• Automation Logs and Monitoring

Getting Help

If you need assistance with automation:

• Search the Tadabase Documentation
• Join the Tadabase Community
• Contact Tadabase Support
• Check out Tadabase Video Tutorials

Automation is one of the most powerful features in Tadabase. By mastering these tools, you can build applications that are intelligent, efficient, and truly work for you 24/7.