Automation Basics
Everything you need to know about setting up your automation and understanding its basic behaviour & logic.
Understanding monday.com Automations
Monday.com automations follow a simple structure:
When [trigger] → Then [action]
Every automation has two parts:
- Trigger ("When something happens") - The event that starts the automation
- Action ("Perform an action") - What happens when triggered
Understanding Subitem Automations
Subitem Automations unlocks what monday.com doesn't offer natively:
What's different:
Run automations ON subitems - Just like regular items Sync parent ↔ subitems - Keep values in sync automatically Automate subitem workflows - Creation, movement, updates Access 90+ recipes - Purpose-built for subitem management
Run automations ON subitems - Just like regular items Sync parent ↔ subitems - Keep values in sync automatically Automate subitem workflows - Creation, movement, updates Access 90+ recipes - Purpose-built for subitem managementCommon Examples:
Keep subitems in sync
When parent status changes → update all subitems
Auto-populate new subitems
When subitem is created → copy owner from parent
Track project progress
When all subitems are done → mark parent "Complete"
Cascade timeline changes
When parent date changes → adjust all subitems by same offset
With this app, you can create automations like:
- When a subitem is created, copy a value from its parent item.
- When all subitems are done, change the parent item’s status.
- When an item’s date changes, adjust all related subitems’ dates by the same offset.
Choosing the Right Automation
With 90+ automation recipes available, finding the right one can feel overwhelming. This guide helps you quickly identify which automation category matches your needs.
Not sure where to start? Answer these two simple questions:
What do I want to do? (Choose your goal)
When should it run? (Pick your trigger)
What do I want to do?
Keep parent & subitems in sync
Parent-Subitem Syncing
When parent changes, all subitems update automatically. Most popular category.
Manage project timelines - set defaults
When a subitem task is created, set due date based on parent (+3 days, +1 week). One-time setup.
Manage project timelines & dates
When parent deadline changes, all task dates adjust automatically. No manual updates.
Auto-configure subitems by their name
Conditional Logic Setup
Different subitems need different settings? Auto-assign owner, status, or dates based on the subitem's name.
See progress summary on parent
Roll-Ups & Aggregations
Show % complete, sum hours/costs, count subitems by status. Real-time tracking.
Create subitem templates
Subitem Creation & Movement
Auto-create your standard set of tasks for every project. Status = "In Progress" → 10 pre-defined subitems appear.
Connect workflows across boards
Cross-Board Workflows
Create or move subitems to another board automatically. Deal closes → Task list appears on different board.
Schedule recurring actions
Time-Based Automations
Create subitems every Monday, auto-update on specific dates.
Looking for complete business workflows? See Use Cases → Need to browse all 90+ recipes? See All Available Automation →
Looking for complete business workflows? See Use Cases → Need to browse all 90+ recipes? See All Available Automation →
When Should It Run?
Choose your trigger based on when you want the automation to activate:
When parent item changes
"When column changes on an item"
Parent status = Done → All subitems = Done
When subitem is created
"When subitem is created"
New subitem → Copy owner from parent
When subitem changes
"When subitem column changes"
Subitem done → Update parent progress
On a schedule
"Every time period"
Every Monday → Create weekly tasks
On a specific date
"When date arrives"
7 days before deadline → Create reminder
When all subitems finish
"When status of all subitems is something"
All tasks done → Parent = Complete
How to Customize Your Automation
Once you select an automation from the Automations Center, you'll see dropdowns and fields to customize it for your board.Once you’ve selected a template, you’ll see a setup screen like this:
Here's What You Can Adjust:
Columns - Choose which columns the automation uses (Status, Owner, Date, Text, Numbers, etc.)
Columns - Choose which columns the automation uses (Status, Owner, Date, Text, Numbers, etc.)
Values - Define specific statuses, labels, or text to applyExample: "When status changes to Done" or "Set owner to Design Team"
Values - Define specific statuses, labels, or text to applyExample: "When status changes to Done" or "Set owner to Design Team"
Time Offsets - Add date logic for timeline automationsExample: "Set due date to parent date +3 days" or "+1 week"
Time Offsets - Add date logic for timeline automationsExample: "Set due date to parent date +3 days" or "+1 week"
Boards & Items - Choose where the action happens (same board, connected board, or specific item)
Boards & Items - Choose where the action happens (same board, connected board, or specific item)
Conditional Logic - Add "only if" conditions for advanced filteringExample: "Only if subitem name is Design Review" (case-sensitive!)
Conditional Logic - Add "only if" conditions for advanced filteringExample: "Only if subitem name is Design Review" (case-sensitive!)
Once everything’s set, click Create automation — and your custom logic goes live instantly.
Testing Your Automation
How to Test
1. Create the automation in monday.com 's Automations Center2. Trigger it manually - Create or update the item/subitem that should activate it3. Check the result - Did the expected action happen on the subitem or parent?4. View run history - Go to Automate → Manage → Click your automation → See activity log
Pro Tip: Start with a test board before rolling out to your production boards. This way you can experiment without affecting real work.
Pro Tip: Start with a test board before rolling out to your production boards. This way you can experiment without affecting real work.If It Didn't Trigger
Run through this 4-step diagnostic checklist:
Permissions
PermissionsYou need Admin or Board Owner access to create automations
Trigger
TriggerMake sure you're actually triggering it correctly. "When subitem created" = create NEW subitem.
Test again with fresh item/subitem
Quota
QuotaEach automation run = 1 operation. Out of quota = automations pause.
Check dashboard for remaining quota
Once Everything Works
Toggle on/off - Pause automations temporarily Edit - Adjust settings without recreating Duplicate - Copy to other boards or items Delete - Remove automations you no longer need View history - See when automations last ran and results
Toggle on/off - Pause automations temporarily Edit - Adjust settings without recreating Duplicate - Copy to other boards or items Delete - Remove automations you no longer need View history - See when automations last ran and results
Pro Tip: Duplicate working automations to other boards instead of rebuilding from scratch.Right-click automation → Duplicate → Select target board
Pro Tip: Duplicate working automations to other boards instead of rebuilding from scratch.Right-click automation → Duplicate → Select target board
Related Resources
Reference & Learning
Reference & Learning
Setup & Configuration
Setup & Configuration