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This guide walks you through creating your first automation in ShingleAI. By the end, you’ll have a working automation that responds to events with AI-powered actions. For background on how automations work and what they can do, see Automations Concepts.

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Prerequisites

  • A ShingleAI account with an active organization
  • At least one connected email account
  • User permissions to create automations

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Step 1: Navigate to Automations

  1. Click Automations in the sidebar navigation
  2. View your existing automations (if any)
  3. Click Create Automation or New Automation
Create automation form

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Step 2: Name Your Automation

Give your automation a clear, descriptive name:
  • Good: “Support Email Auto-Acknowledgment”
  • Good: “New Lead Welcome Message”
  • Avoid: “Automation 1” or “Test”
The name helps you identify the automation later and understand its purpose at a glance.
Automation names must be unique within your organization and under 100 characters.

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Step 3: Define the Trigger Event

Specify what event should trigger this automation:

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Common Trigger Events

EventWhen It Fires
New email receivedAn incoming email arrives in your inbox
Contact createdA new contact is added to your organization
Message sentAn outgoing email is sent
Enter a description of your trigger event. Be specific about when you want the automation to run. Example triggers:
  • “When a new email arrives from a domain ending in .edu”
  • “When a contact is created without a company name”
  • “When an email subject contains ‘urgent’ or ‘help‘“

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Step 4: Write Your Instructions

This is where you tell the AI what to do when the trigger fires. Write in natural language as if you were instructing a colleague. Be specific about the action, tone, and any conditions. Here’s an example for a support auto-reply: 
When a support email arrives:
1. Send an acknowledgment reply
2. Thank them for contacting support
3. Mention we typically respond within 24 hours
4. If they mention "urgent", add that we'll prioritize their request
5. Keep the tone friendly and professional
6. Keep the reply under 100 words
Instructions have a 5,000 character limit. If you need more complex logic, consider splitting into multiple automations.

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Step 5: Save and Enable

Once you’ve configured your automation:
  1. Review your settings
  2. Click Save or Create to save the automation
  3. The automation is enabled by default and starts running immediately

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Testing Your Automation

After creating your automation:
  1. Trigger a test event - Send yourself an email or perform the trigger action
  2. Check the results - Verify the automation performed as expected
  3. Adjust if needed - Edit the instructions to refine the behavior

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Managing Automations

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Viewing Automations

All your automations are listed on the Automations page, showing:
  • Automation name
  • Trigger event
  • Status (enabled/disabled)
  • Last run time

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Enabling/Disabling

Toggle an automation on or off:
  1. Navigate to Automations
  2. Find the automation
  3. Click the enable/disable toggle
Disabled automations don’t run but retain their configuration.

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Editing Automations

To modify an existing automation:
  1. Click on the automation name
  2. Update the fields as needed
  3. Save your changes
Changes take effect immediately for enabled automations.

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Deleting Automations

To remove an automation:
  1. Open the automation
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm the deletion
Deleted automations cannot be recovered. Consider disabling instead if you might need it later.

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Example: Complete Automation Walkthrough

Let’s create a complete automation for acknowledging support emails:

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Configuration

FieldValue
NameSupport Email Auto-Acknowledgment
Trigger EventNew email received to support@company.com
InstructionsSee below

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Instructions

When a new email arrives at the support address:

1. Send an immediate acknowledgment reply
2. Include these elements:
   - Thank them for contacting our support team
   - Confirm we received their message
   - Set expectations: we respond within 24 hours (Mon-Fri)
   - For urgent issues, mention they can call our hotline

3. Tone guidelines:
   - Professional but warm
   - Empathetic if they describe a problem
   - Concise - keep under 100 words

4. Sign off with:
   - "Best regards"
   - "The ShingleAI Support Team"

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Expected Result

When someone emails support@company.com, they’ll receive a reply like:
Thank you for contacting ShingleAI Support! We’ve received your message and a member of our team will respond within 24 business hours. If your issue is urgent, you can reach our priority support line at 1-800-XXX-XXXX. Best regards, The ShingleAI Support Team

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Troubleshooting

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Automation Not Triggering

IssueCauseSolution
No action takenAutomation disabledCheck and enable the automation
Wrong eventsTrigger too specificBroaden the trigger event description
Permission deniedInsufficient permissionsContact your admin to check permissions

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Unexpected Results

IssueCauseSolution
Wrong toneInstructions unclearAdd explicit tone guidelines
Missing informationContext not providedAdd context to instructions
Too verboseNo length guidanceAdd word or sentence limits

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Next Steps

Email Overview

Connect more email accounts

Managing Contacts

Organize contacts for automations