Managing Automations
Streamline administrative tasks with Zanda Automations. Learn to configure automated SMS, email, and task actions based on specific conditions to enhance efficiency.
Zanda Automations feature enables you to configure automated message sending or task generation based on particular conditions that you can choose. They are a fantastic tool for automating administrative tasks.
Note:
- The number of automations in one account is unlimited.
- The estimated time of day when the automation messages will be sent is after 2 PM, your local time.
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In this article:
- Automation Actions Overview
- Managing Existing Automations
- Sending All Automation Communication to Clients' Contacts
- Types of Automations
Automation Actions Overview
Automation actions determine what occurs when your automation is triggered. There are three different action options: SMS, Email, and Tasks.
- SMS: When you select SMS as your action, an SMS will be sent to your clients based on the conditions you have set. You can create custom SMS templates to be automatically sent. Templates can include merge fields which will automatically populate client information into the SMS, so each message is personalized. You can also use merge fields to include links to download and pay for an invoice.
- Email: When you select Email as your action, an email will be sent to your clients based on the conditions you have set. You can create custom email templates to be automatically sent. Templates can include merge fields which will automatically populate client information into the SMS, so each email is personalized. You can also use merge fields to include links to download and pay for an invoice.
- Tasks: When you select Task as your action, a task is created with the automation name as the task name. Tasks are created without any specific user assigned and are linked to a client based on the conditions that are set. The due date for the task is the date automation created the task. Learn more about tasks here.
Managing Automations
- You can access Automations settings via Settings > Communications > Automations menu.
- Each existing Automation can be edited, deactivated, and reactivated. Here is how:
- Click the gear icon next to an Automation in the list:

- Click "Edit" to access the Automation for editing:

- Or, click "Deactivate" to make this Automation inactive. Click "OK" to confirm.

- To activate an Automation that was made inactive, turn on the "Show Inactive" switch
- Click the inactive Automation's gear icon and select "Activate" to make the automation active again.

Sending All Automation Communication to Clients' Contacts
You can send automations communications, such as pre-appointment messages, follow-ups, invoices reminders, recalls and so on, directly to a client’s contact.
How It Works
- Open the relevant client Profile > Contacts tab and select their connected contact, or add the contact who will be receiving their automation communication messages.
- Each connected contact profile includes a Send all automation communication toggle. You’ll find this setting just below the Send reminders toggle in the connected contact’s settings. Turn this toggle on.
- Save the changes. When this option is turned on, all automated messages that would normally go to the client will also be sent to that contact. This includes any automations triggered by reminders, invoices, recalls, or similar workflows.

Example
If a parent, guardian, or carer is listed as a contact and the Send all automation communication option is enabled, they will receive the same automated messages as the client.
💡 Tip:
Before enabling this setting, make sure you have the contact’s consent to receive communications on behalf of the client. This helps maintain privacy and ensures compliance with communication and data protection standards.
Types of Automations
At present, there are six functional types of automations available, and you can create an unlimited number of automations for each type.
You can access more information on the specific automation types in the following articles: