What are automations?
A workflow automation connects two things:
Trigger: the event that starts the automation
Automatic Action: the task that Bonsai performs after the trigger occurs
Example:
Trigger: A client signs a contract
Action: Bonsai automatically sends them a welcome email
Another example:
Trigger: A client fills out a form
Action: Bonsai automatically sends them a meeting scheduling link
These automations allow you to build repeatable processes without needing to manually send emails or forms every time an event occurs.
Note: To confirm if your paid subscription has access to the workflow automations feature, visit our pricing page.
How to set up automations
Navigate to the Automations tab in the bottom left-hand sidebar:
If you haven't set up an automation before, you'll be prompted to create a 'New Automation':
Similarly, if you have created an automation before but would like to create a new one, select 'New Automation':
Once you have selected this, you'll see a pop-up window appear. Here, you can select from a list of Triggers and a list of Automatic Actions.
A trigger will be the initial event and the automatic action will be the event that follows:
Triggers available:
When a contract is signed
When a proposal is accepted
When a proposal is accepted or a contract is signed
When the first invoice of a project is paid
When a form is filled out
When a project is marked completed
Once a trigger occurs, Bonsai automatically performs the action you selected.
Actions:
After a trigger happens, Bonsai can automatically perform the following actions:
Send a message (email)
Send a form
Send a meeting scheduling link using the Bonsai scheduler
Send your Calendly scheduling link
These actions help automate communication and reduce manual follow-up tasks.
One common use case for workflow automations is automating new client onboarding.
Example workflow:
A potential client fills out your intake form.
This triggers an automation.
Bonsai automatically sends them a meeting scheduling link.
This allows clients to immediately book a call without you manually sending follow-up emails.
You can also embed the form on your website or send it directly to clients.
If you're not familiar with our Forms feature, you can learn more about it here.