⚠️ Important: Automation Rules is included in the Auxo Workshop Elite plan. Until the Elite plan is released, it is available to workshops on the Auxo Workshop Pro plan.
🧪 Beta Release:
This change is currently in beta testing and is only available to select customers included in the beta. It will proceed to full release pending beta feedback.
Automation Rules take service and WOF reminders off your plate. Set a rule up once, and Auxo Workshop keeps sending reminders on the schedule you choose, using your saved filters to work out who's due and your templates to decide what they receive. Nobody has to remember to run the Reminders list each day, so reminders still go out even when the workshop's flat out or you're away on leave, and your customers get a consistent nudge about their upcoming WOF or service without it depending on someone in the office finding the time.
📝 Note: Automation Rules is only visible to Workshop Owners and Workshop Admins. Technicians and Limited Access staff won't see this menu option.
⚙️ Setting Up an Automation Rule
Open Settings from the side menu, then select Automation.
On the Rules tab, click New Rule.
Give the rule a name in Automation Name. This is for your own reference and isn't sent to customers.
Category is set to Reminder. This is the only automation type available.
Choose a Channel: Email or SMS.
Choose a Saved Filter. This uses the same saved filters as the Reminders list, so a filter you've already saved there is available here too.
Choose a Template. Only templates in the Reminder category are available here. See ✉️ How to Edit or Create a Communications Template if you need to set one up first.
Set the Frequency, Start Date, and Time of Day (see below for more on scheduling).
Click Save.
💡 Tip: Not sure which saved filter to use? See How to send Service Reminders? for suggested filters, such as reminders due in the next 30 days, with status "Not Actioned" and Active Job "Not Active" so reminders don't go out for vehicles that already have an open job.
🗓️ Choosing How Often a Rule Runs
Frequency: Daily, Weekly, Fortnightly, or Monthly.
Weekly and Fortnightly let you choose which day of the week the rule runs.
Time of Day sets what time the rule runs, in your workshop's local time. Any time of day can be selected.
Start Date sets when the rule becomes active from. End Date is optional, use it if you want the rule to stop running automatically after a certain date.
⏳ Avoiding Repeat Sends
Wait for [n] days between send stops a rule from messaging the same recipient again too soon. For example, setting this to 30 means someone who's already received this reminder won't receive it again for 30 days, even if they still match the saved filter.
Include additional contacts subscribed to this notification topic adds each vehicle's additional contacts who have Vehicle Reminders switched on, the same as when reminders are sent manually. See 👥 Additional Contacts in Auxo Workshop for more on setting this up.
⏸️ Turning Rules On and Off
Each rule has an Active switch. Only Active rules run on schedule, so you can build a rule and leave it Inactive until you're ready.
You can have up to 20 automation rules on your account. Once you reach this limit, New Rule is disabled and shows "Maximum of 20 rules is allowed."
To remove a rule, click the delete icon on its card. You'll be asked "Are you sure you want to delete this rule?" before it's removed.
📜 Checking What a Rule Has Sent
The History tab lists every run of every rule, with the rule name, channel, when it started and finished, how many messages were sent, skipped, or failed, and an overall status.
Success: the run completed and sent to everyone it matched.
Partial Success: the run sent to some recipients but not others, usually because a recipient had no contact detail on file for the channel used.
Failed: the run couldn't send at all. The Message column explains why, for example the linked saved filter no longer exists, the filter matches too many records, or the account has run out of SMS or email credit.
Click a rule's name in a history row to see exactly who was sent a message, including customer name, vehicle registration, and when it was sent.
🔔 Staying on Top of Failed Runs
If a run fails or only partially completes, you'll see a notification in the bell icon at the top of the screen, with a link straight through to the History screen. This notification isn't limited to Workshop Owners and Admins, so other staff logged in may see it too.
A fully successful run doesn't trigger a notification, only the History log records it. If you want the full picture rather than just failures, it's worth checking History from time to time.
If your account runs out of SMS or email credit, that run's messages simply aren't sent, and the reserved credit is released straight back to your account. Once you top up, the rule picks up automatically at its next scheduled run, you don't need to re-trigger anything yourself.
🧭 Known Scenarios
If the saved filter linked to a rule is deleted, the rule fails until a new filter is linked.
If a saved filter matches more than 1,000 records, the rule fails until the filter is narrowed.
Contacts who've opted out of marketing are automatically left out of a run, this doesn't count against the rule.
Archived vehicles stop generating new reminders, so they naturally drop out of automation runs over time.
Fortnightly and Monthly rules calculate their next run date automatically, you don't need to adjust this yourself.