> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.coachiq.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What Are Automations?

> Let CoachIQ handle repetitive tasks automatically so you can focus on coaching

<Info>
  **Where to find this**: Tools → Automations
</Info>

You're busy coaching—not sitting at a computer sending emails. But the follow-ups pile up: welcome messages for new members, reminders about expiring credits, check-ins with people who haven't trained in a while. Things slip through the cracks.

Automations handle these tasks for you, automatically, in the background.

## How Automations Work

Every automation follows a simple formula:

<Card title="When THIS happens → Do THAT" icon="arrow-right">
  A member signs up, so CoachIQ sends them a welcome email. A booking gets cancelled, so CoachIQ follows up. You set it up once, and it runs every time the event happens, for as long as it's enabled.
</Card>

Each automation has three core parts, plus an optional fourth:

| Part             | What It Does                                                 | Example                                                                        |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Trigger**      | The event that starts it                                     | Someone purchases a [membership](/payments/product-overview)                   |
| **Conditions**   | Optional filters to target the right people                  | Only if it's their first purchase                                              |
| **Actions**      | What happens automatically                                   | Send a welcome email + add a "New Member" [tag](/people/tags-filters)          |
| **Data Sources** | Optional extra information fetched before the conditions run | Their current credit balance, so the message can say "you have 3 credits left" |

## What This Looks Like in Practice

Here are automations CoachIQ coaches use every day:

| When this happens...                 | CoachIQ automatically...                        |
| ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Someone buys a membership            | Sends a welcome email with booking instructions |
| A member hasn't trained in 2 weeks   | Sends a "we miss you" message                   |
| Credits are expiring in 7 days       | Sends a reminder to book sessions               |
| Someone submits a trial request form | Sends them a link to book their free session    |
| A new member's first session ends    | Sends a follow-up asking how it went            |

## What Can Start an Automation?

Automations can trigger when:

* A new user is added to your account
* Someone makes a [purchase](/payments/product-overview) or starts a subscription
* Someone [books a session](/scheduling/overview), a booking starts, a booking ends, or a booking is cancelled
* A [form](/tools/forms/overview) gets submitted
* A [tag](/people/tags-filters) is added to or removed from someone
* A subscription is cancelled
* On a schedule—daily, weekly, monthly, or once on a specific date
* An outside tool sends data to the automation's webhook URL

## What Can Automations Do?

Once triggered, automations can:

* Send emails, SMS messages, [in-app messages](/inbox/inbox-overview), or [announcements](/inbox/announcements)
* Add or remove [tags](/people/tags-filters) from members
* Update a custom profile field
* Add or redeem credits
* Add or remove a product purchase
* Grant or revoke program access
* Book or remove someone from a session
* Wait for a set time before continuing
* Send data to external tools via webhooks

<Tip>
  **Best uses for automations:**

  * Messages you send over and over (welcome emails, booking confirmations)
  * Follow-ups you forget to send (trial conversions, re-engaging inactive members)
  * Time-sensitive alerts (credit expirations, camp prep reminders)
</Tip>

<Warning>
  Automations do real things to real people: a message action sends the message, a booking action books the seat, a credit action changes the balance. Build with **Enabled** off, check the result with **Test Run** and **Execution Logs**, and only then switch it on. See [Build Your First Automation](/tools/automations/build-your-first-automation#test-before-you-enable) for the checklist.
</Warning>

## Disabling, archiving, or deleting automations

You have three ways to take an automation out of service, from gentlest to most permanent:

| Option      | Where                                                       | What happens                                                                                    |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Disable** | Open the automation → **Settings** → switch **Enabled** off | It keeps every trigger, condition, and message and simply never runs. Turn it back on any time. |
| **Archive** | The archive icon on its row in the Automations list         | It leaves your working list and moves to the **Archived** tab, so the list stays short.         |
| **Delete**  | Open the automation → **Settings**, after disabling it      | Permanent. The automation and its execution history are gone.                                   |

<Note>
  Not sure? Disable it. You lose nothing, and you can archive or delete it later if it stays unused.
</Note>

## What's Next?

Ready to build your first automation? It takes about 5 minutes.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Start from a template" icon="layer-group" href="/tools/automations/automation-templates">
    Pick a ready-made automation for conversion, retention, or operations and make it yours.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build Your First Automation" icon="play" href="/tools/automations/build-your-first-automation">
    Step-by-step guide to creating a welcome email that sends automatically when someone purchases a membership.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Builder Reference" icon="wrench" href="/tools/automations/builder-reference">
    What each section of the automation builder does
  </Card>

  <Card title="Triggers & Actions Reference" icon="list" href="/tools/automations/triggers-actions-reference">
    Every trigger, condition, data source, action, and dynamic field
  </Card>

  <Card title="Forms Overview" icon="file-lines" href="/tools/forms/overview">
    Create forms that can trigger automations when submitted
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scheduling Overview" icon="calendar" href="/scheduling/overview">
    Manage sessions and bookings that trigger automations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Product Overview" icon="credit-card" href="/payments/product-overview">
    Set up products whose purchases can kick off automated workflows
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inbox Overview" icon="inbox" href="/inbox/inbox-overview">
    Where automated messages land for your members
  </Card>
</CardGroup>