Automations (flows)

Actions: what happens

Each action shows only the boxes it needs. Send an email: choose who it goes to (the client, the team member on the booking, you, or an address you type), then write the Subject and Message. Use Insert a field under each box to drop in the client’s name, the pet’s name, the booking date and so on; the email goes out in your Pet Central design. Update a field: choose which record it changes (On the client, the pet, the booking or the invoice), which Field, and what to Set it to. The value can be fixed text, a field such as {{invoice_total}}, or a formula. For example, An invoice is paid → Update a field on the client → Billing preference → card.

Conditions can test the client, the pet and more

Pick each condition’s field from the list; nothing needs typing. The list follows the trigger. It holds the fields the event itself carries, plus the client behind it (name, email, phone, town, postcode, billing preference and your own client custom fields), their pet (name, species, breed, weight, coat and your own pet custom fields), and for bookings and invoices the booking and invoice too. So An invoice is paid + Client name is Emma Wright, or Pet breed contains Poodle, works as you would expect. With more than one pet, a pet field holds all their values separated by commas, so use contains. Values are suggested as you type (client and pet names, breeds, treatments, statuses), but you can type anything. Every one of these fields can also go in a message as {{client_first_name}}, {{pet_name}} and so on. To try it without waiting for a real event, put a real booking, invoice or client number into id in the dry run.

Automations run when something happens: WHEN a trigger fires (a client is added, a booking or request comes in, an invoice is created/paid/overdue, an expense is recorded, a payment arrives) IF your conditions match THEN the actions run — email, notify the client, notify admins, update a field on the record, or call a webhook. Conditions use operators (is, is not, contains, greater/less than, and “changed” comparisons) and you can combine them with custom logic like 1 AND (2 OR 3). Messages support {{field}} tokens and =formulas such as =if(isblank({{email}}),"—",{{email}}). Editing a live automation saves a new version so you keep a history, and a dry-run lets you test with sample values before enabling.

Example

You build “When an invoice is paid → email the client a thank-you”. You test it with a sample total, see it would send, enable it, and every paid invoice now triggers the note automatically. The run log shows each execution.

FAQ

What can trigger a flow?
Client added, client details changed, booking made or cancelled, request received, invoice created/paid/overdue, expense recorded, and payment received. More can be added by other code.

How do tokens work?
Put {{field}} in a subject or message and it’s replaced from the trigger’s data (plus {{business}}, {{date}} and the client’s {{name}}/{{email}}). A value starting with = is a formula.

What if an action fails?
The run is logged as an error with the reason, and you can be emailed when that happens (set it up on the run-log screen).

Does editing break my automation?
No — saving creates a new version and switches to it; older versions are archived so nothing is lost.