Complete guide to monday.com automations for beginners
Hey everyone! I just upgraded from Basic to Standard specifically for automations, but I'm staring at the automation center feeling completely overwhelmed. There are so many options! I manage a content calendar and editorial workflow. Can someone recommend the most useful automations for: 1. Moving items between boards when status changes 2. Notifying team members of deadlines 3. Auto-assigning tasks based on category 4. Creating recurring tasks Also, what's the difference between 'automation recipes' and 'custom automations'? When should I use each? Any beginner-friendly resources would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Welcome to the automation game! Here's your starter pack:
Essential Recipe #1: Status-Driven Notifications Recipe: 'When status changes to something, notify someone' Use case: When content moves to 'Ready for Review,' notify your editor automatically.
Essential Recipe #2: Deadline Reminders Recipe: 'When date arrives, notify someone' Use case: 2-day warning before publish dates.
Essential Recipe #3: Auto-Assignment Recipe: 'When item created, assign someone' or 'When status changes to something, assign someone' Use case: Blog posts tagged 'SEO' auto-assign to your SEO specialist.
Recipe vs Custom: Recipes = Pre-built, reliable, easy to set up. Start here. Custom = Build from scratch using triggers and actions. Use when recipes don't cover your specific need.
Pro tip: Use the 'Dependencies' automation for your editorial calendar. When the 'Draft' phase completes, it can automatically set the 'Review' phase to start 2 days later.
Start with 3-4 automations, test them thoroughly, then add more. Too many automations at once = chaos.
For content calendars specifically, here are my must-haves:
1. Cross-board mirroring: When a blog post status changes to 'Published,' automatically create a social media task in your Social board.
2. Recurring content: Use 'Every time period, create an item' for weekly newsletters or monthly reports.
3. Dependency chains: Set up 'When this date changes, change another date' to keep your editorial calendar flowing. If the draft deadline slips, all subsequent dates (review, publish, promote) shift automatically.
4. Slack integration: 'When status changes to Blocked, send Slack message to #content-team' — prevents things from falling through cracks.
One gotcha: Automations don't work retroactively. They only trigger on changes made after the automation is active. Plan your migration accordingly.