How to create and manage automated rules to improve product data quality and reduce manual work
ℹ️ Please note that this is a beta feature and isn’t available in all accounts yet. If you'd like more information, feel free to contact your Account Manager.
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What are Automations?
Automations are automated rules that help you maintain high-quality product data by identifying, correcting, and validating product information based on conditions you define.
Key Benefits:
- Reduce manual work: automatically complete missing attributes and standardize data
- Improve data quality: ensure consistent and accurate product information
- Save time: eliminate repetitive data correction tasks
- Scale efficiently: handle large catalogs without additional manual work.
How Automations Work:
Automations follow a simple condition → action logic:
- IF certain conditions are met (e.g. Brand is empty)
- THEN perform specific actions (e.g. set Brand = "Your Brand Name")
Creating Automations
ℹ️ Please note that you need to have Admin or Editor permissions to create Automations
To create an automation, navigate to the main menu and click on the "Automations" icon (⚡) from the navigation bar.
A panel will open up where you can create your automation logic. Click "+Create an automation" to begin.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with simple automations to test the functionality before creating complex automation rules
The first step is to name your automation so you can easily identify its purpose. Use descriptive names like "Auto-complete Brand for Electronics"
Then, define when the automations should trigger:
- Click "Add Condition"
- Select the attribute you want to include in the condition
- Choose the operator (equals, contains, is empty, etc.)
- Set the value (if applicable)
Example: IF Brand is not defined AND Category equals "Electronics"
ℹ️ These conditions work similarly to Plytix filters.
After defining the trigger conditions, choose what should happen when conditions are met.
- Click "Add Action"
- Select "Edit Products"
3. You can choose up to three attributes to modify
4. Define the change to be applied to each attribute
Example: Set Brand to "TechCorp"
Once your automation setup is complete, click “Publish” to save it. Your automation won’t run until you toggle the switch to set its status to ‘Active.’
ℹ️ Note: Automations run automatically when defined conditions change.
Managing Your Automations
You can access all automations by clicking the Automations icon (⚡️) in the top bar. From there, you can find:
- Active Automations: Currently enabled and running
- Inactive Automations: Created but disabled, so they’re not running
You’ll also see when your automations were last modified, and who made the changes.
For each automation, you can:
- Edit: Modify conditions and actions
- Enable/Disable: Turn automations on or off
- Delete: Permanently remove automations
Audit Trail
Every automation includes an overview of when it was last updated:
- Modified by: User who modified the automation
- Last modified: Most recent changes
Common Automation Use Cases
There are several use cases for setting up automations. Some common ones include:
- Complete missing attributes
Scenario: Products imported from ERP are missing Brand information.
IF: Brand is empty
AND: Category equals "Electronics"
THEN: Set Brand = "TechCorp"
- Auto-complete using related attributes
Scenario: Set warranty period based on product category
IF: Category equals "Laptop"
AND: Warranty is empty
THEN: Set Warranty = "1 Year"
- Validate Core Attributes
Scenario: Mark products as incomplete when essential fields are missing
IF: Product description is empty
OR: Barcode is empty
THEN: Set Status = "Incomplete"
- Update Status Based on Completeness
Scenario: Automatically mark status as “Ready” when all required fields are filled
IF: Description is not empty
AND: Thumbnail is not empty
AND: Brand is not empty
THEN: Set Status = "Ready"
Best Practices
When setting up automations, there are a few best practices for optimal performance.
- Start simple: We recommend starting with basic single-condition automations, before making your rules more complex.
- Test thoroughly: Use a small product subset before full deployment
- Document logic: Use clear automation names to identify their purpose
-
Avoid conflicts: Ensure automations don't contradict each other
FAQ
When is an automation triggered?
Automations run automatically when the defined conditions change. This happens during:
- Product updates via import
- Manual attribute edits
- Other automation executions that modify relevant attributes
Can I pause or stop a running automation?
You cannot stop an automation process once it has started. To prevent it from running again, disable the automation by toggling it off in the automation editing panel.
Can I schedule when automations should run?
Currently, automation run automatically whenever the conditions are met. Time-based scheduling is not available in the current version.
How do I handle products that change while automations are running?
Automation will continue to execute based on their defined conditions, even if other processes are simultaneously modifying the same products.
What happens if I delete an automation?
Deleting an automation removes it permanently, and will no longer run. But it doesn't reverse changes already made to products. Consider disabling instead of deleting for testing purposes.
Are there limits on the number of automations I can create?
There are no set limits, but performance may be affected by having too many complex automations running at the same time.
What´s next?
- Learn more about Attributes Types
- Learn how to Navigating the Product Overview Page
- Learn how to Work With Product Lists