How to create automations: triggers, conditions, and actions

Set up automations to auto-assign tasks, send reminders, and move tasks when conditions are met.

5 min readUpdated November 2025

TL;DR

Board SettingsAutomations"+ New Automation" → pick a trigger (when something happens) → optionally add conditions → choose an action (assign, notify, move task). Save and turn it on. Free plan: 50 runs/month; Pro: unlimited.


What are automations?

Automations are rules that run when something happens in Milestone (e.g., a task moves to "In Review"). They can assign people, send notifications, or update tasks without manual steps. One rule, repeated automatically.

Prerequisites: Board admin or workspace admin. You need Slack connected for Slack notifications.


How automations work

Every automation has three parts:

PartWhat it doesExample
TriggerWhen it runsTask moves to "In Review"
Condition (optional)Extra filterOnly if label = "Urgent"
ActionWhat happensAssign to QA lead

Create your first automation

  1. Open a boardBoard Settings (gear icon).
  2. Go to Automations.
  3. Click "+ New Automation".
  4. Choose a trigger (e.g., "When task status changes to...").
  5. Add conditions if needed (e.g., project, label).
  6. Choose an action (e.g., assign to, move to column, send Slack message).
  7. Save and toggle On.

Example automations

Use caseTriggerAction
Auto-assign to QATask moves to "In Review"Assign to QA lead
Due date reminderDue date is tomorrowSend Slack notification
Auto-complete parentAll subtasks doneMove parent to "Done"

Limits and plans

PlanAutomation runs
Free50 per month
ProUnlimited

Troubleshooting

IssueWhat to try
Automation didn't runCheck trigger and conditions. Ensure the automation is toggled On.
Slack notification not sentVerify Slack is connected. Check channel permissions.
Hit run limitUpgrade to Pro for unlimited runs, or reduce automation frequency.

Next steps

Trigger, conditions, and actions deep dive, or set up Slack for notification actions.

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