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

# First Automation

> Build and activate your first event-triggered WhatsApp automation flow.

Automations are event-driven flows that send WhatsApp messages automatically when a defined trigger occurs in Shopify or Galantis. Once active, they run without manual intervention — responding to real customer behavior in real time.

This guide walks you through building a simple automation using the visual flow builder.

## What this covers

* Choosing a trigger
* Adding a delay and an action node
* Selecting an approved template
* Activating the automation

## Before you begin

Confirm the following are ready:

* Your WhatsApp Business Account is connected — see [WhatsApp Connection](./whatsapp-connection)
* You have at least one `APPROVED` message template — see [First Campaign](./first-campaign) for how to create and submit a template

<Note>
  Automations can only send approved WhatsApp templates. An automation with an unapproved template will be flagged and cannot be activated.
</Note>

## Building your first automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Automations">
    In the Galantis dashboard, go to **Automations** and click **New Automation**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a trigger">
    Select the event that starts the flow. Common starting points for a first automation:

    * **Abandoned Checkout** — fires when a customer starts checkout but doesn't complete it (polled every 10 minutes)
    * **New Customer Created** — fires when a new customer registers on your Shopify store
    * **New Order Placed** — fires immediately when an order is created

    Each trigger has an option to **include existing users** — this retroactively enrolls customers who already match the trigger condition at the time of activation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a Delay node (recommended)">
    Connect a Delay node after the trigger. Set a wait time — for example, 30 minutes for an abandoned checkout recovery, or 10 minutes for a new customer welcome. This gives customers time to complete an action before receiving a message.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add an Action node">
    Connect an Action node after the delay. Select **WhatsApp Message** and choose an approved template. Map template variables to customer or order data fields.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set frequency caps and exclusion rules (optional)">
    Configure how often this automation can fire per customer (e.g., once per 24 hours, once ever). Add exclusion rules to skip specific lists or segments if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate the automation">
    Review the flow, confirm there are no validation warnings, and toggle the automation to **Active**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Example: New Customer Welcome

This is a simple and effective first automation:

```
Trigger: New Customer Created
→ Delay: 10 minutes
→ Action: Send welcome template with first-order discount
```

The delay prevents the message from arriving at the exact same moment as the Shopify registration confirmation email, improving the experience.

## Checking automation activity

After activating, go to **Automations → \[Automation Name] → Activity** to see a log of every customer enrolled, which nodes they passed through, and the status of each step (`COMPLETED`, `PENDING`, `FAILED`, `SKIPPED`).

## Related guides

* [Automations](/whatsapp/automations/index) — Full reference for triggers, conditions, actions, and frequency caps
* [Automation Recipes](/whatsapp/automations/recipes/index) — Pre-built flow examples for common use cases
* [Templates](/whatsapp/templates/index) — Creating and managing approved templates