Action
A step that an automated workflow performs, such as sending an email, updating a database, calling an API, or creating a document.
In-Depth Explanation
An action is a single step that automation performs. Actions are the "what" of automation - the actual work being done after a trigger fires.
Common action types:
- Data operations: Create, read, update, delete records
- Communications: Send email, SMS, Slack messages
- Documents: Generate, transform, sign documents
- Integrations: Call APIs, sync data between systems
- Notifications: Alert users, create tasks
- Calculations: Transform data, apply business logic
Action design principles:
- Idempotent: Safe to retry without side effects
- Atomic: Complete fully or not at all
- Logged: Record what happened for debugging
- Error-handled: Graceful failure with clear messages
Action chaining:
- Sequential: One after another
- Conditional: Based on previous results
- Parallel: Independent actions simultaneously
- Loops: Repeat for multiple items
Business Context
Actions are where automation delivers value. Well-designed actions are reliable, observable, and maintainable - critical for production business processes.
How Clever Ops Uses This
We design robust action implementations for Australian businesses, ensuring automations are reliable enough for mission-critical processes.
Example Use Case
"An order processing workflow with actions: validate inventory → charge payment → generate invoice → update CRM → send confirmation email."