Do you find yourself repeatedly performing the same action based on a specific trigger? If so, ask yourself: Can I automate this?
Think of automations as: "If X happens, then Y should follow." In simpler terms, identify your trigger (what kicks off the process) and your action (the action that should happen next). If you can define these two elements, you can likely automate the process in Copper.
Copper offers three types of automations: task automations, workflow automations and email automations.
Task automations
Task automations allow you to automatically create tasks based on a specific, single-level trigger. For example, if you have a Pipeline with a set of tasks for each stage, you can set up a task automation to generate those tasks whenever the stage changes.
Creating a task automation
Name your task
We recommend naming the task based on its purpose.
For example: Sales Pipeline - Quote Sent Stage Tasks.
Specify your trigger
Entity: Where will this task be created? (Lead, People, Companies, Pipeline Records)
Trigger condition: What event will trigger this task? (e.g., Contact Created, Stage Changed, Inactive for X Days)
Add your task
Fill in the task details.
Pro tip: Use the Description section to outline sub-tasks as a mini checklist.
Example: Task: Send Quote
Description: Create quote → Send to finance for approval → Confirm details
Adding multiple tasks
If you need multiple tasks to be triggered by the same condition, you can add them all within the same task automation.
Workflow Automations (WFA)
How can we make your workday easier and less repetitive? Workflow automations allow Copper to perform specific actions based on a trigger, reducing manual administrative tasks.
Similar to task automations, workflow automations follow a trigger → action structure. However, workflow automations offer more flexibility, allowing actions to be triggered based on multiple conditions and enabling a wider range of actions, such as:
Creating pipelines
Updating records
Creating tasks
Triggers: What initiates the automation? A trigger is an event that prompts Copper to perform an action.
-> What is the trigger based on?
Creating a record
Updating a specific field
Checking daily for specific conditions
-> What are the trigger conditions?
All conditions must be met (AND): Every selected condition must be true for the action to occur.
Any condition can be met (OR): At least one of the selected conditions must be true for the action to occur.
Advanced Custom Logic: Combine AND and OR conditions.
Example: If you have six trigger conditions, you could specify (1 AND 2 AND 3) OR (4 AND 5 AND 6).
This field recognizes numbers, parentheses, "AND," and "OR." If an invalid value is entered, Copper will display an error when saving the automation.
Actions: What happens after the trigger? Once the trigger conditions are met, Copper will take an action.
Update → Modify an existing record related to the trigger.
Example: If the trigger is based on a pipeline update, the action could be updating specific pipeline details.
Create → Generate a new record of the same or a different type.
Example: If the trigger is creating a new contact, the action could be generating a new pipeline record for that contact.
Check out some of our common workflow recipes to get ideas for how to use Workflow Automations effectively!
Email automations
Do you find yourself writing the same email repeatedly in similar scenarios? For example, every time you win an opportunity, you send the same onboarding email with identical details. Instead of doing this manually, let Copper handle it for you with email automations!
With email automations, Copper can send emails directly from your Google account, including:
Merging fields (even custom fields) into emails using templates
Appending your Google signature
Saving the email in your Sent folder—just like if you sent it yourself!
-> Where can you use email automations?
Email automations can be created for Leads, People, Companies, and Pipelines.
-> Setting up your email automation
1. Determine who you’re sending it to
Is it the primary contact on an opportunity?
Someone you haven’t heard from in a while?
A contact placed in a filtered list?
There are multiple ways to trigger an email automation (see details below).
2. Decide who the email will come from
Should it come from the contact owner?
Or should it always come from a specific person? (e.g., an invoicing email always coming from Joe in Accounting when a deal is won).
3. Choose your email template
Use Copper’s Email Templates (including AI-generated templates!) to craft customized emails.
Templates allow you to:
Merge any field from a Copper record (including custom fields).
Add attachments, hyperlinks, and images.
Apply simple formatting for clarity.
Bonus: Email templates can also be used in Gmail via the Chrome extension when you're signed in!
→ Types of Email Automations
People I haven’t heard from in a while
Available on: Leads & People
How it works: Set up an automation to send an email to contacts who haven't had any interactions after X days (based on "Inactive Days" in Copper).
Helps ensure no important relationships slip through the cracks.
Contacts saved in a filter
Available on: Leads, People, and Companies
How it works: Email automations can be triggered based on segmented data.
Example: If you use a Copper Form to capture leads, you can automatically send a confirmation email when a new contact is created under a specific category (e.g., "Webform Submission" filter).
Example email: "Thanks for reaching out! Our team will be in touch soon."
Contacts based on a status update
Available on: Opportunities
How it works: When an opportunity status changes, an email can be sent to the primary contact.
Example: When an opportunity is marked "Won", Copper can send an onboarding kick-off email to outline next steps.
Contacts based on a stage change
Available on: Opportunities
How it works: If an opportunity moves from one stage to another, Copper can send an email automatically.
Example: If a lead moves from Proposal Sent to Negotiation, you can trigger an automated follow-up email.
Copper will notify you if an email automation is in place before you move a record to the next stage—so you won’t accidentally trigger an unwanted email.