How to Configure a When a Field Changes Trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan

Direct Answer: How to Configure a When a Field Changes Trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan

To configure a When a Field Changes trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan, open the Automations editor from a Work Plan, select Trigger, set the scope and work types, choose When a Field Changes, select the work item field to monitor, define the change condition, then select Update to save.

What This Article Covers: When a Field Changes Trigger

This article explains how to configure the When a Field Changes trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan. This trigger launches the automation when the value of a selected work item field changes.

What you will accomplish By the end of this article, you will be able to configure a When a Field Changes trigger, set the scope and work types, and define when the automation runs based on specific field value changes.

Before You Begin: When a Field Changes Trigger

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A OnePlan account with Licensed permissions (Basic, Professional, or Enterprise)
• Contributor or Owner access to the plan

Note: Each automation can have only one trigger. If you need an automation to respond to multiple events, create separate automations — each with its own trigger.

Why This Matters: When a Field Changes Trigger

The scope of a Work Plan Automation in OnePlan determines which plans it applies to and depends on your global permissions:

• This Plan (end users and administrators) — The automation applies only to the plan where it was created.
• All Plans (administrators only) — The automation applies to all plans of the selected Plan Types.

Note: The When a Field Changes trigger fires only on changes made by a user or through the API. Changes made by an automation — including this one — do not fire the trigger. This is intentional and prevents automations from triggering each other in an endless loop.

Step-by-Step: Configuring a When a Field Changes Trigger in OnePlan

Task: Open the Trigger Editor

1. Open the Automations editor from a Work Plan (toolbar … → Automations).
2. In the automation flow, select Trigger.

The Edit Trigger panel opens on the right side of the screen.

Task: Set the Scope

1. Select the Scope of the automation:

   • This Plan (end users and administrators) — Applies only to the current plan.

     

   • All Plans (administrators only) — Applies to all plans of the selected Plan Types.

     

Task: Select Work Types

1. Choose the Work Types (for example, Task, Risk) that the automation should apply to.

Task: Select the Trigger Type and Field

1. Select the When a Field Changes trigger.
2. In the Field field, select the work item field you want to monitor.

Task: Define the Change Condition

1. Once a field is selected, the Changes To condition appears.
2. Choose one of the following:
   • Select a specific value to trigger the automation when the field changes to that value.
   • Check Any Value to trigger the automation whenever the field value changes, regardless of what the new value is.

Task: Save the Trigger

1. Select Update to apply the trigger to the automation.

Frequently Asked Questions: When a Field Changes Trigger

Q: Can I monitor a plan-level field with the When a Field Changes trigger in Work Plan Automations in OnePlan? A: No. The When a Field Changes trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan monitors work item fields, not plan-level fields. If you need to respond to a plan-level field change, use a Plan Automation instead.

Q: Will the automation fire if the field is saved without a value change in OnePlan? A: No. In OnePlan, the When a Field Changes trigger fires only when the field value actually changes. Saving a work item without changing the monitored field value does not trigger the automation.

Q: Can a Work Plan Automation have more than one trigger in OnePlan? A: No. Each Work Plan Automation in OnePlan can have only one trigger. Create separate automations if you need to respond to multiple field changes.

Q: Will the When a Field Changes trigger fire if another automation updates the field in OnePlan? A: No. In OnePlan, the When a Field Changes trigger fires only on changes made by a user or through the API. When an automation updates a field — for example, with an Update Work Item action — the change is saved directly and skips trigger evaluation. This is intentional and prevents two automations from triggering each other in an endless loop. Chaining one automation off another is not supported.

What to Do Next: When a Field Changes Trigger

Continue building your automation: - How to Configure Filters for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Send Notification Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure an Update Work Item Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Copy or Create Work Item Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Request Update Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure an Approval Task Workflow Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Power Automate Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan (source URL to be added when published)

Review the full configuration process: - Work Plan Automations Configuration in OnePlan - Guided Workflow