Plan Automations - Configuration Overview

This article explains how to configure Plan Automations in OnePlan using the no‑code automation creator.

Plan Automations allow you to automate actions that occur at the plan level, helping you standardize behavior, enforce governance, and reduce manual updates.

This article also introduces:

• How automation scope works
• How where you start an automation affects its behavior
• The recommended flow for configuring triggers, filters, and actions

What you will accomplish
By the end of this article, you will be able to:

• Access the Plan Automations editor
• Create a new Plan Automation
• Understand how automation scope is determined
• Follow the recommended order for configuring triggers, filters, and actions

Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A OnePlan account with Licensed permissions
  (Basic, Professional, or Enterprise)

If creating automations from a Portfolio Area (All Plans scope)

• Enterprise-level permissions
• Manager or Owner role (OOTB Permission Groups)
• Access to the Portfolio Area

If creating automations from within an individual plan (This Plan scope)

• Contributor or Owner permissions for the plan

What Is a Plan Automation?

Plan Automations allow you to automate behavior that applies to a plan as a whole, rather than individual tasks or work items.

Common use cases include:

• Standardizing how plans are created or updated
• Responding to key plan lifecycle events
• Enforcing governance rules consistently across portfolios

Each Plan Automation is made up of three core components:

1. Trigger – defines when the automation runs
2. Filters (optional) – define which plans the automation applies to
3. Actions – define what happens when the automation runs

Understanding how these components work together—and how scope affects them—is key to building effective automations.

Understanding Automation Scope (Important)

Before creating a Plan Automation, it’s important to understand automation scope.

Scope determines which plans an automation applies to, and it is automatically set based on where you create the automation. You do not manually choose the scope.

Plan Automations can be created from two locations:

• A Portfolio Area
• An individual plan

Each location behaves differently.

Automations Created from a Portfolio Area

Use this option when you want an automation to apply to multiple plans.

When an automation is created from a Portfolio Area:

• The scope is automatically set to All Plans
• The scope is locked and cannot be changed
• You are required to select one or more Plan Types
• The automation applies to all plans of the selected plan type(s)

Some triggers—such as When an Item Is Created—are only available when automations are created from a Portfolio Area.

Automations Created from Within a Plan

Use this option when you want an automation to apply to one specific plan.

When an automation is created from inside a plan:

• The scope is automatically set to This Plan
• The scope is locked and cannot be changed
• You do not need to select plan types
• The automation applies only to the current plan

Triggers that require a broader system context (such as plan creation) are not available in this scope.

Key Takeaway
Automation scope is determined by where you start the automation.
Portfolio Area automations apply broadly across plans, while plan‑level automations apply only to the current plan.

Recommended Configuration Flow

To keep automations predictable and easy to manage, we recommend following this configuration order:

1. Access the Plan Automations editor
2. Configure a Trigger
   Defines when the automation runs
   (Each automation can have only one trigger.)
3. (Optional) Add Filters
   Refines which plans the automation applies to
4. Add one or more Actions
   Defines what happens when the automation runs

Each step builds on the previous one.

Instructions

Step 1: Access the Plan Automations Editor

You can access the Plan Automations editor from two locations, depending on the scope you want.

From a Portfolio Area

Use this option to create automations that apply to all plans of a selected plan type.

1. Open the Portfolio Area.
2. In the toolbar, select More (…) > Automations.

From Within a Plan

Use this option to create automations that apply only to the current plan.

1. Open the plan.
2. In the plan header, select the Automations icon.

Note
Users without the required permissions will not see the Automations option.

Step 2: Create a New Plan Automation

1. Open the Plan Automations editor.
2. Select Add New Item (+).
3. Enter a clear and descriptive Title.

Step 3: Configure a Trigger

A trigger defines when the automation runs.

Important
Each automation can have only one trigger.
To respond to multiple events, create separate automations.

Available triggers include:

• When a Date Passes
• When a Field Changes
• When a Process Step Changes
• When an Item Is Created

Trigger Scope Reference

Not all Plan Automation triggers are available at all scopes.
Trigger availability depends on where the automation is created in OnePlan.

See the individual trigger articles for step‑by‑step instructions.

Step 4: (Optional) Add Filters

Filters allow you to further narrow which plans the automation applies to by evaluating plan‑level conditions.

Common examples include:

• Only run for certain plan types
• Only run when a plan is in a specific process step
• Only run when specific plan fields meet defined values

Filters are optional but recommended for targeted automation behavior.

See Plan Automation Filters for configuration details.

Step 5: Add Actions

Actions define what happens when the automation runs.

Available plan‑level actions include:

• Approval Task Workflow
• Copy or Create Plan
• Reorganize Plan
• Send Notification
• Update Plan

You can add multiple actions to a single automation.

Tip
Keeping automations concise makes them easier to understand and maintain.

Step 6: Save the Automation

1. Review the trigger, filters, and actions.
2. Select Save to activate the automation.

Next Steps

To continue learning about Plan Automations, we recommend reviewing the documentation in this order:

1. Plan Automations – Automations Editor Overview
2. Trigger configuration
   • When a Date Passes
   • When a Field Changes
   • When a Process Step Changes
   • When an Item Is Created
3. Plan Automation Filters
4. Action configuration
   • Approval Task Workflow
   • Copy or Create Plan
   • Reorganize Plan
   • Send Notification
   • Update Plan

Each article builds on the previous step to guide you through the full automation setup process.