Direct Answer: How to Configure a When a Field Changes Trigger for Plan Automations in OnePlan
To configure a When a Field Changes trigger for Plan Automations in OnePlan, open the Plan Automations editor, select Trigger in the automation flow, choose When a Field Changes, select the plan-level field to monitor, define whether the automation runs on any value change or only when the field changes to a specific value, 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 Plan Automations in OnePlan. This trigger runs plan-level actions when the value of a selected plan-level field changes and is commonly used to respond to status changes, priority updates, or other important plan attribute changes. It also covers triggering on Field (Summary) options, which are the plan-level values summarized from the plan’s work items.
What you will accomplish By the end of this article, you will be able to configure a When a Field Changes trigger, understand how scope affects the available fields, trigger an automation from a work item summary field, 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)
If creating automations from a Portfolio Area: - Manager or Owner role (OOTB Permission Groups) - Access to the Portfolio Area
If creating automations from within an individual plan: - Contributor or Owner permissions for 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
How the When a Field Changes trigger behaves depends on where the automation is created in OnePlan.
When created from a Portfolio Area, the scope is automatically locked to All Plans, you must select one or more Plan Types, and the available fields are based on those plan types. The automation runs when the selected field changes on any plan that matches the selected plan type(s).
When created from within an individual plan, the scope is automatically locked to This Plan, plan type selection is not required, and only fields available on the current plan can be selected. The automation runs when the selected field changes on the current plan.
Note: Text and Rich Text fields cannot be selected for this trigger.
Step-by-Step: Configuring a When a Field Changes Trigger in OnePlan
Task: Open the Trigger Editor
- Open the Plan Automations editor from a Portfolio Area or from within an individual plan.
- In the automation flow, select Trigger.
The Edit Trigger panel opens on the right side of the screen.
Task: Select the Trigger Type
- In the Trigger field, select When a Field Changes.
Task: Select the Field to Monitor
- In the Field field, select the plan-level field you want to monitor.
The available fields depend on the automation scope — Portfolio Area automations show fields based on the selected plan type(s); plan-level automations show fields available on the current plan.
Note: Text and Rich Text fields cannot be selected for this trigger.
Trigger on a Work Item Summary Field
The Field dropdown also includes Field (Summary) options — for example, Actual Cost (Summary), Actual Labor Cost (Summary), and Actual Labor Revenue (Summary). These are the plan-level rollup values summarized from the plan’s work items.
Select a (Summary) option when you want the automation to run in response to a change in the plan’s rolled-up work item totals rather than a value typed directly on the plan. For example, choose Actual Cost (Summary) to trigger an automation when the total actual cost accumulated across the plan’s work items changes.
Note: A (Summary) field changes when the underlying work items change, not when someone edits the plan directly. Because rollup values can update frequently as work is tracked, pair a (Summary) trigger with a specific Changes To value or with filters so the automation runs only when it should.
Task: Define the Change Condition
- Once a field is selected, configure the Changes To condition.
- Choose one of the following options:
- Select a specific value to trigger the automation when the field changes to that value.
- Select Any Value to trigger the automation whenever the field value changes, regardless of what the new value is.
Task: Save the Trigger
- Review the trigger configuration.
- Select Update to apply the trigger to the automation.
Frequently Asked Questions: When a Field Changes Trigger
Q: Can I monitor a text field with the When a Field Changes trigger in OnePlan? A: No. Text and Rich Text fields cannot be selected for the When a Field Changes trigger in OnePlan. Use a choice field, number field, or another supported field type instead.
Q: Can a Plan Automation be triggered by a change at the work item summary level in OnePlan? A: Yes. In OnePlan, the Field dropdown includes Field (Summary) options, such as Actual Cost (Summary). These represent the plan-level rollup of the plan’s work items, so the automation runs when the summarized total changes rather than when someone edits the plan directly.
Q: What is the difference between a field and its (Summary) version in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, the plain field holds the value entered on the plan itself, while the (Summary) version holds the value summarized up from the plan’s work items. Choose the (Summary) option when the automation should respond to what the work items add up to.
Q: Will the automation run every time the field is edited, or only when the value actually changes in OnePlan? A: The When a Field Changes trigger in OnePlan fires when the field value changes. If the field is saved with the same value, the trigger does not fire.
Q: Can a Plan Automation have more than one When a Field Changes trigger in OnePlan? A: No. Each Plan Automation in OnePlan can have only one trigger. If you need to respond to changes on multiple fields, create separate automations — one per field.
What to Do Next: When a Field Changes Trigger
Continue building your automation: - How to Configure Filters for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure an Update Plan Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Send Notification Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Reorganize Plan Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Copy or Create Plan Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure an Approval Task Workflow Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan - How to Configure a Power Automate Action for Plan Automations in OnePlan
Review and manage automations: - Plan Automations Configuration in OnePlan - Guided Workflow - How to View and Manage Automation Run History in OnePlan
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