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Actions are the steps that do the actual work when a workflow runs. Each action performs a specific operation: sending an email, transforming data, calling an API, updating a record in a connected app, and so on. A workflow can contain any number of actions, and they execute in the order you arrange them on the canvas.

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Categories of actions

Data transformation actions let you reshape, filter, map, and format data as it flows through your workflow. Use these when you need to convert a value before passing it to the next step — for example, formatting a date string, parsing a JSON field, splitting a full name into first and last, or mapping values from one schema to another.Common data transformation actions:
  • Set variable — Store a value under a named key for use in later steps.
  • Format date — Convert a date/time value to a different format or time zone.
  • Parse JSON — Extract fields from a JSON string.
  • Map array — Transform each item in a list using a template.
  • Filter array — Remove items from a list that don’t match a condition.
  • Merge objects — Combine two objects into one.
Notification actions send messages to people or systems. Use these to alert your team, confirm an event to a customer, or post a status update to a channel.Common notification actions:
  • Send email — Send a plain-text or HTML email via your connected email provider or RCB Automation’s built-in mailer.
  • Send SMS — Send a text message via a connected SMS provider such as Twilio.
  • Post to Slack — Send a message to a Slack channel or direct message a user.
  • Post to Microsoft Teams — Post a card or message to a Teams channel.
  • Send push notification — Trigger a push notification via a connected mobile app provider.
Integration actions interact with connected third-party apps to read or write data. These are the most commonly used actions and cover the full range of operations supported by each connected app.Examples by app:
  • Google Sheets — Append row, Update row, Get rows, Delete row
  • Salesforce — Create record, Update record, Find record, Delete record
  • HubSpot — Create contact, Update deal, Add to list
  • Airtable — Create record, Update record, Search records
  • Jira — Create issue, Update issue, Add comment
  • Stripe — Retrieve customer, Create invoice, Update subscription
To use an integration action, you must first connect the relevant app under Integrations → Connected apps.
HTTP request actions let you call any REST API — whether it’s a connected integration or an external service with no native integration. Use this action when you need to send or retrieve data from a custom API endpoint.The HTTP request action supports:
  • Methods: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
  • Custom request headers (including Authorization headers for API keys or Bearer tokens)
  • Request body as JSON, form data, or raw text
  • Response parsing — the full response body is available as step output for downstream steps
Store secrets like API keys in Settings → Credentials and reference them in your HTTP action using {{credentials.my_api_key}} rather than hardcoding them in the workflow.

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Adding an action to the canvas

1

Click the add step button

On the canvas, click the + button on any connector or at the end of a branch where you want to insert the action.
2

Choose Action from the step type selector

The step type panel opens. Select Action to browse available action types. Use the search bar to find a specific app or action quickly.
3

Select the action

Click the action you want to add. If the action requires a connected app, you’ll be prompted to select a connected account or connect a new one.
4

Configure the action (see below)

The action configuration panel opens on the right. Fill in the required fields and any optional settings.
5

Click Save

The action is saved and its card appears on the canvas. A green checkmark icon indicates it’s fully configured. A yellow warning icon means required fields are still empty.

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Configuring action inputs

Each action has a set of input fields — some required, some optional. Inputs accept two types of values: Static values are fixed strings, numbers, or booleans you type directly. Use these when the value doesn’t change between runs — for example, a fixed recipient email address or a constant subject line. Dynamic values reference data from earlier steps. Click the {} icon in any input field to open the data picker. From there, browse the output of the trigger and all preceding steps to select a value. You can also type {{ directly in the field to start a reference. For example, to pass the email address from a form submission to a “Send email” action: 
To: {{trigger.body.email}}
Subject: Thanks for your submission, {{trigger.body.first_name}}
Use the Preview button in the data picker to see the actual values from a recent test run. This confirms that the path you’re referencing contains the data you expect.
You can combine static text and dynamic references in the same field. Mix them freely to build strings like "Order #{{trigger.body.order_id}} confirmed".

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Chaining multiple actions in sequence

By default, actions execute one after another in the order they appear on the canvas, from top to bottom. The output of each action is available to all steps that follow it. To reorder actions, drag a step card to a new position on the canvas. To move an action into a branch (or out of one), cut and paste it using the ⋯ menu on the step card.
Steps inside a condition branch only have access to the outputs of steps that ran before the branch. They cannot reference outputs from steps in the other branch.

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Handling action failures

By default, if an action fails — due to a network error, an invalid response, or a misconfiguration — the workflow run stops and is marked Failed. You can change this behavior per action.
1

Open the action's configuration panel

Click the action card on the canvas to open its settings on the right.
2

Go to the Error handling tab

Switch to the Error handling tab within the configuration panel.
3

Configure retry logic

Enable Retry on failure and set the number of retry attempts (1–5) and the delay between retries (seconds to minutes). Use exponential backoff for actions calling rate-limited APIs.
4

Configure on-failure behavior

Choose what happens if all retries are exhausted:
  • Stop workflow (default) — The run is marked Failed and execution halts.
  • Continue workflow — Execution proceeds to the next step. The failed action’s output is empty; downstream steps must handle the missing data gracefully.
  • Run error branch — Execution diverts to a dedicated error branch you define on the canvas. Use this to send an alert, log the error, or trigger a recovery action.
Selecting Continue workflow on a failed action means downstream steps may receive empty or unexpected data. Add condition steps to guard against null values if you use this option.

Triggers

Configure what starts a workflow before its actions run.

Conditions

Branch your workflow so different actions run based on logic.

Integrations

Connect apps to unlock their integration actions.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose failed actions from the run history.