BaseCloud Tasks¶

Tasks are the building blocks of your automation workflows. Each task performs a specific function, and by connecting tasks together, you create powerful automated processes.

Task Types: Triggers vs Actions¶

Trigger Tasks¶

Trigger tasks START your workflows. They listen for events and initiate workflow execution.

Every workflow must begin with exactly one trigger task.

Common Trigger Tasks:

• Webhook In - Starts when external service sends data
• Timer Trigger - Starts at specific times/intervals
• Website Form - Starts when website form is submitted
• Inbound Email - Starts when email arrives
• CRM Trigger - Starts when contact data changes
• Call Connect Trigger - Starts when phone call occurs

How They Work:

Event Occurs → Trigger Task Activates → Rest of Workflow Runs

Example: A customer submits a contact form → Website Form trigger starts → Send welcome email → Create CRM record → Notify sales team

Action Tasks¶

Action tasks DO things in your workflow. They execute operations, send data, make decisions, and transform information.

You can have multiple action tasks in a workflow, running in sequence or parallel.

Common Action Tasks:

• Email - Send emails
• Webhook Out - Call external APIs
• If Statement - Make decisions
• Delay - Wait before continuing
• Match to Client - Find existing CRM records
• Loop - Repeat actions for multiple items
• Code - Run custom JavaScript
• Variable - Store and manipulate data
• Text Formatter - Transform data

How They Work:

Trigger → Action 1 → Action 2 → Action 3 → ...

Example Workflow:

1. Webhook In (trigger) — receives order data
2. Match to Client — finds the existing customer record
3. If Statement — checks whether they are a VIP customer
4. True: Email sends a confirmation · False: Webhook Out updates the inventory system

Key Differences¶

Building Your First Workflow¶

1. Choose a Trigger - How should the workflow start?
2. Add Actions - What should happen when triggered?
3. Connect Tasks - Link tasks in the order they should run
4. Test - Verify it works as expected
5. Enable - Turn on the workflow for production

The Add Task panel is where you pick one. It opens on Triggers and switches to Actions, with a search box across both — the same split this page describes.

Understanding Task Data: JSON vs Flattened¶

Every task in BaseCloud receives input data and produces output data. Understanding how to access this data is crucial for building effective workflows.

How Task Data Works¶

When a task runs, it receives data from previous tasks and produces output for subsequent tasks. BaseCloud provides two ways to access this data:

The Output pane shows both. Vars lists the flattened fields; JSON shows the same response in its original shape. They are two views of one payload, not two payloads.

The chip on the JSON tab copies a reference to the whole object — useful when a later task wants the entire payload rather than one field from it.

1. Flattened Fields (Recommended for Most Cases)¶

BaseCloud automatically flattens nested JSON structures for easy access using simple variable names.

Example Input JSON:

{
  "customer": {
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane@example.com"
  },
  "order": {
    "id": "ORD-5560",
    "total": 109.97
  },
  "items": [
    { "name": "Product A", "quantity": 2, "price": 29.99 },
    { "name": "Product B", "quantity": 1, "price": 49.99 }
  ]
}

Access as Flattened Fields:

{{task_46171_customer_name}}      → "Jane Doe"
{{task_46171_customer_email}}     → "jane@example.com"
{{task_46171_order_id}}           → "ORD-5560"
{{task_46171_order_total}}        → 109.97
{{task_46171_items_0_name}}       → "Product A"
{{task_46171_items_0_quantity}}   → 2
{{task_46171_items_1_name}}       → "Product B"

2. JSON Notation (For Advanced Scenarios)¶

Access the original JSON structure directly when you need more control.

Same data, JSON notation:

{{task_46171.JSON.customer.name}}       → "Jane Doe"
{{task_46171.JSON.order.id}}            → "ORD-5560"
{{task_46171.JSON.items[0].name}}       → "Product A"
{{task_46171.JSON.items[1].price}}      → 49.99

Viewing Task Output¶

Every task shows both formats in the OUTPUT panel:

Flattened View:

task_46171_customer_name     Jane Doe
task_46171_customer_email    jane@example.com
task_46171_items_0_name      Product A
task_46171_items_1_name      Product B

JSON View:

{
  "customer": {
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane@example.com"
  },
  "items": [{ "name": "Product A" }, { "name": "Product B" }]
}

Quick Reference¶

Common Status Fields¶

Every task also outputs these status fields:

• {{task_ID_run}} - Whether the task succeeded (true/false)
• {{task_ID_run_text}} - Status message describing what happened
• {{task_ID_task_id}} - The task's unique identifier

Example: Building an Email¶

Using flattened fields in an Email task:

Subject:

Order {{task_46171_order_id}} Confirmation

Body:

Hi {{task_46171_customer_name}},

Thanks for your order!

Order Details:
- Order #: {{task_46171_order_id}}
- Total: ${{task_46171_order_total}}

Items:
- {{task_46171_items_0_name}} (Qty: {{task_46171_items_0_quantity}})
- {{task_46171_items_1_name}} (Qty: {{task_46171_items_1_quantity}})

Thanks!

Trigger Tasks¶

Tasks that start your workflows based on events. Every workflow must begin with exactly one trigger task.

Action Tasks¶

Tasks that perform operations in your workflow after the trigger starts execution.

Data Tasks¶

Tasks that transform and manipulate data.

Integration Tasks¶

Tasks that connect with external services.

Example: Complete Workflow¶

Here's how trigger and action tasks work together:

Scenario: Process new customer orders from website

graph LR
    A[Form Submission<br/>TRIGGER] --> B[Match to Client<br/>ACTION]
    B --> C[If Condition<br/>ACTION]
    C -->|New Customer| D[Email Welcome<br/>ACTION]
    C -->|Existing Customer| E[Email Thank You<br/>ACTION]
    D --> F[Webhook Out<br/>ACTION]
    E --> F
    F[Update Inventory]

Flow:

1. Form Submission (Trigger) - Customer submits order form
2. Match to Client (Action) - Find existing customer record
3. If Condition (Action) - Check if new or existing customer
4. Email (Action) - Send appropriate welcome or thank you email
5. Webhook Out (Action) - Update inventory system

Finding the Right Task¶

By Use Case¶

• Receiving Data: Webhook In, Website Form, Inbound Email, Facebook Lead Ads
• Time-Based Automation: Schedule, Client Date Trigger, Delay
• CRM & Contact Events: CRM Trigger, Client Date Trigger
• Phone & Call Tracking: Call Connect, Call Tracking
• Lead Capture: Form Submission, Facebook Lead Ads
• Sending Notifications: Email, SMS, WATI
• API Integration: Webhook Out, Webhook Out
• Conditional Logic: If Statement, Switch
• Data Processing: Formatter, Regex, Table

By Difficulty¶

Beginner-Friendly¶

Start with these if you're new to automation:

• Webhook In
• Schedule
• Form Submission
• Email
• SMS
• If Statement
• Delay
• Formatter

Intermediate¶

Once you're comfortable with the basics:

• Inbound Email
• CRM Trigger
• Client Date Trigger
• Call Connect
• Facebook Lead Ads
• Webhook Out
• Loop
• Switch
• Regex
• Everlytic
• WATI

Advanced¶

For complex integrations:

• Call Tracking Trigger
• Sage
• BaseCloud Accounting
• Custom Code
• Advanced Regex patterns

Task Documentation Format¶

Each task documentation includes:

• Overview - What the task does
• Parameters - All configuration options
• Examples - Real-world usage
• Best Practices - Tips and recommendations
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• Related Tasks - Similar or complementary tasks