Automation loop, please help

[Elliot (Elliot Cryer)]

Hi All,

I have a problem that is very unique to me as it involves a custom integration that I had built for a developer. None the less, the problem is still quite simple and I am not sure if there is a solution or not. I was hoping there was.

The app developer who I won’t name is very poor with communication and I am not sure if I will hear back from them to tweak the app. So assume that isn’t an option for this scenario.

These are the columns I am working with.

The custom integrations sets the date to today if it is an incoming or outgoing communication in the respective column.

Then I have these 2 automations.

Pretty simple, I can then use the “customer awaiting response” status with the last inbound communication date to set up automated follow ups at set times and to move on items when they are non-responsive.

THE PROBLEM:

• When there is more than 1 incoming or outgoing message on the same day, it no longer triggers a change in the date column. So the “customer awaiting response” column gets stuck in 1 position.

I have tried:

• Making the automations push the date by 12 months, but this just creates a loop and keeps pushing the date.
• Making a second date column, and multiple “yes, YES, no, NO” statuses. but this just drags out the inevitable and still ends in a loop or just too many steps for the automations to calculate and it doesn’t get the whole way through.

It would be good if Monday had a “clear column” option as that would close the loop, but they don’t.

I was wondering if anyone can think of a nice simple automated solution to this dilemma.

Looking forward to hearing and trying out your ideas.

Cheers,

Elliot.

[jennap (Jenna)]

Hi @Elliot

Hmm… I do indeed see the issue you’re running into.

You are correct, we do not have the ability to clear a column’s information via automation at this time that will fit the needs you’ve described. The only column clearing abilities we have at the moment is the option to clear assignees in custom automations and using this recipe, which will clear the column on the entire board:

This means that we likely don’t have any internal ability to make the current workflow you have avoid this loophole issue (at least that I can think of).

However, would it be at all possible for your initial app to instead change a different status column when an inbound/outbound message is sent rather than the date columns?

I ask because I do have an idea that utilizes the order of Custom Automations to change a status to “Inbound” or “Outbound”, which then triggers the setting of the date column and changing of “Customer awaiting response” statuses.

Then, finally, it will change that original status to “pending” so that when a new inbound or outbound message is sent, the status can then be changed accordingly to trigger the automation again!

Here are the recipes I built, which will trigger each action in the order that they are set up in the recipe:

I hope this helps! Remember to mark as solved if this answers your question

Cheers,
Jenna