Automations

Schedule recurring tasks and trigger functions automatically based on database events or connector webhook events

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This documentation is for developers working with the Base44 developer platform. For information about automations in the app editor, see Creating automations for your app.

Automations allow backend functions to run automatically on a schedule, in response to database events, or when a connected integration sends a webhook event. Use automations to process data at regular intervals, handle entity changes, react to external service events, or execute one-time tasks at specific times.

Each backend function can have multiple automations attached, configured in the function’s function.jsonc file. If you only have an entry.ts or entry.js file, you’ll need to add this configuration file to use automations. Automations are deployed atomically with the function code when you run deploy or functions deploy.

Automation types

Base44 supports 4 types of automations:

• Scheduled automations with cron: Use cron expressions for precise scheduling control.
• Scheduled automations with simple schedules: Configure recurring tasks by interval without cron expressions.
• Entity event automations: Trigger functions when database records are created, updated, or deleted.
• Connector automations: Respond to events from connected services in real time, such as a new email in Gmail or a file change in Google Drive.

Common fields

Common fields for all automations

All automation types share the following fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
type	string	Yes	The automation type. Possible values: "scheduled", "entity", or "connector".
name	string	Yes	Unique identifier for the automation.
description	string	No	Human-readable description.
function_args	object	No	Arguments passed to the function when triggered. See Function arguments.
is_active	boolean	No	Whether the automation is enabled. Defaults to true.

Common fields for scheduled automations

Both cron and simple scheduled automations share these additional fields:

Field	Type	Required	Description
schedule_mode	string	Yes	Whether the schedule repeats. Possible values: "recurring" or "one-time".
schedule_type	string	Yes	Scheduling method to use. Possible values: "cron" or "simple".
ends_type	string	No	When the recurring schedule should stop. Possible values: "never", "on", or "after". Defaults to "never".
ends_on_date	string	Conditional	Date when the recurring schedule ends, inclusive, in UTC. Required when ends_type is "on". Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ. For example, "2026-12-31T23:59:59Z".
ends_after_count	number	Conditional	Number of executions after which the recurring schedule stops. Required when ends_type is "after".

Automation configuration

Configure automations in your function.jsonc file using one of the following approaches. All automations use the common fields for all automations listed above, plus the fields specific to each type.

Cron

Use common fields for all automations and common fields for scheduled automations along with the cron-specific fields listed here.

Set type to "scheduled" and schedule_type to "cron" to use cron expressions for precise scheduling control.

Cron automations use standard 5-field syntax: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. See crontab.guru for an interactive cron expression editor and syntax reference.

Field	Type	Required	Description
cron_expression	string	Yes	5-field cron expression.

Cron example

This example runs a function every day at midnight UTC:

{
  "name": "sendDailyReport",
  "entry": "entry.ts",
  "automations": [
    {
      "type": "scheduled",
      "name": "daily_midnight_report",
      "description": "Runs every day at midnight UTC",
      "function_args": { "mode": "full_sync" },
      "is_active": true,

      "schedule_mode": "recurring",
      "schedule_type": "cron",
      "cron_expression": "0 0 * * ?"
    }
  ]
}

Simple schedule

Use common fields for all automations and common fields for scheduled automations along with the simple schedule fields listed here.

Set type to "scheduled" and schedule_type to "simple" for straightforward scheduling needs.

Configure recurring tasks by interval such as minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months without writing cron expressions.

Field	Type	Required	Description
one_time_date	string	Conditional	Date and time when the automation runs once, in UTC. Required when schedule_mode is "one-time". Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ. For example, "2026-02-15T10:00:00Z".
repeat_unit	string	Conditional	Time unit for recurring automations. Required when schedule_mode is "recurring". Possible values: "minutes", "hours", "days", "weeks", or "months".
repeat_interval	number	Conditional	Interval between executions. Required when repeat_unit is "minutes", "hours", or "days".
start_time	string	Conditional	Time of day when the automation runs, in UTC. Required when repeat_unit is "days", "weeks", or "months". Format: HH:MM.
repeat_on_days	number[]	Conditional	Days of the week when the automation runs. Required when repeat_unit is "weeks". Array of weekday numbers, where 0 is Sunday and 6 is Saturday.
repeat_on_day_of_month	number	Conditional	Day of the month when the automation runs. Required when repeat_unit is "months". Valid values: 1-31.

Simple schedule examples

The following examples show different ways to schedule automations with simple schedules:

Every 30 minutes

{
  "type": "scheduled",
  "name": "every_30_minutes",
  "description": "Runs every 30 minutes.",
  "is_active": true,

  "schedule_mode": "recurring",
  "schedule_type": "simple",
  "repeat_unit": "minutes",
  "repeat_interval": 30
}

{
  "type": "scheduled",
  "name": "weekday_morning_report",
  "description": "Runs at 9 AM Monday through Friday.",
  "is_active": true,

  "schedule_mode": "recurring",
  "schedule_type": "simple",
  "repeat_unit": "weeks",
  "repeat_interval": 1,
  "start_time": "09:00",
  "repeat_on_days": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],

  "ends_type": "after",
  "ends_after_count": 52
}

{
  "type": "scheduled",
  "name": "one_time_cleanup",
  "description": "Runs once at a specific date and time.",
  "function_args": { "cleanup": true },
  "is_active": true,

  "schedule_mode": "one-time",
  "schedule_type": "simple",
  "one_time_date": "2026-02-15T10:00:00Z"
}

Entity events

Use common fields for all automations along with the entity event fields listed here.

Set type to "entity" to trigger functions automatically when database records are created, updated, or deleted.

Entity automations can listen to 1 or more event types on a specific entity.

Entity automations only fire for single-record create, update, and delete calls made through the entities API. Bulk operations, such as bulkUpdate(), and by-query operations, such as updateMany(), do not trigger entity automations, even when they affect records that match your entity’s name. Restoring a soft-deleted record or permanently deleting one also does not trigger an automation. If your automation must react to every change, avoid bulk or by-query writes on that entity, or trigger the automation’s logic manually instead.

Field	Type	Required	Description
entity_name	string	Yes	Name of the entity to monitor.
event_types	string[]	Yes	Database events to listen for. Possible values: "create", "update", "delete". At least 1 required.

Entity event examples

The following examples show how to trigger functions based on entity events:

All order events

{
  "name": "processOrders",
  "entry": "entry.ts",
  "automations": [
    {
      "type": "entity",
      "name": "on_order_changes",
      "description": "Triggered on order create, update, or delete.",
      "function_args": { "notify_slack": true },
      "is_active": true,

      "entity_name": "orders",
      "event_types": ["create", "update", "delete"]
    }
  ]
}

{
  "type": "entity",
  "name": "on_customer_create",
  "description": "Triggered when a new customer is created.",
  "is_active": true,

  "entity_name": "customers",
  "event_types": ["create"]
}

Connector automations

Use common fields for all automations along with the connector-specific fields listed here.

Set type to "connector" to trigger functions when a connected integration sends a webhook event. Use these to react to external service activity in real time. For example, you can parse a new email, sync a calendar change, or respond to a file update in Google Drive.

You can optionally add trigger conditions to filter events so your function only runs when the payload matches rules you define.

When a connector automation fires, your function receives a structured webhook payload containing the event type, integration details, and the raw data from the external service.

The connector must be configured in your project and authorized before deployment. See Shared connectors for setup instructions.

Field	Type	Required	Description
integration_type	string	Yes	The connector type identifier to listen on. See supported integrations for accepted values.
events	string[]	Yes	One or more webhook event names to subscribe to. See supported integrations for available events per connector.
resource_id	string	Conditional	Scopes the automation to a specific resource. The expected format depends on the connector. See Resource ID formats below. Required for Google Drive file-scoped events. Optional for other connectors.
trigger_conditions	object	No	Rules that must match the incoming event before your function runs. If the event does not match, the run is skipped. See Trigger conditions for the full reference.

Supported integrations and events

Connector	integration_type	events value	Description
Gmail	gmail	mailbox	Any mailbox change, including new messages, label updates, and read status changes.
Google Calendar	googlecalendar	events	Any calendar event change, including created, updated, and deleted.
Google Drive	googledrive	changes	Any change in the drive, including files added, modified, or deleted.
Google Drive	googledrive	file	Any change to a specific file (requires resource_id).
Google Drive	googledrive	file.update	File content or properties changed (requires resource_id).
Google Drive	googledrive	file.trash	File moved to trash (requires resource_id).
Google Drive	googledrive	file.untrash	File restored from trash (requires resource_id).
Google Drive	googledrive	file.delete	File permanently deleted (requires resource_id).
Microsoft OneDrive	one_drive	updated	Any file or folder change, including created, modified, and deleted.
Microsoft Outlook	outlook	created	A new email, calendar event, or contact is created.
Microsoft Outlook	outlook	updated	An email, calendar event, or contact is updated.
Microsoft Outlook	outlook	deleted	An email, calendar event, or contact is deleted.
Microsoft SharePoint	share_point	updated	When a list item or document is created, modified, or deleted.
Microsoft Teams	microsoft_teams	created	When a new chat message is posted.
Microsoft Teams	microsoft_teams	updated	When a chat message is updated.
Microsoft Teams	microsoft_teams	deleted	When a chat message is deleted.
Slack	slack	message	When a message is posted to a channel.
Slack	slack	message.im	When a direct message is posted.
Slack	slack	message.groups	When a message is posted to a private channel.
Slack	slack	message.channels	When a message is posted to a public channel.
Slack	slack	message.mpim	When a message is posted to a multi-party IM.
Slack	slack	reaction_added	When a reaction is added to a message.
Slack	slack	reaction_removed	When a reaction is removed from a message.
Slack	slack	member_joined_channel	When a user joins a channel.
Slack	slack	member_left_channel	When a user leaves a channel.
Slack	slack	file_shared	When a file is shared.
Slack Bot	slackbot	app_mention	When the bot is @-mentioned.
Slack Bot	slackbot	message.im	When a direct message is sent to the bot.
Slack Bot	slackbot	message.mpim	When a message is sent in a group DM with the bot.
Slack Bot	slackbot	message.channels	When a message is posted in a public channel the bot is in.
Slack Bot	slackbot	message.groups	When a message is posted in a private channel the bot is in.
Wix	wix	wix.forms.v4.submission_created	A form submission was created on a Wix site.
Wix	wix	wix.contacts.v4.contact_created	A contact was created in Wix CRM.
Wix	wix	wix.contacts.v4.contact_updated	A Wix CRM contact was updated.
Wix	wix	wix.contacts.v4.contact_deleted	A Wix CRM contact was deleted.
Wix	wix	wix.ecom.v1.order_created	A Wix eCommerce order was created.
Wix	wix	wix.ecom.v1.order_updated	A Wix eCommerce order was updated.
Wix	wix	wix.ecom.v1.order_canceled	A Wix eCommerce order was canceled.
Wix	wix	wix.ecom.v1.checkout_created	A Wix eCommerce checkout was created.
Wix	wix	wix.data.v2.data_item_created	A Wix CMS data item was created.
Wix	wix	wix.data.v2.data_item_updated	A Wix CMS data item was updated.
Wix	wix	wix.data.v2.data_item_deleted	A Wix CMS data item was deleted.

Gmail’s mailbox event fires for any mailbox change, not just new messages. To run your function only when new emails arrive, add a trigger condition: { "field": "has_new_messages", "operator": "equals", "value": true }.

Slack (slack) and Slack Bot (slackbot) connector automations require trigger conditions. Deployment will fail if no conditions are set for these connector automations.

Resource ID formats

The expected value for resource_id varies by connector:

• Google Drive: The file ID. Required for file-scoped events (file, file.update, file.trash, file.untrash, file.delete).
• Gmail: A comma-separated list of label IDs to watch. Defaults to "INBOX" if omitted.
• Microsoft Teams: {teamId}/{channelId} to watch a specific channel, or {chatId} to watch a specific chat.
• SharePoint: {siteId}/{listId} to watch a specific list.

Trigger conditions

Use trigger_conditions to filter webhook events so your function only runs when the payload matches rules you define. If no conditions are set, the function runs for every incoming event. See Connector automation examples for complete configurations.

logic · string

How to combine the conditions. Possible values: "and" (all must match), "or" (any must match). Defaults to "and".

conditions · array · required

One or more condition objects or nested condition groups. Maximum 20 leaf conditions and 5 levels of nesting.

Show Condition object fields

field · string · required

Dot-separated path into the webhook payload. For example, "status" reads payload.data.status, and "sender.email" reads payload.data.sender.email.

operator · string · required

How to compare the field value.

Show Supported operators

Operator	Description
equals	Field value exactly matches value.
not_equals	Field value does not match value.
contains	Field value contains value as a substring.
not_contains	Field value does not contain value as a substring.
starts_with	Field value starts with value.
ends_with	Field value ends with value.
gt	Field value is greater than value.
gte	Field value is greater than or equal to value.
lt	Field value is less than value.
lte	Field value is less than or equal to value.
in_list	Field value is one of the items in value (an array).
not_in_list	Field value is not one of the items in value (an array).
exists	Field is present and not null. No value required.
not_exists	Field is null or missing. No value required.
is_empty	Field is null, an empty string, an empty array, or an empty object. No value required.
is_not_empty	Field is not null, empty string, empty array, or empty object. No value required.

value · any

The value to compare against. Not required for exists, not_exists, is_empty, and is_not_empty.

Webhook payload

When a connector automation triggers your function, the request body contains a payload object with the following structure. See Connector automation examples for a function that reads the payload.

Field	Type	Description
payload.automation.id	string	ID of the automation that triggered this run.
payload.automation.name	string	Name of the automation.
payload.automation.type	string	Always "connector".
payload.event.type	string	The webhook event name. For example, "mailbox", "events", or "changes".
payload.event.integration_type	string	The connector type. For example, "gmail" or "googlecalendar".
payload.event.provider_identifier	string	The provider account identifier used for routing.
payload.data	object	The raw webhook payload from the external service. Set to null when payload_too_large is true.
payload.payload_too_large	boolean	Is true when the webhook payload exceeded ~200 KB and data is null.

Connector automation examples

Basic connector automation

// Triggers the function whenever a new email arrives in Gmail.

{
  "name": "processInboundEmails",
  "entry": "entry.ts",
  "automations": [
    {
      "type": "connector",
      "name": "on_new_gmail",
      "description": "Runs when a new email arrives in Gmail.",
      "is_active": true,

      "integration_type": "gmail",
      "events": ["mailbox"]
    }
  ]
}

// Triggers only when a Google Calendar event has status "cancelled".

{
  "type": "connector",
  "name": "on_event_cancelled",
  "description": "Runs only when a Google Calendar event is cancelled.",
  "is_active": true,

  "integration_type": "googlecalendar",
  "events": ["events"],
  "trigger_conditions": {
    "logic": "and",
    "conditions": [
      { "field": "status", "operator": "equals", "value": "cancelled" }
    ]
  }
}

// Triggers only for Gmail messages that are both in the inbox and unread.

{
  "type": "connector",
  "name": "on_unread_inbox_email",
  "description": "Runs only for unread emails in the inbox.",
  "is_active": true,

  "integration_type": "gmail",
  "events": ["mailbox"],
  "trigger_conditions": {
    "logic": "and",
    "conditions": [
      { "field": "labelIds", "operator": "contains", "value": "INBOX" },
      { "field": "labelIds", "operator": "contains", "value": "UNREAD" }
    ]
  }
}

// Reads the structured payload from the request body.

Deno.serve(async (req) => {
  const body = await req.json();
  const { payload } = body;

  const eventType = payload.event.type;            
  const integration = payload.event.integration_type; 

  if (payload.payload_too_large) {
    console.warn("Webhook payload was too large and was not included.");
    return Response.json({ ok: false, reason: "payload_too_large" });
  }

  const data = payload.data; 
  
  // Your function logic
  console.log(`Received ${eventType} event from ${integration}`, data);

  return Response.json({ ok: true });
});

Function arguments

Pass data to your function when it’s triggered by including the function_args field in your automation configuration. This is useful when one function handles multiple automations with different behaviors, such as a sync function that runs incrementally every 15 minutes but does a full sync daily.

Access these arguments in your function code through the request body.

Function arguments example

This example shows a function that handles both incremental and full sync modes based on the automation config:

Function code

Deno.serve(async (req) => {
  const body = await req.json();
  const args = body.args ?? {};

  // Use the arguments from automation config
  const mode = args.mode ?? "incremental";

  // Your function logic
});

{
  "name": "syncData",
  "entry": "entry.ts",
  "automations": [
    {
      "type": "scheduled",
      "name": "incremental_sync",
      "description": "Runs every 15 minutes with incremental mode.",
      "function_args": { "mode": "incremental" },
      "is_active": true,
      "schedule_mode": "recurring",
      "schedule_type": "simple",
      "repeat_unit": "minutes",
      "repeat_interval": 15
    },
    {
      "type": "scheduled",
      "name": "full_sync",
      "description": "Runs daily at midnight with full sync mode.",
      "function_args": { "mode": "full" },
      "is_active": true,
      "schedule_mode": "recurring",
      "schedule_type": "cron",
      "cron_expression": "0 0 * * ?"
    }
  ]
}

Deploy automations

Deploy backend functions with their automations using the CLI functions deploy command or the unified deploy command. You can deploy specific functions by name with functions deploy <names...>.

The deployment is atomic per function. A function is only considered deployed if both the Deno deployment and all its automations succeed. If any automation fails to deploy, the entire function deployment is rolled back.

After deploying, the CLI shows per-function status: deployed, unchanged, or error.

Manage automations in the dashboard

Any changes made in the dashboard will be overwritten the next time you run functions deploy. There is no two-way sync between the dashboard and your local files. Automations defined in your local function.jsonc files are the source of truth.

If you want to make changes to your automations, update your local function.jsonc files and redeploy. Use the dashboard for monitoring execution logs and manually triggering automations when needed.

View and manage your automations in the Base44 dashboard under the Automations tab. From the dashboard, you can:

• View execution logs and history
• Run automations manually for testing
• Monitor automation status

See also

• Backend Functions: Learn about backend functions
• functions deploy: Deploy functions with automations
• deploy: Deploy all resources at once
• logs: View function logs