Lesson 4 of 8 · 12 min

Connecting actions to stages

Automations that run on entering or leaving a stage.

Lesson 4 of 8

Each stage can run automated actions the moment a matter enters or leaves it. This lesson shows how to attach those actions in the stage editor.

Before you start

  • A workflow open in the builder
  • Admin access ('manage workflows')

Actions fire on enter or on exit

A stage's Automations tab lists the actions attached to it, each tagged with when it runs: 'on_enter' (as a matter arrives at the stage) or 'on_exit' (as it leaves). This is the key model — you decide whether an action should run at the start of a stage or on the way out.

What an action can do

Adding an action opens a dialog with two questions: 'When does this run?' (When a matter enters this step / When a matter leaves this step) and 'What should happen?'. The action choices include Send Email, Notify Users, Create Folder, Update Field, Request Documents, Create Invoice from Template, and Invite Client to Portal (Create PEXA Workspace also appears when PEXA is enabled for your firm). Each action then shows its own configuration — for example, Send Email lets you pick an email template.

Tasks are separate from actions

Auto-creating tasks for a stage is handled on the stage's Tasks tab (task templates), not through the Automations tab. Keep the distinction in mind: the Automations tab is for on-enter/on-exit actions like emails and field updates; the Tasks tab is for the checklist of work the team must complete in the stage.

  1. 1

    Open the stage's Automations tab

    Click a stage on the canvas, then open its Automations tab. Existing actions are listed with an 'on_enter' or 'on_exit' badge and the action name. A quick-add palette offers common actions — 'Send email', 'Notify team', 'Create folder', 'Update a field' — plus a 'More options…' entry for the full list.

    The Automations tab lists a stage's on-enter/on-exit actions with a quick-add palette.
  2. 2

    Add and configure an action

    Pick a quick action, or open 'More options…' to add any action. In the dialog, set 'When does this run?' (enter or leave) and 'What should happen?', then fill in the action's configuration — for Send Email, choose an email template with merge fields drawn from the matter. Save to attach it to the stage.

Tips & pitfalls

  • Some actions reach outside MatterFirst: Send Email needs your firm's email connected, and Request Documents, Create PEXA Workspace, and other integration actions need those integrations set up first. If an action isn't doing anything, check that its integration is connected under Settings.
  • Use 'on_exit' for hand-off actions (notify the next owner as the matter leaves a stage) and 'on_enter' for kick-off actions (create the folder, email the client).

Key takeaways

  • Stage actions run 'on_enter' or 'on_exit' — you choose the trigger
  • Available actions include Send Email, Notify Users, Create Folder, Update Field, Request Documents, Create Invoice from Template, and Invite Client to Portal
  • Auto-created tasks are configured separately on the stage's Tasks tab
Stage types explained Building automation rules

Put the lesson into practice.

Book a guided session and our team will help you configure MatterFirst for your own practice.

Book a session Back to the Academy