Creating Activity Tasks for Automations

Activity tasks automatically create and assign action items to specific users with configured due dates, priorities, and status settings when an Automation's criteria are met. This task type is essential for follow-up actions, review workflows, scheduled activities, and ensuring human oversight at critical process stages. Activity tasks eliminate manual task creation and guarantee that responsible users receive assignments at the exact moment action is required.

Requirements

To create and configure Activity tasks for Automations, users must be assigned a Security Role with the following permissions:

Administrator System Role

Only administrators can access Automations, create Activity tasks, configure task properties and assignments, and manage task settings. Standard users, partner users, and customer portal users cannot configure Automation tasks.

Before You Begin

Before creating Activity tasks, ensure you have:

• Activity-Enabled Entity: Activity tasks require Automations created on entities with activity tracking enabled. Verify the entity supports activities by checking entity configuration or viewing the Activities related list on record detail pages.
• Assignee Identification: Identify who should receive task assignments (specific users with appropriate permissions and responsibilities). Verify assignees are active users with access to the entity records.
• Task Properties: Plan task subjects, due dates, priorities, and any instructions that assignees will need to complete the activities effectively.

Creating Activity Tasks

Accessing the Task Creation Interface

1. Navigate to Setup → Create → Automations
2. Click the Automation (on an activity-enabled entity, excluding Task entity) to which you want to add an Activity task
3. In the Automation Tasks section, click New
4. Select New Activity Task from the task type options
5. Click Next

The Activity task configuration page displays two primary sections: Detail Information and Activity Task Information.

Configuring Detail Information

The Detail Information section defines basic task properties and execution order within the Automation.

Automation (Read-Only)

Displays the parent Automation this task belongs to. This field is system-populated and cannot be modified. The link opens the Automation detail page.

Name (Required)

Enter a descriptive name for the Activity task that clearly identifies its purpose within the Automation workflow.

Examples of effective task names:

• "Create Follow-Up Task for Account Manager"
• "Assign Review Task to Approval Manager"
• "Schedule Call with New Partner Contact"
• "Create Compliance Check Task for Auditor"

Clear task names help administrators understand Automation workflows when reviewing or troubleshooting multi-task sequences.

Sequence (Required)

Enter a numeric value defining when this task executes relative to other tasks in the Automation. Lower sequence numbers execute first.

Description (Optional)

Enter notes explaining the task's purpose, business justification, or special considerations. Use this field to document:

• Why activity tasks are created at this workflow stage
• What action the assigned user should take
• Which scenarios trigger automatic task creation
• Any dependencies on other Automation tasks or business processes

Comprehensive descriptions help future administrators maintain and troubleshoot Activity tasks.

Configuring Activity Task Information

The Activity Task Information section defines all properties of the activity that will be created and assigned.

Assigned To (Required)

Click the lookup icon to search for and select the user who will receive the activity task assignment. The assignee must:

• Be an active user in the system
• Have permissions to view the entity record
• Have access to the Activities module
• Be able to update task status and complete activities

Assignee Selection Considerations:

Record-Related Users: Consider assigning tasks to record owners, account managers, or other users with established relationships to the triggering record for appropriate context and responsibility alignment.

Role-Based Assignment: While the Activity task interface requires selecting a specific user, you can achieve role-based assignment by creating multiple Activity tasks with different assignees based on role membership, or by using separate Automations with more targeted criteria.

Manager or Supervisor Assignment: Assign tasks to managers or supervisors for approval workflows, escalation reviews, or quality assurance processes requiring oversight.

Subject (Required)

Enter or select the subject describing what the activity task is about. The subject field may offer:

• Free Text Entry: Type a custom subject describing the task
• Picklist Selection: Choose from predefined activity subjects if configured

Examples of effective activity subjects:

• "Follow up on deal registration approval"
• "Review partner onboarding progress"
• "Schedule introductory call with new contact"
• "Verify compliance documentation completeness"
• "Prepare quarterly business review materials"

Due Date (Required)

Configure when the activity task should be completed using three components:

Date Source

Select the starting date for calculating the due date. Options include:

Trigger Date: Uses the date/time when the Automation triggers as the baseline.

Record Date Fields: Uses date values from fields on the triggering record (e.g., Account Created Date, Opportunity Close Date, Last Activity Date, Contract End Date).

User Date Fields: Uses date values from fields on related user records (e.g., User Created Date, Last Login Date).

The dropdown displays all date and datetime fields available on the entity and related objects.

Offset Type

Select whether to add or subtract days from the Date Source:

Plus (+): Adds the specified number of days to the Date Source, creating a future due date.

Minus (-): Subtracts the specified number of days from the Date Source, creating a past due date or earlier deadline.

Offset Value

Enter the number of days to add or subtract from the Date Source.

Example Due Date Configurations:

• 3 days after Automation triggers: Date Source = Trigger Date, Offset Type = Plus, Offset Value = 3
• 1 day before Close Date: Date Source = Opportunity.CloseDate, Offset Type = Minus, Offset Value = 1
• 5 business days after record creation: Date Source = CreatedDate, Offset Type = Plus, Offset Value = 5
• Same day as SLA expiration: Date Source = SLAExpirationDate, Offset Type = Plus, Offset Value = 0

Status (Required)

Select the initial status for the activity task when it is created. Common status options include:

• Not Started: Task is assigned but work has not begun
• In Progress: Task is actively being worked on
• Completed: Task has been finished
• Waiting on someone else: Task is blocked by dependencies
• Deferred: Task has been postponed

Priority (Required)

Select the priority level indicating the task's importance and urgency. Options include:

• Low: Task is important but not time-sensitive; can be completed when convenient
• Medium: Task has normal importance and should be completed within standard timeframes
• High: Task is urgent and requires prompt attention and completion

Priority Selection Guidelines:

Match priority to business impact and due date urgency. High-priority tasks with short due dates communicate critical importance. Low-priority tasks with longer due dates indicate routine follow-up work.

Consider creating separate Automations with different priority settings based on rule criteria. For example, high-value opportunities might create High-priority tasks while standard opportunities create Medium-priority tasks.

Avoid overusing High priority, as it reduces effectiveness when too many tasks are marked urgent. Reserve High priority for truly time-sensitive or business-critical activities.

Comments (Optional)

Enter additional instructions, context, or information that will help the assignee complete the task successfully. The Comments field appears on the activity task record and provides:

• Specific instructions for completing the task
• Background context about why the task was created
• Links to related resources or documentation
• Important considerations or constraints
• Expected outcomes or deliverables

Examples of effective comments:

• "Review the deal registration details and verify partner eligibility based on current program rules. Approve or reject within 2 business days."
• "Schedule introductory call with this new partner contact within one week. Use the standard partner welcome call script and document key discussion points."
• "Verify that all required compliance documentation has been uploaded and meets current regulatory standards. Flag any missing or incomplete items."

Saving the Activity Task

After configuring all settings:

1. Review all configuration for accuracy
2. Verify the assignee has appropriate permissions and responsibilities
3. Confirm due date calculation will produce reasonable dates
4. Check that status, priority, and comments align with business requirements
5. Click Save

The Activity task is added to the Automation's task list and will execute according to its sequence number when the Automation triggers.

If validation errors occur:

• Check that Name is provided
• Verify Sequence is a valid number
• Confirm an Assigned To user is selected
• Ensure Subject is provided
• Verify Due Date components are configured (Date Source, Offset Type, Offset Value)
• Confirm Status is selected
• Ensure Priority is selected

Understanding Activity Task Behavior

Task Execution

When the Automation criteria are met and the Activity task's sequence is reached:

1. The system creates a new activity task record
2. The task is assigned to the specified user
3. Due date is calculated based on Date Source, Offset Type, and Offset Value
4. Subject, Status, Priority, and Comments are populated from task configuration
5. The task is associated with the triggering record as a related activity
6. The assigned user receives notification according to their activity notification preferences

Activity task creation occurs immediately during Automation execution. Tasks appear in the assignee's activity list and on the record's Activities related list.

Task Assignment Notifications

After activity tasks are created and assigned, assignees receive notifications according to their individual user notification preferences:

• Email Notifications: Assignees may receive email alerts about new task assignments if enabled in their preferences
• In-App Notifications: Tasks appear in activity dashboards, to-do lists, and notification centers
• Notification Timing: Immediate notification delivery depends on user preferences and system configuration

Task Visibility and Management

After activity tasks are created through Automation:

• Tasks appear in the assignee's personal activity lists and dashboards
• Tasks appear in the triggering record's Activities related list
• Assignees can update task status, priority, due dates, and comments
• Assignees can mark tasks as complete when finished
• Administrators and managers can view task assignments for oversight
• Activity reports can track automated task creation and completion rates

Tasks created through Automation have the same functionality and capabilities as manually created activity tasks.

Due Date Calculation Behavior

Due dates are calculated at the moment the Automation executes:

• Trigger Date: Uses the exact date/time when the Automation runs
• Record Date Fields: Retrieves the current value of the date field at execution time
• Business Days vs. Calendar Days: Offset values count calendar days, not business days (including weekends and holidays)
• Null Date Handling: If the Date Source field is null, the due date may be blank or default to the trigger date depending on system configuration

Failed Activity Task Creation

Activity task creation may fail if:

• The entity does not support activity tracking
• The Automation is created on the Task entity itself (recursion prevention)
• The assigned user is inactive or suspended
• The assigned user does not have permissions to view activities
• Date Source field references do not exist on the entity
• Required task fields are missing or invalid

Integration with Activity Management

Activity tasks integrate with the portal's activity management features to provide comprehensive task tracking and oversight:

Activity Dashboards and Lists

Assigned users access their activity tasks through:

• Personal Activity Dashboards: Consolidated views of all assigned tasks with filtering and sorting
• To-Do Lists: Prioritized task lists showing upcoming due dates and overdue items
• Calendar Views: Activity tasks displayed on calendar interfaces with due date visibility
• Record-Specific Activity Lists: Tasks displayed on related entity records for context

Task Completion and Tracking

Assignees manage activity tasks through standard interfaces:

• Status Updates: Change status from "Not Started" to "In Progress" to "Completed"
• Priority Adjustments: Modify priority if business conditions change
• Due Date Changes: Extend or shorten due dates based on circumstances
• Comment Additions: Add notes about progress, blockers, or outcomes
• Completion Recording: Mark tasks complete to remove from active task lists

Activity Reporting and Analytics

Activity tasks created through Automations appear in activity reports and analytics:

• Track automated task creation volume by Automation
• Monitor task completion rates and average completion times
• Identify overdue tasks requiring escalation or intervention
• Analyze assignee workload and task distribution
• Measure workflow effectiveness through completion patterns

Activity reports help administrators optimize Automation configurations and identify bottlenecks in automated workflows.

Common Use Cases

Deal Approval Follow-Up: When a deal registration is approved, create a High-priority activity task assigned to the partner manager with subject "Follow up on approved deal registration" and due date 2 days from approval. Include comments directing the manager to contact the partner and discuss next steps for deal progression.

Onboarding Check-In: When a new partner user is created, create a Medium-priority activity task assigned to the partner success manager with subject "Schedule 30-day onboarding check-in" and due date 30 days from user creation. Include comments listing discussion topics and success criteria to review during the check-in call.

Contract Renewal Preparation: When a contract end date approaches (detected through date-based criteria), create a High-priority activity task assigned to the account owner with subject "Prepare contract renewal proposal" and due date 30 days before contract expiration. Include comments outlining renewal process steps and required documentation.

Compliance Document Review: When compliance documents are uploaded to a record, create a Medium-priority activity task assigned to the compliance officer with subject "Review and validate compliance documentation" and due date 5 days from upload. Include comments specifying validation requirements and approval criteria.

Escalation Investigation: When a support case priority changes to "Critical," create a High-priority activity task assigned to the support manager with subject "Investigate escalated case and assign resources" and due date same day (Trigger Date + 0 days). Include comments describing escalation reason and expected resolution timeframe.

Opportunity Stage Review: When an opportunity remains in a specific stage for an extended period (detected through date calculations), create a Medium-priority activity task assigned to the sales manager with subject "Review stalled opportunity and provide guidance" and due date 3 days from detection. Include comments requesting the manager to assess blockers and recommend next actions.

Best Practices

Write Specific, Actionable Subjects: Create task subjects that clearly communicate what the assignee should do. Include enough context that the subject alone provides understanding of the required action. Avoid generic subjects requiring additional research to understand expectations.

Use Comments for Instructions: Leverage the Comments field to provide clear instructions, expected outcomes, and relevant context. Well-written comments reduce ambiguity, minimize questions, and help assignees complete tasks efficiently without requiring clarification from administrators or managers.

Match Priority to Business Impact: Set priority levels based on true business importance and urgency, not as a default escalation mechanism. Reserve High priority for time-sensitive or business-critical activities. Overusing High priority dilutes its effectiveness and causes assignees to ignore priority indicators.

Plan Realistic Due Dates: Configure due date offsets that provide assignees reasonable time to complete tasks given their workload and the task complexity. Consider business days when setting offset values, remembering that calculations use calendar days including weekends and holidays.

Verify Assignee Permissions: Before activating Automations, verify assigned users have permissions to view entity records, access the Activities module, and update task status. Test with sample records to ensure assignees can see and act on created tasks. Permission issues prevent effective task completion.

Coordinate with Notification Tasks: Sequence Activity tasks before Email Alert or Feed/Message tasks that notify stakeholders about the task assignment. This ensures tasks are created before users receive communications referencing the assignments, maintaining logical workflow progression.

Monitor Task Completion Rates: Regularly review activity reports to track completion rates for automatically created tasks. Low completion rates may indicate unrealistic due dates, unclear instructions, inappropriate assignees, or workflows that need redesign. Use completion data to optimize Automation configurations.

Avoid Task Overload: Monitor total activity task volume assigned to individual users. Multiple Automations creating tasks for the same assignees can overwhelm users with assignments. Consider workload distribution and task priority when designing Automation strategies affecting the same individuals.

Document Task Purpose: Use the Description field extensively to explain why activity tasks are created automatically, what business process they support, and what role they play in overall workflows. Clear documentation helps administrators maintain task creation strategies as business processes evolve.

Troubleshooting

Tasks Not Being Created: If activity tasks do not appear when Automations trigger, verify the Automation is active, rule criteria match the triggering record, the entity supports activity tracking (TrackActivities = true), the Automation is not on the Task entity itself, the assigned user exists and is active, and the task's sequence number is correct.

Assignees Cannot View Tasks: If tasks are created but assignees cannot see them, verify assigned users have permissions to access the Activities module, users have permissions to view the entity records to which tasks are related, user Security Roles grant activity visibility, and assigned user accounts are active. Check that assignees are looking in the correct activity lists or dashboards.

Due Dates Are Incorrect: If calculated due dates do not match expectations, verify Date Source field exists on the entity and contains values, offset type (plus vs. minus) is correct for intended calculation, offset value is the correct number of days, and remember that calculations use calendar days (not business days) including weekends and holidays. Test due date calculations with sample records before broad deployment.

Assignees Not Receiving Notifications: If tasks are created but assignees do not receive notifications, verify users have not disabled activity notifications in their personal preferences, user email addresses are valid and current, external email services are functioning properly, and check that notification settings in user preferences allow activity alerts. Remember that Activity tasks do not override user notification preferences.

Blank or Invalid Due Dates: If due dates are blank or show errors, verify the Date Source field is not null on triggering records, date field references use correct field names from the entity, and consider using Trigger Date as Date Source for reliable baseline when record date fields may be missing. Test with records that have populated date fields before investigating Automation configuration.

Wrong Users Assigned Tasks: If incorrect users receive task assignments, verify the Assigned To user selection in the task configuration, check that only one Activity task exists in the Automation (unless multiple tasks are intentional), review all active Automations to identify potential conflicts or overlapping task creation logic, and confirm the appropriate user is selected for the business role and responsibility.

Task Status or Priority Issues: If created tasks have unexpected status or priority values, verify Status selection in task configuration matches intended initial state, Priority selection aligns with business importance and urgency, and no users or other Automations are modifying tasks immediately after creation. Review task configuration settings before investigating system behavior.

Comments Not Appearing: If task comments do not display as expected, verify comments were entered in the Comments field during task configuration, comments do not exceed field length limits, and assignees are viewing the complete task record (not just list view summaries). Comments appear on full task detail pages but may not be visible in all activity list views.

See Troubleshooting Automations documentation for additional problem resolution guidance.

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