Creating Email Alert Tasks for Automations

Email Alert tasks automatically send email notifications using predefined Email Templates when an Automation's criteria are met. Administrators configure the template, reply-to address, and up to 1,000 recipients per task, with recipients specified as To, CC, or BCC. Email Alert tasks are the most commonly used automation task type for stakeholder notifications, approval workflows, status updates, and time-sensitive communications across partner, customer, and employee communities.

This task type is available for all entities in the Magentrix platform.

Requirements

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

Administrator System Role

Only administrators can access Automations, create Email Alert tasks, configure recipients and templates, and manage task settings. Standard users, partner users, and customer portal users cannot configure Automation tasks.

Before You Begin

Before creating Email Alert tasks, ensure you have:

• Email Templates Created: Email Alert tasks require existing Email Templates. Templates must be marked as "Ready For Use" to appear in the template selector. See Email Templates documentation for template creation instructions.
• Recipient Information: Identify who should receive notifications (specific users, security roles, record owners, or email addresses). For formula-based recipients, prepare merge field syntax and test formulas before configuring tasks.
• Active Automation: Email Alert tasks must be added to an existing Automation. Create or identify the Automation that will trigger these email notifications before beginning task configuration.

Creating Email Alert Tasks

Accessing the Task Creation Interface

1. Navigate to Setup → Create → Automations
2. Click the Automation to which you want to add an Email Alert task
3. In the Automation Tasks section, click New
4. Select New Email Alert from the task type options
5. Click Next

The Email Alert task configuration page displays two primary sections: Detail Information and Email Task Details.

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 Email Alert task that clearly identifies its purpose and recipients.

Examples of effective task names:

• "Email - Notify Partner Manager of New Registration"
• "Email - Send Approval Notification to Requester"
• "Email - Alert Finance Team of High-Value Deal"
• "Email - Welcome Message to New User"

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 this notification is needed
• What triggers the email
• Who should receive it and why
• Any dependencies on other tasks

Comprehensive descriptions help future administrators maintain and troubleshoot Email Alert tasks.

Configuring Email Task Details

The Email Task Details section defines the email content, sender information, and recipients.

Email Template (Required)

Click the lookup icon to search for and select an Email Template. The dropdown displays all templates marked as "Ready For Use" in the Email Templates module.

The selected template determines:

• Email subject line (with merge field support)
• Email body content (text or HTML format)
• Merge fields that populate with record data
• Overall message structure and formatting

Reply-To Address (Optional)

Enter the email address that recipients should use when replying to the automated notification. This field supports:

• Manual Entry: Type any valid email address directly
• Quick-Select Options: Choose from predefined options:
  • Current User: Email address of the user who triggered the Automation (the person who created or updated the record)
  • Company Email: Default organizational email address configured in system settings

If left blank, recipients may not be able to reply to the notification, or replies may go to a system-generated no-reply address.

Configuring Email Recipients

Email Alert tasks support up to 1,000 recipients per task. This is a hard system limit enforced per individual task, not per Automation. If more than 1,000 recipients are required, create multiple Email Alert tasks within the same Automation, each targeting different recipient segments.

Adding Recipients

1. In the Email Recipients section, click Add Recipient
2. Select a Recipient Type from the dropdown
3. Select an Email Property (To, CC, or BCC)
4. Click Next
5. Configure the recipient based on the selected type (detailed below)
6. Click Add to include the recipient in the task
7. Repeat steps 1-6 to add additional recipients

Each recipient entry appears in a table showing Recipient Type, Value, and Action (remove option).

Recipient Type: User

Send the email to a specific individual user in the system.

Configuration:

1. Select User as Recipient Type
2. Choose To, CC, or BCC as Email Property
3. Click Next
4. Use the user lookup field to search for and select the target user
5. Click Add

Use Cases:

• Notifying specific administrators of record changes
• Sending alerts to designated process owners
• Copying management on approval requests

Considerations:

• Selected users must be active in the system
• Users must have valid email addresses configured
• If the user is deactivated, emails will not be delivered to that recipient

Recipient Type: Role

Send the email to all users assigned to a specific Security Role.

Configuration:

1. Select Role as Recipient Type
2. Choose To, CC, or BCC as Email Property
3. Click Next
4. Search for and select the target Security Role
5. Click Add

Use Cases:

• Notifying all partner managers when deals are registered
• Alerting finance team members of approval requests
• Sending updates to all users in a specific organizational group

Benefits:

• Recipient lists scale automatically as team membership changes
• No need to update Automation when users join or leave roles
• Ensures consistent notification coverage across organizational changes

Considerations:

• All active users in the role receive the notification
• Recipient count grows as role membership increases
• Stay aware of the 1,000-recipient limit when using broad roles

Recipient Type: Record Owner

Send the email to the current owner of the record that triggered the Automation.

Configuration:

1. Select Record Owner as Recipient Type
2. Choose To, CC, or BCC as Email Property
3. Click Next
4. Confirm the selection (no additional configuration required)
5. Click Add

Use Cases:

• Notifying account owners when their records change status
• Alerting opportunity owners of milestone achievements
• Sending reminders to record owners about upcoming due dates

Considerations:

• Record owner must be an active user with a valid email address
• If ownership changes after the Automation triggers, the email still goes to the owner at trigger time
• Not all entities have owners; verify entity configuration supports ownership

Recipient Type: Predefined Emails

Send the email to manually specified email addresses that may not correspond to system users.

Configuration:

1. Select Predefined Emails as Recipient Type
2. Choose To, CC, or BCC as Email Property
3. Click Next
4. Enter one or more email addresses (separate multiple addresses with commas or semicolons)
5. Click Add

Use Cases:

• Sending notifications to external stakeholders not in the system
• Copying group email aliases or distribution lists
• Alerting third-party service providers about record events

Considerations:

• Email addresses are static; they must be updated manually if recipients change
• External recipients cannot access record links or portal-specific content
• Validate email address format before saving to prevent delivery failures

Recipient Type: Formula

Calculate recipient email addresses dynamically using formula expressions based on record data, user information, or conditional logic.

Configuration:

1. Select Formula as Recipient Type
2. Choose To, CC, or BCC as Email Property
3. Click Next
4. Enter a formula expression that resolves to a valid email address or multiple comma-separated addresses
5. Click Add

Formula Tools:

• Insert Field: Add merge fields referencing record data or related entities (e.g., {!Owner.Email}, {!Account.Primary_Contact__r.Email})
• Functions: Use formula functions for conditional logic, text manipulation, or lookups

Example Formulas:

Send to record owner's email:

{!Owner.Email}

Send to related account's primary contact email:

{!Account.PrimaryContact.Email}

Conditional recipient based on priority field:

{!IF(Equal(Priority,"High"),"escalation@company.com",Owner.Email)}

Send to current user's manager's email:

{!Owner.Manager.Email}

Send to different regional teams based on region field:

{!IF(Equal(Region,"West"),"west-sales@company.com","east-sales@company.com")}

Send to partner manager when deal amount exceeds threshold:

{!IF(GreaterThan(Amount,50000),Account.PartnerManager.Email,Owner.Email)}

Use Cases:

• Dynamic recipient selection based on record field values
• Sending to users related through lookup relationships
• Conditional notification routing based on business rules
• Escalation workflows where recipients change based on priority or value

Considerations:

• Formulas must resolve to valid email address format (user@domain.com)
• Invalid formulas prevent task creation and display validation errors
• Test formulas with sample records before activating to ensure correct email resolution
• Formula recipients must be accessible at execution time (merged fields must exist and be populated)

See Formulas documentation for complete syntax reference and available functions.

Email Property: To, CC, and BCC

Each recipient must be assigned an Email Property determining how they appear in the email:

To: Primary recipients who should take action or be directly addressed. All To recipients can see each other's email addresses.

CC (Carbon Copy): Secondary recipients who should be informed but are not primary actors. All CC recipients can see each other's addresses and the To recipients.

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): Hidden recipients who receive the email without other recipients knowing. BCC recipients cannot see each other or be seen by To/CC recipients.

Best Practice: Use BCC when recipient privacy is important or when notifying large groups where individual addresses should remain confidential. For example, use BCC when sending partner communications where partners should not see each other's email addresses.

Managing the Recipient List

After adding recipients, they appear in the Email Recipients table showing Recipient Type, Value, and Action options.

Reviewing Recipients

Review the recipient list carefully before saving to ensure:

• All required stakeholders are included
• Recipients are assigned to appropriate Email Properties (To, CC, BCC)
• Formula recipients will resolve to valid addresses
• Total recipient count stays within the 1,000-recipient limit

Removing Recipients

To remove a recipient from the list:

1. Locate the recipient in the Email Recipients table
2. Click the Remove or Delete action in the Action column
3. The recipient is immediately removed from the configuration

Removed recipients will not receive emails when the Automation triggers.

Modifying Recipients

To change a recipient's Email Property or configuration:

1. Remove the existing recipient entry
2. Add a new recipient with updated configuration

There is no direct edit option for recipient entries; modifications require removal and re-addition.

Saving the Email Alert Task

After configuring all settings and recipients:

1. Review all configuration for accuracy
2. Verify the recipient count is within the 1,000-recipient limit
3. Click Save

The Email Alert 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 Email Template is selected
• Validate formula syntax for formula-based recipients
• Ensure at least one recipient is configured

Understanding Email Alert Task Behavior

Task Execution

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

1. The system retrieves the selected Email Template
2. Merge fields in the template are populated with current record data
3. Recipient addresses are resolved (users looked up, roles expanded, formulas calculated)
4. A single email is generated containing all To, CC, and BCC recipients
5. The email is sent immediately

Important: Each task sends only one email to all configured addresses, not individual emails to each recipient. To prevent recipients from seeing each other's addresses, use BCC for privacy.

Email Delivery Timing

Email Alert tasks create and send emails immediately during Automation execution. However, actual delivery to recipient inboxes depends on:

• External email service processing time
• Recipient mail server availability
• Spam filtering and email security systems
• Network conditions

Most emails arrive within seconds to minutes of the Automation triggering. Delays beyond several minutes may indicate email deliverability issues requiring investigation.

Failed Email Delivery

Emails may fail to send if:

• The Email Template is deleted or marked as not ready for use
• Recipient addresses are invalid or malformed
• Formula-based recipients resolve to non-existent fields
• The 1,000-recipient limit is exceeded
• System email services are temporarily unavailable

When email tasks fail, the Automation continues executing subsequent tasks. Check system logs or contact administrators if email delivery problems persist.

Recipient Count and Performance

Email Alert tasks with hundreds of recipients may take slightly longer to execute than tasks with few recipients. This is normal system behavior and typically does not cause noticeable delays.

For Automations triggering frequently with large recipient lists, monitor system performance and consider:

• Reducing recipient count through more targeted role selection
• Splitting large recipient lists across multiple tasks
• Using digest or summary notifications instead of real-time alerts

Best Practices

Use Role-Based Recipients When Possible: Configure recipients by Security Role rather than individual users whenever appropriate. Role-based recipients scale automatically as team membership changes, reducing administrative maintenance and ensuring consistent notification coverage.

Protect Recipient Privacy with BCC: When sending notifications to partners, customers, or external stakeholders who should not see each other's email addresses, use BCC for all recipients. This is especially important for competitive situations or privacy-sensitive communications.

Test Email Templates Before Use: Send test emails from Email Templates before adding them to Automation tasks. Verify that merge fields populate correctly, formatting displays properly, and content conveys the intended message. Testing templates independently prevents Automation errors.

Provide Clear Reply-To Addresses: Always configure Reply-To addresses pointing to monitored email accounts. Recipients often need to respond to automated notifications with questions or additional information. Unmonitored or no-reply addresses frustrate users and create communication gaps.

Validate Formula Recipients Thoroughly: Test formula-based recipient configurations with diverse record scenarios before activating Automations. Verify formulas resolve to valid email addresses for records with different field values, null values, and edge cases. Invalid formulas cause task failures without clear error messages.

Document Recipient Logic: Use the Description field to explain why specific recipients are configured, what role they play in the workflow, and any conditional recipient logic. Future administrators will appreciate context when reviewing or troubleshooting email notification configurations.

Monitor the 1,000-Recipient Limit: When using role-based recipients or multiple recipient entries, calculate approximate recipient counts to ensure you stay within the 1,000-recipient limit. If more recipients are required, create multiple Email Alert tasks within the same Automation, each targeting different segments.

Consider Email Frequency: Design Automation Evaluation Criteria carefully to prevent excessive email notifications. Users who receive dozens of automated emails daily may start ignoring them. Choose "Created, and any time updated which previously did not meet the criteria" to prevent repeated notifications for the same condition.

Sequence Email Tasks Appropriately: Run Email Alert tasks later in the Automation sequence (higher sequence numbers) so emails can reference outcomes of earlier tasks such as data updates, calculations, or role changes. Emails sent too early may contain outdated or incomplete information.

Troubleshooting

Emails Not Being Sent: If recipients do not receive emails when Automations trigger, verify the Automation is active, rule criteria match the triggering record, the Email Template still exists and is marked ready for use, recipients are valid and active, and formula recipients resolve to valid email addresses. Check that the task's sequence number is correct.

Wrong Recipients Receiving Emails: If incorrect users receive notifications, review recipient type configuration (User vs. Role vs. Formula), verify role membership includes only intended users, test formula logic with sample records, and check that To/CC/BCC assignments match intended visibility. Ensure Record Owner recipient type is appropriate for the entity.

Merge Fields Not Populating: If Email Template merge fields show blank values or errors, verify field names in the template match actual entity field names (case-sensitive), check that referenced fields exist on the triggering entity, ensure formula merge fields use correct syntax, and confirm related object references use proper relationship notation. Test templates independently with sample records.

Cannot Add Recipients: If you cannot add recipients to the Email Alert task, ensure you have not reached the 1,000-recipient limit, verify recipient type selections are valid for the chosen Email Property, check that formula syntax is correct before attempting to add formula recipients, and confirm users or roles selected in lookups still exist and are active.

Email Template Not Available: If your desired Email Template does not appear in the template selector, verify the template exists in Email Templates module, confirm the template is marked as "Ready For Use," check that you have permission to access the template, and ensure the template has not been deleted or deactivated.

Recipient Count Exceeds Limit: If you receive errors about too many recipients, calculate actual recipient count (role-based recipients expand to all users in that role), remove unnecessary recipients or narrow role selection, split recipients across multiple Email Alert tasks within the same Automation, or consider using digest notifications instead of individual emails for large audiences.

See Troubleshooting Automations documentation for additional problem resolution guidance.

Related Documentation

Supporting Resources:

• Email Templates
• Formulas

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