Help CenterAutomationsFix a problem
Why didn’t my automation run? Every error and its fix
Always start from the run log: every run says what happened and why. This reference links every message you see to its cause and its fix.
Steps
1
Open the automation and press History. See Follow the run log, and retry or resume from the failed step.
2
No runs at all? The automation isn’t on, or the trigger wasn’t met. See the first rows of the table below.
3
A Skipped run? Read the reason.
4
A run that Needs you? Open it to see the step, the reason, and the unresolved variables.
5
Fix the cause, then press Continue from step … or Start over.
If something goes wrong
What you see
Why
What to do
Nothing ever happens
The automation isn’t on; every new automation starts as a Draft.
Turn it on: see Turn on an automation and apply it to existing records.
It didn’t run when a field changed
The field didn’t really change, or the change came from an automation or a bulk edit.
Automatic changes don’t trigger another automation. Use Run another automation from inside an automation.
It didn’t run for imported records
Importing doesn’t trigger A new record is added.
Include existing records, as in Turn on an automation and apply it to existing records.
It didn’t run for WhatsApp group messages
Groups don’t trigger automations.
This is on purpose.
“Skipped — the record didn’t match the workflow’s filter.”
The record or the message doesn’t match.
Check the rules in Settings → Only records that…, then do a practice run on that record.
“Skipped — this workflow runs each record only once, and this record already ran.”
Run each record only once is on.
“Skipped — the value changed before the run started.”
In A field stays the same for a while.
Normal; the record moved on.
Skipped after a wait
The automation was paused or deleted during the wait.
Turn it on; new runs will work.
No runs start while the automation is on
Your monthly executions ran out.
“The limit is 500 automations”
You reached the limit.
Delete old ones. See Manage automations: filter, duplicate, delete, permissions.
“The line isn’t linked to this unit”
A message automation has an action that reads or writes the record, and the channel has no unit.
Link the channel to a unit, or use message conditions only. See How a chat becomes a client record.
“The mailbox doesn’t file emails on this unit”
An email automation needs a record, and the mailbox isn’t linked to this unit.
Link the mailbox to the unit. See Link a mailbox to a unit, so email links to client records.
“The WhatsApp line this step sends from no longer exists” or “The line the trigger listens on no longer exists”
A WhatsApp line was deleted.
Choose a line that exists.
“The template isn’t approved by Meta yet”, “isn’t approved and active” or “is approved on another WhatsApp number”
A problem with the WhatsApp template.
“The Tasks unit is switched off, so this step can’t create a task.”
There’s a create-task step and the tasks unit is disabled.
Turn it on, or turn off the step.
“Invalid status. It must be one of...”
The option was deleted from the field.
Choose the option again. See Update fields on a record or its linked records.
“… is not an active member of this workspace.”
The member was deleted or deactivated.
Choose an active member.
“Invalid member reference”
A person in a condition or a setting has left.
Choose them again.
“The record has nothing in … to send to.”
The mobile field or the linked number is empty.
Fill it in on the record.
Sending failed and the session is disconnected
The WhatsApp line dropped.
Reconnect it, then resume.
“Send it again?”
The connection dropped while sending; it isn’t known whether it arrived.
Check the chat, then press Send again and carry on.
A Send to another app failure: “… can’t be called — it isn’t a public http or https address.”
An internal or private link.
Use a public link. See Send a record’s data to another app (webhook).
A Send to another app failure with an error code
The external app refused or broke down.
Fix it, then retry.
“Invalid email setup”
An option that doesn’t suit the trigger, a field that isn’t an email, or a mailbox without permission.
“An automated reply already went out in this conversation…” or “The mailbox has reached today’s limit…”
The limits on automatic email.
This is on purpose.
“Skipped — there was nothing to do for this record.” on a Generate a document step
A field under Only when these are filled in is empty. The run still ends as Done, and no one is told.
Fill in the field. A practice run on the record shows which field is empty. See Generate a PDF from a template and send it automatically.
“The PDF engine is busy”
The engine is under heavy load.
The step waits on its own for up to 6 hours.
“Timed out” when finding a record
The search took more than 2 seconds.
Search by a more precise field.
“Nobody answered the approval in time, so the run stopped.”
No approver answered within the time limit.
Make the time limit longer or add an approver.
“This step can’t be turned off”
An approval or a wait for a reply.
Delete it instead of turning it off.
A date reminder shows an error or doesn’t arrive
Hours or minutes on a date-only field, or a reminder counted in hours or minutes, which the once-a-day check rarely catches.
Count in days. See Send a reminder before a date, after it, or on the day.
“Run each record only once isn’t supported”
The trigger doesn’t support it.
Turn off the setting.
“The goal isn’t supported” or “The goal’s conditions are empty”
The goal setup doesn’t suit the trigger.
Percentage errors in a split
The total isn’t 100, or paths have no percentage.
Wait for a reply errors
A time limit out of range, or an invalid chat.
“Workflows can call each other at most 5 levels deep.” or “… calling it again would loop.”
A chain of Start another workflow steps deeper than 5, or a circular one.
“Someone else changed this workflow” or “The draft changed”
A teammate saved before you.
Press Reload and make your change again.
“The run can’t be resumed” or “The steps changed”
The failure’s position isn’t known, or the step changed.
Retry from the beginning.
The Before you turn it on list blocks turning on
Problems in the setup.
Fix every item; they all show together.
“Not sent — verify a WhatsApp number on your profile…” or “Not sent — the practice message limit is reached.”
Your number isn’t verified, or you went over the limits.
An error in the external app when sending to the incoming Webhook
The signature, a paused automation, or the per-minute limit.
The automation’s message arrived with a blank where a value should be
A variable with no value, or a wrong name.
Check “Unresolved variables”. See Variables: put record data in messages and fields.
The automation ran twice for two messages
Each message is a separate event.
Use Reply automatically to the first message in a new chat or a condition.
I don’t get a notification when it fails
You weren’t added to the failure notification, or there was another failure within 15 minutes.
Did this guide solve it?
If not, we’ll ask what was missing.