---
title: Automations
description: "Build an inbound integration flow from a template or from scratch: settings and retries, HTTP steps and variables, then map the result."
---

**Automations** is the lower half of **Integrations**, under **Connections** in the
sidebar. An automation is a flow of HTTP calls that Callab runs for you. Inbound flows
pull data in, typically contacts from a CRM; outbound flows push data out and are
covered on [Webhooks](/operate/webhooks). This page is about the inbound kind.

:::note[Before you start]
A flow that reads a CRM needs an access token for it. Connect the system first under
**Connections** ([Integrations overview](/operate/integrations/overview)) or have an
API key ready to store as a predefined variable.
:::

## Add Flow

**Add Flow** opens **Choose Integration Template**. At the top, **Start from
Scratch** creates a custom integration with your own configuration. Below it, two
tabs: **Integration** lists inbound templates, **Webhook** lists outbound ones. A
search box filters by name, and the list shows 10 templates a page with
**Previous** and **Next**.

The inbound templates are **HubSpot - Bring Contacts**, **Zoho CRM - Bring Contacts**,
**Zoho CRM - Bring Leads**, **Pipedrive - Bring Persons**, **GoHighLevel - Bring
Contacts** and **Google Sheets - Bring Contacts**.

![Choose Integration Template, with Start from Scratch and the inbound templates.](/media/operate/add-flow-templates.webp)

### From a template

Choosing a template turns the same dialog into **Clone Integration**; **Back**
returns to the list. It is pre-filled: **Integration Name** (the template's name plus
`(Copy)`), **Tags** (required, for example `hubspot_contacts`),
**Category** (the system's name) and one predefined variable, `access_token`, whose
value is `{{access_token}}`. Rename it if you like, replace the variable's value with
your token if the system is not connected, then **Clone Integration**. The flow
appears in the **Automations** list.

![Clone Integration for HubSpot - Bring Contacts.](/media/operate/clone-integration.webp)

### From scratch

**Start from Scratch** opens **Add Custom Integration**, a wizard in 3 steps:
**General**, **Steps & Variables** and **Mapping**.

<video src="/media/operate/custom-integration-wizard.mp4" autoplay loop muted playsinline></video>

*The three steps of Add Custom Integration.*

## Step 1: General

**Basic Information**

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Name** (required) | How the flow is listed, for example `HubSpot Contact Sync`. |
| **Workspace** | The workspace whose contacts the flow feeds. Defaults to the current one. |
| **Tag Name** (required) | The tag given to every contact the flow brings in, for example `crm`. Campaigns pick their audience by tag, see [Audience, tags and categories](/deploy/campaigns/audience-tags-and-categories). |
| **Category Name** | The category given to those contacts, for example `CRM`. |

**Retry Configuration**

| Field | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| **Re-execute Delay** and **Unit** | 20 **Seconds** | How long to wait before running the flow again, to keep contacts in sync with the source system. |
| **Max Retries** | 3 | How many times a failed run is retried. |

**Predefined Variables** are static values, such as API keys or secret tokens,
available to every step of the flow. **Add Variable** adds a name and a value; refer
to it in a step as `{{variableName}}`.

![Step 1, General, with the retry configuration.](/media/operate/custom-integration-general.webp)

## Step 2: Steps & Variables

A banner explains the rule that shapes this step: only the result of the final step
counts as the integration's result. The whole response of that last step is used,
unless its success condition names a response key.

**Integration Flow Steps**: **Add Flow Step** opens **Add New Integration Step**.

| Field | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| **Method** | **GET** | **GET**, **POST**, **PUT**, **DELETE**, **OPTIONS**, **HEAD** or **PATCH**. |
| **Depends On Step** | **None** | Which step must succeed before this one runs. |
| **URL** (required) | | The endpoint, for example `https://api.example.com/webhook`. Variables are allowed: `{{access_token}}`. |
| **Headers** | none | Key and value pairs; **Add** after each one. |
| **Content Type** and body | **JSON** | For **POST**, **PUT**, **PATCH**, **OPTIONS** and **DELETE** only. **JSON**, **URL Encoded**, **Form Data** or **Text**; the body is built as JSON fields, key and value pairs or plain text to match. |
| **Timeout (sec)** | 20 | Per attempt. |
| **Retry Limit** | 3 | Attempts after the first failure. |
| **Total Step Timeout (sec)** | 60 | Ceiling for all attempts together. |
| **Success Condition** | off | When ticked: **Expected Status Code** (`200`), **Response Key Path** in dot notation (`data.status`) and **Expected Value** (a boolean, a number, `null` or a string). |

![Add New Integration Step with a success condition.](/media/operate/add-integration-step.webp)

Each step you add is listed with its method and URL and has **Edit Step** and
**Remove Step** controls.

**Custom Variables** pass data between steps: the output of one call becomes the
input of the next. A variable has a **Variable Name**, a **JSON Path Location** into
the source (`data.user.id`), a **Source Type** (**Response**), a **Source Step**, a
**Data Type** (**String**, **Object**, **MD5**, **Array**, **Number** or **Boolean**)
and an optional **Custom Value** for a static value.

One variable is mandatory: `results`, which captures the main output of the flow. A
banner offers **Add "results" Variable**, which creates it as an **Object** sourced
from the last step's response. You cannot move to step 3 without it.

![Step 2 with one step and the results variable.](/media/operate/custom-integration-steps.webp)

## Step 3: Mapping

**Field Mapping** turns the records in `results` into contacts. **Execute Flow for
Mapping** runs the flow once so the fields in its result are known, then you map each
one to a standard contact field (name, phone number, metadata). **Save** creates the
automation.

![Step 3, Mapping, before the flow has been executed.](/media/operate/custom-integration-mapping.webp)

## After saving

The flow is listed under **Automations**, with the columns **Flow**, **Direction**,
**Status** and **Actions**. The **All**, **Inbound** and **Outbound** buttons and the
search box narrow the list.

- **Start** sets the flow's status to **Running**; **Stop** takes its place while it
  runs.
- **Execute** runs the flow once, now.
- The actions menu holds **Edit**, **Duplicate**, **View History**, **Test Flow** and
  **Delete**. **Edit** opens a single-page form; **Advanced Form** switches back to
  the three steps.

**View History** opens **Integration History Logs** with the result of each
execution; a flow that has never run reads **No execution history found for this
integration.**

## Verify

- The flow is in the **Automations** list and its counter went up by 1.
- After the first run, **Contacts** lists new contacts carrying the **Tag Name** you
  set in step 1.

## Troubleshooting

- **Next is disabled on step 2.** The `results` variable is missing. Use
  **Add "results" Variable**.
- **The step fails with a 401.** The token in `{{access_token}}` is empty or expired.
  Reconnect the system under **Connections**, or update the predefined variable.
- **Execute Flow for Mapping returns nothing to map.** The last step's success
  condition names a **Response Key Path** that is not in the response. Clear it and
  run again.

## Related

- [Integrations overview](/operate/integrations/overview)
- [Webhooks](/operate/webhooks)
- [Contacts](/deploy/contacts)
- [Audience, tags and categories](/deploy/campaigns/audience-tags-and-categories)