Automations FAQ
This article answers frequently asked questions about automations in the MaintainX application.
Why did my automation get skipped?​
By default, automations have a 5-minute interval between triggers. MaintainX skips automations that are triggered more than once within their trigger interval. This helps prevent repeated triggering and avoids spamming users with notifications if a meter’s value repeatedly meets the same automation’s criteria.
To check if this is the reason, go to the automation’s Action History.
Hover over the Skipped tag to see the tooltip message for more details.
For more information, see Action History.
Why did my automation fail?​
An automation can fail when it’s assigned to a Requester user in a work order. Requester users can’t be assigned to work orders. The work order still gets created, but it isn't assigned to anyone, and the automation shows as Failed to run.
Make sure your automation is set up correctly and assigns work orders to the correct users.
For more information, see Create an Automation.
Why didn't my automation run at all?​
If your automation didn’t run and there’s no history log, it's likely because you entered the meter reading in a work order. Meter readings entered in work orders don’t trigger automations. Only readings taken directly on meters do.
To learn more about how to set up an automation properly so it runs smoothly, see Create an Automation.
Why am I getting duplicate work orders and notifications from automations?​
Automations create new work orders every time the trigger criteria are met and the retrigger interval (5 minutes by default) has passed. Automations are different form the work order trigger feature, which doesn't create a new work order if one already exists (and it isn't marked as Done).
This means that you might receive work orders or email notifications as frequently as every 5 minutes when an automation keeps retriggering over a period of time.
You can adjust the retrigger interval to control this behavior. For details, see Create an Automation.
Can I export automations in bulk?​
At the moment, MaintainX doesn't allow bulk exports of automations.
Learn More​
To learn more about automations, see the following:
- Video on creating workflow automations.
- Training on meter-based aaintenance.
- Blog post on how to leverage automation for work order management.