💻 Platform Availability: Desktop only — not currently available on mobile
Article Content:
Overview
The Automations tab lets you set up rules that automatically send emails and text messages to clients, business owners, or crew members when specific events happen, like when an appointment is scheduled, a quote is accepted, or an invoice is paid.
Once a rule is set up, it runs in the background with no manual work required. Every message that fires is logged in the Activity tab so you can see exactly what was sent, to whom, and when.
Desktop only. Automations are configured and managed from the desktop dashboard. The rules you set up apply across your entire account — including activity triggered by mobile app actions.
On desktop: Go to Automations in the left nav.
The Three Tabs: Rules, Activity, Library
Rules
The Rules tab is your active automation dashboard. Each rule shows:
The trigger (what event fires it) and the action (what gets sent, to whom, and when)
How many times it's been triggered
Whether it's enabled or disabled (orange toggle = on)
Rules are grouped by category: Clients, Invoices, Quotes, Appointments, and more. Toggle any rule on or off at any time — changes take effect immediately.
Activity
The Activity tab is a full log of every automation that has fired. Each entry shows:
Triggered — the date and time it fired
Type — the category (Appointment, Invoice, Quote, etc.)
Automation — a description of the rule that triggered
Recipient — the name and contact info the message was sent to
Channel — email (✉), SMS (💬), or both
Status — Sent (delivered) or Scheduled (queued for a future time)
Use the search bar to find activity by recipient name, or use Filter to narrow by date or type.
Library
The Library tab contains pre-built automation templates organized by category. Click Use on any template to load it into a new automation — you can customize the message and timing before saving. See the Automation Library section below for the full list of available templates.
What's On by Default
New Rebolt CRM accounts come with several automations pre-configured and enabled. These cover the most common communication touchpoints out of the box:
Invoices (enabled by default)
When an invoice is paid → send the client an email immediately
When an invoice is paid → send the client a text message 1–2 minutes after
When an invoice is paid → send the owner a text message notification
Quotes (enabled by default)
When a quote is accepted → send the owner a text message 5 minutes after
Clients (enabled by default)
When a client is created → send the client an email and text message shortly after
Important: Rebolt does not automatically notify clients when an appointment is rescheduled or cancelled. If you want clients to receive these notifications, you'll need to set up a custom automation rule for those triggers.
Creating a New Automation
Go to Automations in the left nav.
Click New Automation (top-right).
Choose a trigger — the event that starts the automation (e.g., "When an appointment is scheduled").
Choose a recipient — client, owner, or assigned crew member.
Choose a channel — email, SMS, or both.
Set the timing — immediately, or a delay (e.g., 1 hour before, 2 hours after).
Write your message. Use merge tags to personalize it (see below).
Optionally add conditions to limit when the rule fires (e.g., only for a specific service type).
Click Save. The rule is now active.
Merge Tags (Personalization)
Use merge tags in your message body to automatically insert dynamic information:
Tag | Inserts |
@customerName | The client's full name |
@customerPhone | The client's phone number |
@customerAddress | The client's service address |
@businessName | Your business name |
The message editor also includes link variables — such as a direct link to the client portal, and links to a specific quote or invoice in the client portal. These appear as selectable options inside the editor when building or editing an automation rule. Use them to make it easy for clients to act directly from the message you send.
Automation Library (Pre-Built Templates)
The Library gives you a head start with ready-to-use templates. Click Use on any template to customize and save it as a rule.
Appointments
When an appointment is created → send client an email immediately
When an appointment is created → send assigned team an email immediately
When an appointment is created → send client an email 24 hours before the appointment start time
When an appointment is created → send client a text 2 hours before the appointment start time
When an appointment starts (clock in) → send client an email or text — lets clients know you've arrived and work has begun
Quotes
When a quote is created → send client an email immediately
When a quote is accepted → send owners an email immediately
When a quote is sent → send client a follow-up email 3 days after the event
Invoices
Additional invoice templates are available in the Library — including payment reminders and paid confirmations.
Tip: The 3-day quote follow-up is one of the highest-impact automations you can enable. Clients who haven't responded to a quote after a few days often just need a nudge — this fires automatically without you having to remember.
Delivery Channels & Sender Info
Automated emails are sent from a Rebolt-managed address on behalf of your business. The sender name reflects your business name as configured in your account settings.
SMS (Text Message)
Automated texts are sent from a Rebolt-assigned phone number — not your personal or business phone number. Clients will see the message come from this number. If a client replies to an automated text, that reply is routed back through Rebolt.
Heads up: SMS automations currently support text only. Attachments (PDFs, images, videos) cannot be included in automated text messages at this time.
FAQ
Can I turn off an automation for just one client?
Not currently — automations apply globally across all clients. To prevent a specific client from receiving an automated message, you would need to temporarily disable the rule, complete the action, then re-enable it.My automation isn't firing for some appointments — why?
Automations trigger on Estimate and Service Call appointment types. If the appointment is set to "Other", the rule won't fire. Either change the appointment type to Estimate or Service Call, or use the Conditions field in your automation rule to target specific appointment types.Do clients get notified automatically when an appointment is rescheduled or cancelled?
No — this is not a default automation. You'll need to create a custom rule for appointment reschedule or cancellation triggers if you want clients notified automatically.What number do automated texts come from?
Texts are sent from a Rebolt-assigned number, not your personal phone number. The number is the same for all outgoing SMS automations from your account.Can I attach PDFs or files to automated messages?
Attachments are not supported in automated SMS messages. For automated emails, check the message editor when building your automation for available attachment options.Can I include a review link in an automated email?
Yes — you can add a URL to your message body. If you want to use Rebolt's review screening flow, include your unique review link in the email text. Contact support if you need help locating your review link.How do I know if an automation actually fired?
Check the Activity tab — every triggered automation is logged there with status (Sent or Scheduled), recipient, and timestamp.