Manage System Automations

Manage live Auto Email and Auto SMS rules, and review them from Journeys when the optional bridge is available.

System Automations is the main workspace for the Auto Email and Auto SMS rules that send operational messages from Gratona.

Open Automations > System Automations. The tabs you see depend on your permissions and the features enabled for your organization:

• Auto Email contains email automations you can review and edit.

• Auto Sms contains SMS automations and is marked Beta when it is available.

If you can open only one channel, Gratona opens that tab automatically.

Use the Auto Email and Auto Sms tabs to manage each automation channel.

Manage the live automation

Use the channel tabs on the System Automations page when you need to change the automation that is currently in use.

Before editing, confirm:

• whether the automation is an organization default or belongs to one program,

• which trigger sends the message,

• which email or SMS template is attached,

• whether changing a shared set will affect more than one program.

Save changes in the original Auto Email or Auto SMS editor. Test the trigger and message content before relying on the automation for donor communication.

Use the optional Journeys view

Some organizations also have a System Automations tab inside Automations > Journeys. This is a read-only overview of existing operational automations, not their primary editor.

Cards in this view can show the trigger, audience, channel readiness, recent activity, and impacted programs. Use:

• Open in Auto Emails to edit the live email automation.

• Open in Auto SMS to edit the live SMS automation.

• Convert to Journey when an eligible automation needs branching, delays, staff tasks, goals, or richer path history.

Conversion creates a draft journey. It does not replace or turn off the original system automation. Review and test the draft before deciding whether the live automation should change.

If System Automations is missing

If the entire System Automations menu item is missing, ask an organization admin to confirm that your permission set includes the required email or SMS management access.

If Auto Email is available but Auto Sms is not, SMS may not be enabled for your organization, may still be behind the beta access requirement, or may not be included in your permission set.

If the page worked before and is now blank

Treat a page that suddenly becomes blank differently from a first-time access problem.

1. Allow the templates to finish loading before treating the page as blank.

2. If the main area remains empty, reload the page and reopen Automations > System Automations.

3. Check both available channel tabs.

4. Ask another admin in the same organization to open the same page.

5. Do not recreate automations while the existing configuration is unavailable. That can produce duplicate messages when access returns.

6. If the page is still blank, contact support with the organization name, the affected channel, when it last worked, whether other admins see the same result, and a screenshot of the blank page.

When to use a Journey instead

Keep the original Auto Email or Auto SMS automation when the workflow is a simple operational message.

Use a Journey when the relationship work needs multiple steps, decision points, staff ownership, goals, or a clearer path history.

Related guides

• Create a Journey

• Build and Publish a Journey