Automation Permissions and Troubleshooting
If the Automation menu is missing or a workflow never fires, it is almost always licensing, role access, an inactive definition, or a condition that filters everything out. Your administrator manages roles under Settings → Users & roles.
Access, in plain language
| You need to… | Typically requires |
|---|---|
| See the Automation menu | Business Automation licensed |
| Open builders, templates, and logs | Elevated Automation access on your role |
| Rely on email or drip actions | Communication Center + Email Settings |
| Fire events from CRM / Expense / etc. | Those modules licensed and in use |
Ask your administrator which role grants Automation access in your company — names can vary by tenant setup.
Frequently asked questions
Menu visible but access denied. Your user lacks elevated Automation access. Request the administrator role your company uses for workflow authors.
Workflow never runs. Confirm it is Active, the event type matches the real action, and conditions are not too strict. Then check Execution Logs after triggering once.
Email step fails. Configure Setup → Email Settings, confirm the template exists, and verify the event includes a recipient address.
Workflow was active, then turned itself off. Repeated failures can auto-deactivate the workflow. Open Execution Logs, fix the failing step, then activate again.
No events in logs for a feature I use. That module may not publish the event you selected yet, or the source action never completed (for example the expense was only saved as draft).
Suggestions appear empty. Smart suggestions depend on usage patterns and may not show until the company has enough activity. You can still build from templates.
Delay never finishes. Open the execution — status Waiting means the delay is still counting down. Very long delays resume automatically; check logs after the wait window.