How do I update deals that trigger an automation?

ActiveCampaign plans
Starter
Plus
Pro
Enterprise

When you add any one of the following actions to update a deal in an automation:

  • Update a title
  • Update a status
  • Update a deal owner
  • Update a value
  • Update a stage
  • Update a custom deal field
  • Add a deal task
  • Add a deal note
  • Complete a deal task
  • Adjust a deal score

You can select the "Deal triggering this automation" option from the "Affects" dropdown list to ensure that the deal being updated is the same deal that triggered your automation to start:

Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 11.05.22 AM.png

This option will be selected by default for any new deal actions you add to your automation. In addition, this option is only available when you use any of the following automation triggers:

  • Enters a pipeline
  • Deal stage changes
  • Deal status changes
  • Deal Value changes
  • Deal Owner changes
  • Deal field changes

  Deal triggers, are Multi-contact triggers. By default, multi-contact triggers enter all contacts on the triggering deal into the automation unless specified in the "Advanced" section of the trigger.

If you were to remove any of the above-mentioned triggers when using the "Deal triggering this automation" option, then you will receive the following error message in the automation workflow builder:

Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 11.19.31 AM.png

As well as in the action modal:

Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 11.20.31 AM.png

Example of how it works

Let's say that you want to create an automation that adds a task to a deal, as soon as that deal enters a pipeline.

To do that, you would use the "Enters a pipeline" start trigger and select the desired pipeline.

Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 11.31.42 AM.png

Then you would use the "Add task" action and select "Deal triggering this automation" to create a task for that same deal that entered the pipeline.

Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 11.46.35 AM.png

If you were to use "Contact's most recently created deal" instead, then the deal that gets updated may not necessarily be the same one that triggered the automation to run.

If you manually add a contact to an automation (eg, add a contact to an automation from their profile page or the bulk editor), then they would skip the action that uses the "Deal triggering this automation" option.

The "Deal triggering this automation" option will only work if contacts enter your automation through the following triggers:

  • Enters a pipeline
  • Deal stage changes
  • Deal status changes
  • Deal Value changes
  • Deal Owner changes
  • Deal field changes

  Deal triggers, are Multi-contact triggers. By default, multi-contact triggers enter all contacts on the triggering deal into the automation unless specified in the "Advanced" section of the trigger.

Have more questions? Submit a request

Start free trial