Most workflow tools track the work. Aproove's Triggers and Actions do the work.
Triggers and Actions is Aproove's workflow automation software engine. A Trigger watches for an event in the workflow (a decision, a deadline, a file upload, a note tag). When the event happens, one or more Actions fire (send a file to FTP, archive the project, notify a third-party system, move files between folders, send an email, anything Aproove or an external system can do). Actions can chain together, so one trigger can drive a sequence of consequences across Aproove and across the systems Aproove integrates with.
What it is
Most workflow automation software leaves project managers carry a mental list of things that should happen at specific moments in a project: when the final proof is approved, send the file to the press FTP. When the project is archived, notify the ERP. When a regulatory note gets the "Reject" tag, escalate to the compliance manager. When the brand asset is unlocked, copy it to the shared drive.
These things have to happen. Most of the time, the PM remembers. Sometimes they don't. When they don't, projects miss deadlines, files end up in the wrong place, downstream systems get out of sync, and the people who depend on those steps wait for explanations.
Triggers and Actions in Aproove takes the mental list off the PM. Administrators use Aproove as a workflow automation platform to configure rules at the project, workflow, or task level: when this event happens, do these things. The rules run automatically every time the event occurs, with no PM intervention needed and no risk of being forgotten.
How it works
Triggers are workflow events. Aproove watches for many kinds of events in the project and workflow. Common categories include:
- Decisions and state changes (project approved or rejected, project state changed, project locked or unlocked, proof approved or rejected).
- Deadlines and conflicts (deadline reached, deadline conflict, decision conflict).
- Files and versions (file upload, project version created, file check passed or failed).
- Notes and annotations (note added, note resolved or unresolved, note tag added or deleted).
- Forms and metadata (form saved, specific form field set or changed).
- Project lifecycle (project created, project archived, project deleted, project emptied).
Actions are what Aproove does in response. When a trigger fires, one or more actions execute. Common categories include:
- File operations (send to FTP, copy or move files, export PDF, delete files, activate or deactivate hot folders).
- Project lifecycle (archive, restore, delete, rename, clean, reset, change state, change schema, change project color).
- Workflow control (hold or release the flow, send a review task, send an upload task, change task deadlines).
- Notifications (send email, send project history by email as CSV, expire invitations).
- Annotation operations (add note, add tag, delete tag, activate or deactivate note tools, move notes).
- Integration (callback URL to an external API, HTTP request, execute a third-party script, edit metadata).
Actions can chain. A single trigger can fire many actions in sequence, and an action's outcome can fire another trigger. A project approval might send the file to FTP, change the project state to "Released," notify the ERP via callback URL, send the PM an email confirmation, and archive the project after thirty days. All five happen automatically. The PM does not have to remember any of them.
What you can automate
Some real-world examples customers run today:
- Send approved artwork to the press FTP the moment final approval is recorded, so production starts overnight instead of Monday morning.
- Archive completed projects automatically thirty days after the project state changes to Released, keeping the active dashboard clean without manual cleanup.
- Notify a downstream system on every decision through a callback URL, so the ERP, DAM, or planning tool stays in sync with what Aproove just did.
- Route rejected proofs to a different folder than approved ones, so the rework pile and the production pile do not get mixed up.
- Escalate to a compliance manager when a regulatory note gets a "Reject" tag, with the project context attached.
- Send a daily project history CSV to a stakeholder mailing list, so the people who need to know what changed get a clean record without anyone exporting it manually.
- Lock all proofs in the project the moment the project enters a regulated review state, preventing accidental edits during the compliance window.
- Execute a third-party script to pre-process or transform an uploaded file before it enters the review workflow.
The pattern is always the same: identify the routine, configure the trigger, set the actions. From then on it runs automatically.
Benefits
- Automation runs 24/7. Workflow events trigger actions whenever they happen, including overnight, on weekends, and during holidays, so work does not wait for the PM to come back online.
- Consistency by configuration. Actions execute the same way every time the trigger fires, removing the variation that comes from manual handling.
- The PM does the judgment work, not the routine work. Mundane tasks (file routing, notifications, archiving, FTP sends) happen automatically. The PM's attention goes to the decisions only a human can make.
- No missed steps. If the trigger fires, the action runs. There is no "I forgot to FTP that file" or "we never told the ERP."
- Chain for complex sequences. A single trigger can drive many actions in sequence, so end-of-project ceremonies (release, notify, archive, log) all happen automatically when the project is approved.
- Integration beyond Aproove. Callback URLs, HTTP requests, and Execute Script actions let Aproove drive external systems (ERP, DAM, MAM, planning, printing) as part of the same automation.
- Configured per workflow. Triggers and actions are configured at the project, workflow, or task level, so different work patterns get different automation without affecting each other.
Who it's for
- Operations and PMO leaders standardizing the routine work that accompanies every project so it stops depending on individual PMs remembering it.
- Production and prepress teams that need files to land in the right place automatically when approved.
- IT and integration teams connecting Aproove to ERP, DAM, MAM, planning, or printing systems through callback URLs and HTTP requests.
- Compliance and regulatory teams routing notes, projects, and decisions through enforced escalation paths.
- Marketing operations automating the routine bookkeeping (archive, notify, copy, lock) that comes with every campaign cycle.
Built for regulated environments where failures create real risk
Insurance, healthcare, and enterprise teams face unique approval challenges. Aproove handles state-by-state variations, mandated language, FDA submissions, and multi-geography brand governance without breaking a sweat.
Trusted by leaders
Used by teams that cannot afford uncertainty in their approval process.
"Implementing Aproove has dramatically reduced errors, increased motivation and satisfaction across the teams and importantly, saved the operation significant hard costs."
“The Aproove team are the best team in the world. I feel like I'm their only customer, they are always there for me.”
"Within a short period, we were able to reduce 25 workflows into a single workflow. The team saw a 15-week reduction in getting new marketing packages from idea to market. More importantly, it ensured that all the packages were compliant with regulatory requirements. All steps, comments, and approval are captured and saved for any audits."
More ways to streamline high-stakes workflows
See how Aproove workflow automation software uses Triggers and Actions to automate routine work across your workflow
