Actions > Automate hiding or showing tasks
Combined visibility and deadline rules
This Tallyfy example shows how to use multiple automation rules together - specifically combining visibility rules with deadline rules to create smart, context-aware workflows. Steps only appear when relevant AND have appropriate deadlines based on the specific situation.
Combining visibility and deadline rules is powerful for:
- Shipping processes: International shipments need customs checks with deadlines based on arrival dates
- Contract renewals: Different contract types have different review requirements and timelines
- Event planning: Optional services need completion by specific dates relative to the event
- Customer onboarding: Premium customers see expedited steps with tighter deadlines
The key is that steps are both conditionally shown AND have deadlines that adapt to the context.
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Create the conditional step
Add a step to your template that should only appear in certain situations. For example:
- “Check international shipment arrival”
- “Premium customer setup”
- “Regulatory compliance review”
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Set up the visibility rule first
Create an automation to show the step only when needed:
IF (Shipment Type field) is "International"THEN Show task "Check international shipment arrival" -
Add the deadline rule for the same step
Create another automation to set the appropriate deadline:
IF (Shipment Type field) is "International"THEN Set deadline for "Check international shipment arrival"to 7 days after (Expected Arrival Date field) -
Test the combined behavior
When launching a process:
- If shipment is domestic: The task stays hidden
- If shipment is international: The task appears with a deadline 7 days after the expected arrival date
Different contract types need different review times:
Step: “Legal review for special terms”
Visibility rule:
IF (Contract Type field) is "Custom Enterprise"THEN Show "Legal review for special terms"
Deadline rule:
IF (Contract Type field) is "Custom Enterprise"THEN Set deadline to 30 days before (Contract End Date field)
Result: Custom enterprise contracts get a legal review step that appears 30 days before expiration. Standard contracts skip this step entirely.
Events may include optional elements with specific timing requirements:
Step: “Arrange catering service”
Visibility rule:
IF (Services Requested field) contains "Catering"THEN Show "Arrange catering service"
Deadline rule:
IF (Services Requested field) contains "Catering"THEN Set deadline to 14 days before (Event Date field)
Result: The catering task only appears if catering was requested, with a deadline 2 weeks before the event.
High-priority issues need faster response times:
Step: “Senior engineer review”
Visibility rule:
IF (Issue Priority field) is "Critical"AND (Initial Resolution) is "Unsuccessful"THEN Show "Senior engineer review"
Deadline rule:
IF (Issue Priority field) is "Critical"THEN Set deadline to 2 hours after (Escalation Time field)
Result: Critical issues that couldn’t be resolved initially get escalated with a tight 2-hour deadline.
You can layer multiple rules for sophisticated logic:
// Visibility depends on amount AND regionIF (Purchase Amount field) is greater than $10,000AND (Region field) is "International"THEN Show "Export compliance check"
// Deadline depends on shipping methodIF (Shipping Method field) is "Express"THEN Set deadline for "Export compliance check" to 1 day after process launch
// Different deadline for standard shippingIF (Shipping Method field) is "Standard"THEN Set deadline for "Export compliance check" to 3 days after process launch
Make deadlines relative to other conditional steps:
// First conditional stepIF (Requires Inspection field) is "Yes"THEN Show "Quality inspection"AND Set deadline to (Ship Date field) minus 3 days
// Second step depends on firstIF (Requires Inspection field) is "Yes"THEN Show "Inspection report filing"AND Set deadline to 1 day after "Quality inspection" deadline
- Keep conditions aligned: Use the same condition trigger for both visibility and deadline rules to ensure consistency
- Consider hidden step defaults: Set reasonable default deadlines even for hidden steps in case they’re shown
- Document the logic: Add clear descriptions explaining when steps appear and why deadlines are set
- Test edge cases: Verify behavior when date fields are empty or conditions change
- Use meaningful step names: Since steps appear conditionally, names should clearly indicate their purpose
Tutorials > Create an automation
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