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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.

What is the use case for this automation?

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.

How do I combine visibility and deadline automations?

  1. 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”
  2. 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"
  3. 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)
  4. 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

Real-world examples

Example 1: Contract renewal with type-specific deadlines

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.

Example 2: Event planning with optional services

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.

Example 3: Customer support escalation

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.

Advanced patterns

Multiple conditions affecting the same step

You can layer multiple rules for sophisticated logic:

// Visibility depends on amount AND region
IF (Purchase Amount field) is greater than $10,000
AND (Region field) is "International"
THEN Show "Export compliance check"
// Deadline depends on shipping method
IF (Shipping Method field) is "Express"
THEN Set deadline for "Export compliance check" to 1 day after process launch
// Different deadline for standard shipping
IF (Shipping Method field) is "Standard"
THEN Set deadline for "Export compliance check" to 3 days after process launch

Cascading deadline adjustments

Make deadlines relative to other conditional steps:

// First conditional step
IF (Requires Inspection field) is "Yes"
THEN Show "Quality inspection"
AND Set deadline to (Ship Date field) minus 3 days
// Second step depends on first
IF (Requires Inspection field) is "Yes"
THEN Show "Inspection report filing"
AND Set deadline to 1 day after "Quality inspection" deadline

Best practices

  • 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

Actions > Automate hiding or showing tasks

Visibility actions in Tallyfy automatically show or hide process steps based on specific conditions to ensure complete process integrity while displaying only relevant steps when needed preventing missed requirements and maintaining workflow efficiency.

Templates > Automations

Tallyfy automations enable intelligent workflow adaptation through conditional IF-THEN rules that automatically modify processes based on user input form responses task completions and other triggers to create dynamic workflows that route tasks assign responsibilities and show or hide steps without manual intervention.

Tutorials > Create an automation

Tallyfy automates processes through intelligent if-this-then-that conditional logic that dynamically adapts workflows based on specific conditions like form field values task completions and approval decisions eliminating manual adjustments and reducing administrative overhead.

Automations > Actions

Automation actions in Tallyfy serve as the “THEN” component of conditional rules that automatically execute specific behaviors like task assignments deadline modifications status changes and step visibility when predefined conditions are met to streamline workflows and eliminate manual interventions.