Logic operations explained

How automation logic works

Tallyfy automations watch what users enter and adjust your workflow automatically. Simple IF-THEN rules adapt your processes to different scenarios.

Why simple logic instead of flowcharts

Flowcharts get complicated fast - especially for big processes. IF-THEN rules are easy for anyone to understand, even without technical training. You build processes that collect user input and change their flow based on responses.

Basic “IF… THEN…” structure

Every automation follows this pattern:

IF [something is true]
THEN [do this action]

The condition (IF part)

Conditions check what users enter and watch for specific responses.

Examples:

• IF a user selects “Urgent” in a form field
• IF a task is approved by a manager
• IF a task is completed on time, late, or early
• IF a form field contains (or doesn’t contain) a specific value

The action (THEN part)

Actions change your process based on what conditions find.

Examples:

• THEN show or hide steps
• THEN assign the task to a different person or team
• THEN adjust deadlines
• THEN trigger a webhook to an external system

Combining multiple conditions

Tallyfy lets you combine conditions with AND or OR - just like you’d explain rules to a colleague.

Using AND logic

AND means ALL conditions must be true.

IF [condition 1 is true] AND [condition 2 is true]
THEN [do this action]

Example: IF the user selects urgent priority AND the amount is over $1000 THEN show the executive approval step

Using OR logic

OR means AT LEAST ONE condition needs to be true.

IF [condition 1 is true] OR [condition 2 is true]
THEN [do this action]

Example: IF the client selects VIP service OR the order amount exceeds $5000 THEN show premium processing steps

Mixing AND and OR logic

Tallyfy evaluates conditions left to right¹ - in the exact order you add them.

How evaluation works

Given this rule:

IF [condition 1] AND [condition 2] OR [condition 3]
THEN [do this action]

Tallyfy processes it step by step:

1. Evaluate condition 1
2. AND condition 2 with the result so far
3. OR condition 3 with the accumulated result

The action triggers if:

• Both condition 1 AND condition 2 are true, OR
• Condition 3 is true by itself

Tallyfy doesn’t use operator precedence like programming languages (where AND would evaluate before OR). Conditions run in the order you add them. Straightforward and predictable.

Best practice for complex logic

Don’t cram everything into one massive rule. Break it up into multiple separate automation rules.

This keeps your logic readable, easier to troubleshoot, and avoids confusion about evaluation order. Your future self will thank you.

How empty values affect conditions

Empty or missing form field values can cause unexpected automation behavior. Here’s how Tallyfy treats them:

Empty field evaluation

• Text fields: An empty field is “not equal” to any specific value
• Dropdowns: No selection counts as different from any option
• Numbers: Empty number fields don’t match greater_than or less_than conditions
• Multiselect/file fields: An empty list doesn’t match any contains or equals check

Common troubleshooting scenario

Problem: A step shows up even though no conditions seem true.

Likely cause: You’re using OR logic with “not equal” conditions.

• “Field A is NOT ‘Option 1’” evaluates to TRUE when the field is empty
• “Field B is NOT ‘Option 2’” also evaluates to TRUE when empty
• With OR, if ANY condition is true, the action triggers

Fix this by:

1. Making the field required so it’s never empty
2. Adding an explicit “is not empty” check
3. Using positive conditions (“equals”) instead of negative ones (“not equals”)

Related articles

Conditionals > Conditionals (IF) explained

Conditionals are the IF part of Tallyfy automations - checking step statuses or form field values to trigger actions automatically.

Templates > Automations

Tallyfy automations use IF-THEN rules to route tasks, adjust deadlines, show or hide steps, and trigger webhooks based on form responses and task events.

Automations > Conditionals

Conditional logic in Tallyfy lets your processes make decisions automatically using IF-THEN rules based on form answers and step completions.

Tutorials > Create an automation

Tallyfy automation rules use IF-THEN conditional logic to intelligently adapt workflows based on user inputs task completions and other triggers eliminating manual adjustments while automatically showing relevant steps assigning tasks and responding to changing circumstances throughout your processes.

Footnotes

1. Processing order differs from standard programming operator precedence where AND typically evaluates before OR ↩

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