Actions

7 min

Term	Definition	Characteristics
Action	Actions are individual capabilities of connectors that enable users to create automation workflows interacting with external technologies. They define what a connector can do, such as retrieving data, sending requests, or managing assets. On the other hand, there are prebuilt actions included by default within a connector. They offer a streamlined, customized configuration experience tailored for optimal performance in Swimlane Turbine, requiring no manual setup by the user. For more information refer to Native Actions.	- Pass/process data inputs - Results available in outputs - Functionality options: Conditions, loops, retries, repeats, discovered outputs, testing

Overview

Actions are individual capabilities of connectors that enable you to create automation workflows interacting with external technologies. Actions define what a connector can do, such as retrieving data, sending requests, or managing assets.

Native actions are prebuilt actions included by default within Turbine. They offer a streamlined, customized configuration experience tailored for optimal performance, requiring no manual setup. Native actions include HTTP Request, Script, Transform Data, Condition, Loop, Parallel, Create Record, Delete Record, Update Record, Search Records, Create Variables, and Update Variables.

For more information about individual native actions, see Native Actions.

Add Actions to Your Playbook

To add an action to your playbook:

Open the Add panel on the left side of the playbook canvas.

Browse or search for the desired action from the available connectors and native actions.

Native actions appear at the bottom of the Add panel

Connector actions are organized by vendor/connector

Drag the action from the Add panel.

Drop the action onto the canvas:

Drop onto a drop zone (indicated by a plus icon) to add it to the flow

Drop onto an edge to insert it between existing actions

Drop onto a node to connect it after that action

After dropping, the action appears on the canvas and the Action details panel automatically displays to the right of the playbook.

You do not need a trigger to add an action to your playbook.

For detailed information about adding actions, including how to use the Add panel, see Inputs > Create Actions.

Configure Actions

After adding an action to your playbook, configure it with inputs, outputs, assets, and other settings.

Open the Configure Dialog

To configure action inputs and outputs, open the Configure dialog in one of two ways:

From the Action details panel: In the Data section, click Configure.

From the canvas: Click the Edit icon that appears when you hover over an action node.

The Configure dialog opens with Inputs and Outputs tabs, where you can configure the action properties.

The Configure dialog appearance and available options vary depending on the action type. For example, native actions like Create Variables, Update Variables, HTTP Request, Script, Transform Data, Condition, Loop, and Record actions each have their own specialized configuration dialogs.

Configure Action Inputs

Action inputs are information necessary for the execution of the task. Configure action inputs based on the selected connector or action type.

For detailed information about configuring action inputs, including:

Action property types

Configuring connector properties

Selecting assets

Configuring concatenation for strings

Adding object and array sub-properties

See Inputs.

Configure Action Outputs

Action outputs are the response and/or result(s) from a connector technology. Action outputs can be applied as inputs for other actions within your playbook, or promoted for use outside of the current playbook.

For detailed information about viewing and promoting action outputs, see Outputs.

Action Features

Actions support various features that enhance automation workflows:

Conditions: Control when actions execute based on conditions

Loops: Repeat actions for multiple items

Retries: Automatically retry failed actions based on conditions and limits

Discovered Outputs: Discover additional outputs during action testing

Testing: Test actions individually before running the entire playbook

Inputs - Configure action inputs and properties

Outputs - View and promote action outputs

Native Actions - Learn about individual native actions

Retries - Configure action retries

Discovered Outputs and Testing - Test actions and discover outputs