The power of automating WordPress
I like to think of a typical WordPress website as a collection of parts. You can combine themes, plugins, and custom code to power virtually any type of site.
However, in most cases, these various pieces don't necessarily work together. That is, each serves its own purpose independently of the others. Unless they are linked to the same ecosystem (a WooCommerce extension, for example), they can generally be changed without causing a domino effect.
This has both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, it's possible to add or remove features at any time. But it also means that getting everything to work together can be difficult.
This presents a challenge for developers. There are many scenarios where you might want user actions in one plugin to also trigger a response in another. Unless these features are intentionally built into a plugin, you might need to create that functionality from scratch.
That's where the power of WordPress automation comes in. Tools now exist specifically designed to trigger a chain reaction between multiple plugins and third-party services. Best of all, they can be set up relatively easily.
If that sounds like something that could change your life (or at least your website), keep reading! We'll introduce you to some WordPress automation tools and basic examples of what they can do for you.
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WordPress automation plugins
The first step is to choose a WordPress automation plugin. This will act as the glue that binds together the various plugins and services on your site.
There are a couple of attractive options we'll focus on. Each has a free version that includes many features. If you're looking for something more robust, the paid versions offer advanced features and broader compatibility.
Before choosing, be sure to review what's included. While both options have similarities, there may be some key differences that will determine the best option for your situation.
AutomatorWP
AutomatorWP comes loaded with integrations for popular plugins such as WooCommerce, BuddyPress, Gravity Forms, LearnDash y Restrict Content Proamong many others. In addition, you can connect with service providers such as HubSpot, Twilio, Zapier y Zoom.
Please note that integrations are limited in the free version of the plugin. Premium plugins are available, which can be purchased individually or as part of a bundle. They expand the types of tasks (also known as "triggers") available in your automation workflow.
Uncanny Automator
In addition to the plugin integrations listed above, Uncanny Automator works with Easy Digital Downloads, Elementor, MemberPress, and The Events Calendar. Third-party services include Facebook, FluentCRM, and Twitter.
The free version includes over 100 triggers and automation actions. More are available in the pro version. Note that there is no à la carte option; you'll need to purchase the Pro version to access the advanced functionality.
Creating some basic automations
Now that we know a little more about AutomatorWP and Uncanny Automator, it's time to put them to work. We'll use them to create a couple of automations that reflect common use cases.
But first, a little history about how things combine.
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How does it work?
While each plugin uses slightly different terminology, the process for adding automation to your website is essentially the same.
Both have a similar back-end user interface for creating automated functions. AutomatorWP calls them "automations," while Uncanny Automator refers to them as "recipes." It's possible to have multiple automations/recipes on your site.
In any case, these configurations have two components:
Triggers
A trigger is the initial step in the process when a user performs a specific task. For example, common triggers might be when a user enters a comment on a blog post or purchases a product. Triggers can be configured for logged-in or offline users.
Behavior
An action is what happens after the trigger is completed. Let's say a user has joined a BuddyPress group on your website. You can create an action that automatically sends them a welcome email or adds them to a mailing list.
It's also worth noting that a given automation/recipe can contain multiple triggers and actions. In some situations, you can even set up a sequence for them.
Example #1 (Uncanny Automator): When a customer buys a specific WooCommerce product, add it to a BuddyPress group
Our first example will connect WooCommerce and BuddyPress. When a customer buys the "Beanie" product from our dummy store, we'll also add them to our BuddyPress user group "Fashion Forward".
We'll use Uncanny Automator to set it up. Here's how we did it:
- Within WordPress, go to Automator > Add New.
- Uncanny Automator will ask you to select a recipe type. In this case, we'll want to choose "Logged-in Users." Click "Confirm."
- Give your recipe a name; in this example, we opted for: "Add hat buyers to the Fashion Forward BuddyPress group."
- In the "Login triggers" area, click on WooCommerce.
- Now, you'll see a list of possible triggers. Choose: "A user completes, pays for, and arrives at a thank-you page for an order with a product."
- Next, Uncanny Automator will ask for an activation condition. Select "complete" and click "Save".
- Here, we'll choose the product we want to focus on. From the list, select "Beanie" and click "Save".
Now that our trigger is set up, it's time to move on to the Actions section of the recipe.
- Click on "Add action".
- From there, click on BuddyPress.
- Select "Add user to a group" from the list of actions and click "Save".
- Also, make sure to change the status in the top right of the page from "Draft" to "Live".
When complete, the recipe should look similar to the image below.
Example #2 (AutomatorWP): When a user submits a gravity form, create a new WordPress user
Our mock website has a support form (powered by Gravity Forms) that users can submit for help. If that user doesn't have an account on our site, we can use AutomatorWP to create one for them.
This automation requires that we know the identification numbers of the fields in our severity form. You can find them by clicking on specific fields within the form editor's user interface.
- Within WordPress, go to AutomatorWP > Automations. Once on the Automations screen, click "Add New Automation".
- AutomatorWP will ask you to select the automation type. Select "Anonymous" and click "Confirm".
- Give your automation a name; in this example, we chose: "The support form entry creates a new user."
- In the Triggers area, click on Gravity Forms.
- Choose "Guest submits a form" from the trigger list. By default, the trigger will work with any form on our site. To switch to a specific form, we clicked "Any form" and selected ours (Technical Support) from the list. Click "Save."
Now that our trigger is set up, it's time to move on to the Actions part of the automation.
6. In the Actions area, click on "New user".
7. Now we can complete parts of the new user's profile using fields from our form (via the Guest form submission). As mentioned, this requires knowing the identification number for each field. In this case, we have fields for the user's first and last name, along with their email address.
The email field in our form (ID: 2) will be used to complete the username and email fields in the user profile.
For the user name, we will use the first name (ID: 5) and last name (ID: 6) from the form.
8. There are some more options within this action that we want to address:
The default user role is "Subscriber", but we can change it in the Role settings if necessary.
We will enable the "Send notification to user" setting. This will send an email to the new user and provide a link to reset their password.
Next, we will configure What to do if the user already exists: in "Do not execute the actions".
9. Click "Save" to save the new automation action.
10. Finally, click "Save and Activate" to put the automation into operation.
When complete, the automation should look similar to the image below.
Making WordPress plugins work together
WordPress automation plugins can completely streamline an otherwise time-consuming process. With just a few clicks, you can create some truly useful features.
And while some of the more advanced options require commercial software, it can be worth the investment. Think about how much time and effort it would take to create these features from scratch. The convenience alone is worth the price.
Finally, there's an easy way to make your site's WordPress plugins work together. Experiment and see how it can help improve your workflow.
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