Setting Up Lead Status Automations
Keeping lead statuses up to date manually is tedious and easy to forget. BuilderMate's automations handle it for you — automatically changing a lead's status when key events happen, like sending an estimate or getting a contract signed.
Who Can Access This
Admin only. Automations affect the entire organization's lead workflow.
Where to Find It
Navigate to Settings > Automations from the sidebar.
What Automations Do
Each automation follows a simple pattern: when something happens to a lead, automatically change its status. This keeps your pipeline accurate in real time without anyone needing to remember to drag a card or update a dropdown.
Creating an Automation
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Click "Add Automation".
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Fill in the fields:
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Name — A descriptive name so you remember what this automation does (e.g., "Move to Appointment Set when appointment assigned").
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Trigger Event — The event that fires the automation. Choose from:
- Appointment Assigned — When an appointment is created for a lead.
- Estimate Sent — When a quote/estimate is sent to the client.
- Estimate Approved — When the client approves an estimate.
- Appointment Completed Without Estimate — When an appointment is marked done but no estimate was created.
- Contract Sent — When a contract is sent to the client.
- Contract Signed — When the client signs a contract.
- Status Stale for X Days — When a lead has been sitting in a specific status for a defined number of days without any status change.
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Condition — From Status — Choose a specific status this automation should apply to, or select "Any" to apply regardless of current status.
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Action — Change To Status — The status the lead should be changed to when the trigger fires.
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Click Save.
The automation is now active and will run automatically going forward.
Practical Examples
Here are automations that work well for most construction businesses:
Keep Your Pipeline Moving
| Automation Name | Trigger | From Status | Change To | |----------------|---------|-------------|-----------| | Appointment scheduled | Appointment Assigned | New | Appointment Set | | Estimate delivered | Estimate Sent | Any | Estimate Sent | | Client approved estimate | Estimate Approved | Estimate Sent | Negotiation | | Contract sent out | Contract Sent | Any | Negotiation | | Deal closed | Contract Signed | Any | Won |
Catch Stale Leads
| Automation Name | Trigger | From Status | Change To | |----------------|---------|-------------|-----------| | Contacted but stale | Status Stale for 14 Days | Contacted | Follow Up | | Estimate sent but no response | Status Stale for 7 Days | Estimate Sent | Follow Up |
Pro Tip: Start with the basics — "Contract Signed moves to Won" and "Estimate Sent moves to Estimate Sent" are the two most universally useful automations. Add more as you settle into your workflow.
Managing Your Automations
The Automations Table
Back on the main Automations page, you'll see a table listing all your automations with:
- Name
- Trigger type
- From status and To status (shown as an arrow: From → To)
- Enable/Disable toggle — Turn an automation on or off without deleting it
Editing an Automation
Click on any automation to open it and update its name, trigger, condition, or action.
Deleting an Automation
If you no longer need an automation, delete it from the automations list. This won't affect any leads that were already changed by the automation — those status changes are permanent.
Disabling vs. Deleting
If you're not sure whether you'll need an automation again, use the enable/disable toggle instead of deleting. A disabled automation stays in your list but won't fire. You can re-enable it at any time.
How Automations Interact with Manual Changes
Automations only fire based on the specific trigger events listed above. They don't override manual status changes. If you drag a lead to a different status on the Pipeline board, that manual change takes effect immediately — automations won't fight it.
However, if the trigger event happens later (for example, a contract is signed), the automation will fire and update the status again. Keep this in mind when designing your automation rules.
Good to Know: Automations run in the background and apply instantly when the trigger event occurs. There's no delay — as soon as an estimate is sent or a contract is signed, the status changes.