Tern has three related but distinct features for managing your business processes: tasks, automations, and workflows. Understanding how these work together is essential for setting up effective client communication and follow-up systems. This guide explains what each feature does and how to use them correctly.
The Three-Layer Structure
Think of Tern's automation system as three layers that work together:
Layer 1 - Email Templates: Reusable email content you send repeatedly (birthday wishes, passport reminders, trip follow-ups)
Layer 2 - Automations: Actions that happen automatically based on triggers (send email template when contact is created, send reminder 60 days before passport expiration)
Layer 3 - Workflows: Collections of automations that apply to specific groups of contacts or trips (all new contacts get welcome sequence, Disney clients get dining reminder 180 days before travel)
Tasks: Separate from this structure. Tasks are personal reminders for actions you need to complete manually.
What Are Tasks?
Tasks are to-do items that appear on your task list and calendar as reminders. Tasks require you to take manual action.
Use tasks for:
Actions only you can complete (call a supplier, follow up with a client personally, review a quote)
One-time reminders for specific trips or clients
Manual processes that cannot be automated
Do NOT use tasks for:
Reminders to send emails that could be automated (birthday emails, passport reminders)
Actions you want to happen automatically without your involvement
Recurring client communications
Example of correct task usage: "Call Marriott to confirm group block" or "Review Sarah's honeymoon quote"
Example of incorrect task usage: "Send birthday email to John" (this should be an automation, not a task)
What Are Automations?
Automations are actions that Tern performs automatically when specific conditions are met, without requiring your manual intervention.
Common automation types:
Send an email template when a contact is created
Send a reminder X days before passport expiration
Send a follow-up email X days after trip return date
Create a task (for actions you DO need to complete manually)
Automations answer the question: "What should happen automatically?"
Key point: Just creating an automation does not make it run. Automations must be added to a workflow and applied to contacts or trips.
What Are Workflows?
Workflows are collections of automations that apply to specific groups of contacts or trips. Workflows determine who receives which automations and when.
Workflows answer the questions:
"Who should this automation apply to?" (new trips or contacts, trips or contacts given a specific tag, trips that move to a specific status)
"When should the automation start?" (set by each automation's trigger, such as the trip start date or a contact's birthday)
Example workflow:
Workflow name: "New Contact Welcome Sequence"
Apply to: All contacts when created
Automations included:
Send welcome email immediately
Send travel style questionnaire 3 days later
Send booking process overview 7 days later
Another example workflow:
Workflow name: "Disney World Client Care"
Apply to: Contacts tagged "WDW"
Automations included:
Send dining reservation reminder 180 days before travel
Send My Disney Experience setup guide 60 days before travel
Send packing list 7 days before travel
How to Set Up Automated Communications Correctly
Step 1: Create Email Templates
Before building automations or workflows, create email templates for any communication you'll send repeatedly.
Navigate to the Emails section
Create a new email template
Write your email content with personalization fields (client name, trip details, etc.)
Save the template with a clear, descriptive name
Why start here: Email templates can be reused across multiple automations and workflows. They're also useful for one-off sends when you need to manually send that same message.
Step 2: Create a Workflow
Do not create standalone automations in the "Automation Templates" section. Build automations directly inside workflows.
Navigate to Workflows
Create a new workflow
Name it descriptively (what it does and who it applies to)
Add automations directly within the workflow:
Choose automation type (send email, create task, etc.)
Select email template (if sending email)
Set timing/triggers
Choose when the workflow auto-applies:
Trip workflows: when a trip is created, moves to a status you pick, or gets a tag you pick
Contact workflows: when a contact is created or gets a tag you pick
Enable auto-apply if you want the workflow to automatically apply to new contacts/trips that meet your criteria. To add it to a single trip or contact by hand, use Add Workflow there.
Use "Bulk Apply" to apply the workflow to existing contacts/trips
Save and close
Important timing note: After using Bulk Apply, allow up to 24 hours for the workflow to fully process and apply to all selected contacts or trips. Large contact lists require more processing time.
Why You Probably Don't Need Automation Templates
The "Automation Templates" section exists for creating reusable automations, but most users should build automations directly inside workflows instead.
Only create automation templates if:
You use the exact same automation (same email, same timing, same trigger) across many different workflows
You need to manually add the same automation to individual contacts one-by-one
For most use cases: Build your automations inside workflows, pulling from your email templates. This approach is simpler, more flexible, and easier to manage.
Common Mistake: Creating Tasks Instead of Automations
Scenario: You create a workflow with a task that says "Send birthday email to client." Your task list now has hundreds or thousands of birthday reminder tasks, but you also have an automation sending birthday emails.
What went wrong: You created a task when you should have only created the automation. The automation sends the email automatically. The task is unnecessary and creates clutter.
Fix: Edit the workflow, remove the task, and click "Apply Updates." This clears the not-yet-completed task reminders from the trips and contacts the workflow is applied to. Tasks you already completed stay in place as a record. If older reminders linger from a workflow that was changed or deleted some time ago, contact support and we will clear them.
Remember: If you want something to happen automatically without your involvement, create an automation. If you need a reminder to do something manually, create a task.
When to Click "Apply Updates" vs. "Save and Close"
Save and Close saves the workflow. Trips and contacts that already have it keep their current tasks and automations. The new version is used the next time the workflow is applied.
Apply Updates also pushes the saved workflow to every trip and contact that already has it, except canceled or archived trips and trips or contacts owned by someone else. On each one, it:
Resets the workflow's automations to match the workflow, including their timing and whether each one is on or off
Resets the workflow's incomplete tasks: title, description, assignees, and due date
Adds back any of the workflow's tasks or automations you deleted from that trip or contact
Removes automations and incomplete tasks you took out of the workflow
Completed tasks don't change. Changes you made to the workflow's items on a single trip or contact, such as turning an automation off, are overwritten. If that automation uses the "Automation added" trigger, turning it back on can send its email again. To keep a change on one trip, make it there and don't click Apply Updates afterward.
Checking Your Automations in the Calendar
Automated emails and tasks appear on your Tern calendar.
To view automations on your calendar:
Click the calendar icon in the top right corner
Click the filter button
Ensure "Automation" is checked in the filter list
You'll see scheduled automated emails and tasks on your calendar
This helps you visualize what clients will receive and when.
Deleting Workflows, Automations, and Tasks
When you no longer need a workflow, automation, or task, here is what deletion does and where everything lands.
Deleting a whole workflow: Removes the workflow along with its automations and any not-yet-completed tasks from every trip and contact it was applied to, and stops any future emails those automations would have sent. Tasks you have already completed stay in place, since they reflect work already done. The workflow also stops applying to new trips and contacts going forward.
Removing a workflow from a single trip: Open the trip's Workflows tab, click the three dots next to the workflow, and choose Remove. This deletes the automations and incomplete tasks it added to that trip, along with those automations' send history. Completed tasks stay. It doesn't affect the workflow itself or any other trip. If you apply the workflow again, every task in it is created fresh as incomplete, and any automation whose send date has passed won't send.
Deleting a single automation: You can delete an automation from a trip or contact directly. This stops that automation's future sends without affecting the rest of the workflow. Clicking Apply Updates on the workflow later adds it back.
Deleting a task: Deleting a task removes the reminder. You can leave completed tasks in place as a record of work done.
Tip: If you only want to stop a workflow from running but keep it for later, turn off Auto Apply instead of deleting it.
Leftover items from older deletions: A workflow deleted before this cleanup behavior was in place can leave automations or tasks behind on older trips. If you run into those, contact support with the trip and we will clear them for you.
Common Questions
Q: I created automation templates but nothing is happening. Why?
A: Automation templates are not active until you add them to a workflow and apply that workflow to contacts or trips. Consider building automations directly inside workflows instead.
Q: How do I know if my workflow applied correctly after using Bulk Apply?
A: Check your calendar (with the Automation filter enabled) to see if scheduled emails appear. Allow up to 24 hours for large batches to fully process. If nothing appears after 24 hours, verify your workflow settings and re-apply.
Q: Can I put multiple automations in one workflow?
A: Yes. Workflows can contain many automations. For example, a "New Contact" workflow might include a welcome email, a questionnaire email 3 days later, and a booking process email 7 days later.
Q: I have tasks and automations doing the same thing. Which should I delete?
A: If you have an automation sending an email, delete the task reminding you to send that email. Keep the automation, remove the task.
Q: If I delete a workflow, does it come off my existing trips and contacts?
A: Yes. Deleting a workflow removes its automations and any not-yet-completed tasks from the trips and contacts it was applied to, and stops their future emails. Completed tasks remain in place.