Automation rules in Bitrix24 (historically called robots) are automatic actions that fire when a deal, lead or smart process item lands on a pipeline stage. A rule is configured without a developer: pick the stage, add an action, set the parameters. This guide covers how to add a rule, how rules differ from business processes, why they sometimes do not fire, and what to do when the stock set is not enough.

What is an automation rule — and how is it different from a business process?

An automation rule is a single action bound to a CRM stage: send an email, create a task, change a field. It fires automatically when a card enters the stage. A business process is a full scenario with branching, loops and event waits, built in the workflow designer, and it can start from triggers other than a stage change. The rule of thumb: one action on a stage change — use an automation rule; a multi-step chain with conditions and approvals — use a business process. Automation rules are available on most plans; the workflow designer sits on the higher ones.

How do I add an automation rule to a pipeline?

Open CRM → Deals → the Automation rules view above the kanban. Pick a stage, click Add, and choose an action from the list — stock or installed from the Market. Fill in the parameters: who, when, which field values. Save — the rule starts firing for every deal that enters that stage from then on. Leads, companies and smart processes are configured the same way, only the section differs.

What can't stock rules do — and how to fix it?

Four gaps come up in almost every rollout:

  • Compound if-then conditions. The stock filter checks simple equalities. The Compound condition robot evaluates several comparisons with AND/OR/NOT grouping and returns a single Y/N your flow can branch on.
  • Phone normalization. Managers type numbers every which way, so duplicate search and telephony matching fail. The Format phone robot normalizes a number to a single format right inside the flow.
  • Finding another deal. Stock rules cannot look up a different deal. The Find deal robot searches by filter and returns the ID for the next step to use.
  • Working-day deadlines. "In 3 days" in stock rules means calendar days. The Date + N working days robot counts business days instead.

All of these ship in Roboteka — a free Bitrix24 Market app; after install they appear in the same action list next to the stock ones.

Why is my automation rule not firing? Four common causes

Check in order. First — the rule sits on a different stage: it only fires when a card enters the stage it is attached to. Second — the card was already on the stage when you saved the rule: rules do not apply retroactively. Third — the rule's filter condition fails: open the Automation log in the card and see whether the rule was skipped by condition. Fourth — a Market app's rule lost permissions or the app was removed: reinstall it and confirm the action is back in the list.

Where to go from here

Start with one pipeline and three or four rules on key stages: a manager notification, a task with a working-day deadline, contact data normalization. When you hit a stock limitation, do not build a ten-step workaround process — check the robot catalog first. And if the robot you need is missing, describe the task: we build it for free and add it to the shared library.