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Words to workflows is a feature within Asana's AI Studio that allows you to create Smart workflows using plain language instead of manually configuring complex triggers, conditions, and actions. Simply describe what you want to automate, and AI will build the workflow for you.

How words to workflows works

Describe the workflow you wish to create, using natural language, and AI will create the triggers, conditions, actions, and even Use AI variables for you. Words to workflows supports multiple actions, triggers, and conditions within a rule. It eliminates any confusion in setting up automations, requires no technical expertise to use, saves time on configuration, and makes powerful automation accessible to everyone.

Using words to workflows to create rules

Follow these instructions to use words to workflows:

  • In any project, click the Customize menu, select Rules, and click + Add
  • Choose Create with AI Studio or Create custom rule
  • When the rule builder opens, find and click Create in the bottom-left corner underneath the Guidance for AI window

Create a workflow with words to workflows

  • Next, describe the workflow you wish to create, and chat with the AI to refine the triggers, conditions, and actions.
  • Be specific, but feel free to use natural language as in the image below when chatting with the AI.
  • Click Create when you're satisfied with the workflow description.

Chat with AI Studio

When you chat with the AI, it will interpret your instructions and create the workflow automatically.  You can always add more steps, delete components, or reorganize parts of the workflow before publishing the rule.

Review the rule components

Review the triggers, conditions, and actions that the AI has built. Once satisfied, click Publish in the top-right corner.

Tips and best practices

Writing effective descriptions

While words to workflows removes some of the strain from prompting or prompt engineering, it does still rely on clear instructions. Keep these things in mind when describing your intended workflow:

  • Be specific about what event should trigger the automation
  • Clearly describe the desired outcome
  • Include relevant details about timing, assignees, or conditions (see the instruction to avoid weekends in the image above)

✅ When a task with high priority is created, assign it to John and set the due date to 3 days from now.

❌ Take care of high priority tasks that enter the project

Getting better results

A common pitfall when describing workflows or creating prompts for AI, is the assumption that the AI has access to more context than it does. Keep these things in mind to avoid gaps in the AI's understanding:

  • Use clear, simple language, but give the AI enough detail to fully understand your intent
  • Break any overly complex workflows into smaller, focused automations
  • Test your workflow with a few tasks before deploying more broadly - catch any issues or blind spots early

Troubleshooting and limitations

Limitations

My tasks: Currently not available for My tasks workflows

Troubleshooting

Workflow not working as expected: Review the generated triggers and conditions to ensure they match your intent
Missing functionality: Check if the desired trigger/action is supported in regular Asana rules
Complex logic: Consider breaking your automation into multiple simpler workflows

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Words to Workflows in Asana AI Studio: Create Smart Workflows with Plain Language