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Variables in automations
Who can use this feature?
Visit our pricing page for more information.
What is a variable?
A variable is a way to reference key task data within a automation. Variables allow you to create dynamic, flexible automations to fit your workflow.
Important notes about variables
- Many variables will not appear until you have selected a trigger. This is because certain variables are specifically associated with the automation's triggering task. For example, custom field variables won't be available to view or use until the automation has a trigger.
- Automations may fail silently if there are issues with variable values. Currently, there are no alerts when this happens. Common scenarios include:
- When a "set date" action using a variable attempts to set a task's start date to after its due date.
- When an app action provides data that doesn't match the automation's expected type (e.g., attempting to set a number custom field to a non-number value).
- App actions have their own distinct variable behavior patterns.
Which variables can be used?
When automations run, you can reference variables from the following categories in your tasks: Task, People, Dates, Custom fields
Note
People variables are further refined into Task creator, Assignee, and automation triggerer
You can specify the exact value that the variable displays when the dynamic value is used.
For example, you may wish to refer to the name of a task in a block of text, without @mentioning it, or there may be cases where referring to the task ID number is preferable.
See all variables and the different ways you can display them below.
Task variables
| Task variable | How the dynamic value is displayed |
|---|---|
Default | @mention or URL of task which triggered automation |
Name | Plain text name of task which triggered automation |
Description | Content of description field of task which triggered automation |
ID | ID number (e.g. 1205100117625723) of task which triggered automation |
People variables
People variables are divided into 3 subcategories:
| Task creator | Assignee | Automation triggerer | How the dynamic value is displayed |
|---|---|---|---|
Default | Default | Default | @mention or URL |
Name | Name | Name | Plain text name |
Email | Email | Email | Email address |
ID | ID | ID | ID number (e.g. 1205100117625723) |
Date variables
| Date variable | How the dynamic value is displayed |
|---|---|
Trigger time | Date and time the automation was triggered |
Start date | Start date of task which triggered the automation |
Due date | Due date of task which triggered the automation |
Creation time | Creation time and date of task which triggered the automation |
Custom field variables
| Custom field variable | How the dynamic value is displayed |
|---|---|
Text custom field | Current value in the text field of the task which triggers the automation |
Number custom field | Current value in the number field of the task which triggers the automation |
Single-select custom field | Current value in the single-select field of the task which triggers the automation |
Multi-select custom field | Current value in the multi-select field of the task which triggers the automation |
Formula custom field | Current value in the formula field of the task which triggers the automation |
Date custom field | Current value in the date custom field of the task which triggers the automation |
People custom field | Current value in the people custom field of the task which triggers the automation |
Project variables
| Project variable | How the dynamic value is displayed |
| Default | Display as URL or @mention |
| Name | Display as text |
Section variable
| Section variable | How the dynamic value is displayed |
| Name | Display as text |
Examples of variables in action
This example shows what variables look like when building an automation.
According to the automation, when a task is moved to the Triage section, the automation is triggered and a subtask is created. The subtask contains many variables, each referring to a piece of data from the task which triggered the automation.
Building an automation with variables
-
Task variables can be used in task titles when the automation creates a task, subtask, or approval. In this example only the task name and task ID variables are used.
-
Task variables can also be used within the task description. In this example, all 4 task variables are used in the subtask’s description for illustration purposes.
- Note that the Assignee and Due date fields also support variables. See date variables and people variables.
Output of an automation action using variables
On the left, see the task which triggers the automation when moved into the Triage section of the project. The variables used in the automation will pull the task’s name, description, and task ID into the subtask which is created.
On the right, see the subtask created when the automation is run. The subtask contains the Task, Task name, Task description, and Task ID information which has been pulled from the task which triggered the automation.
Automation actions which support variables
See the various automation actions which support different variables.
Add comment
The Add comment automation action supports all variables and their values, meaning you can reference any Task, People, Date, or Custom field variable, and choose exactly which value (Default, Name, Email, ID) you wish to display when the automation runs.
Set assignee
The Set assignee automation action supports all People variables, meaning you can select Task creator, Assignee, or automation triggerer. As the action only related to changing the assignee field, the specific values of the variables (Default, Name, Email, ID) are not relevant or supported with this action.
Create task, Create subtask, Create approval
When using the Create task, Create subtask, and Create approval actions, there are four areas within these tasks where variable can be employed; Task name, Task description, Due date field, and the Assignee field.
The Task name field supports all variables and their values
The Task description supports all variables and their values
The Due date field supports all Date variables
The Assignee field supports all People variables
Set text field
The Set text field action, which is used to update a text custom field, can support variables.
Using variables with Asana's Gmail automation integration
Asana's Gmail automation integration allows you to send an email from your Gmail account to your chosen recipient based on triggers you choose. The Send email action can now support variables.
Variables are supported in the To, Reply to, Subject, and Body fields.
Related articles
- Email communication with form submitters
- ID custom fields
- Applying bundles to projects
- Management dashboard for project templates
- Rules integrations and widgets
- Import knowledge from Google Drive into Asana Service Management
- Set up a knowledge base in Asana Service Management
- AI Meetings
- Asana AI features and admin controls
- Get started with Asana AI
