AuttoDoc Action

The AuttoDoc action takes a Microsoft Word .docx file as input and allows the use of th same file, either in the same .docx format or as a PDF document, later in the workflow. This article discusses the AuttoDoc action in more detail.

Table of Contents

• Understanding the AuttoDoc Action
• Setting Up the AuttoDoc Action
  • To Attach a File
  • To Edit the Attached File
  • To Replace the Attached File
  • To Download the Attached File
• Adding Conditional Text to the Attached Document
  • To Add Text Based on an If-Else Condition
  • To Add Text Based on an If Condition
• Adding Square Brackets to the Attached Document
• Managing Electronic Signatures in the Attached Document
  • To Add an E-Sign to the Document
  • To Remove an E-Sign from the Document
• How the AuttoDoc Action Appears in the User Application
• FAQs
• Known Issues

Understanding the AuttoDoc Action

Using the AuttoDoc action, you can use documents in your workflows, allowing these documents to be attached to emails, for example.

Within the AuttoDoc action, there is a Microsoft Word-like editor that you can use to edit the document you upload to the action.

From within the Editor, you can use Square Brackets, Conditions, and E-Signatures to generate a customized file depending on inputs from your users.

Setting Up the AuttoDoc Action

Use the AuttoDoc action anytime you need to send documents in a workflow. You can upload a file to an AuttoDoc action, edit the file directly from within the AuttoDoc action, insert Square Brackets and Conditions within the file, replace an existing file with a new one, and download the file for editing outside AUTTO.

To Attach a File

You will need to upload a file in .docx format to an AuttoDoc action before you can use the file in your workflow.

To upload a file to an AuttoDoc action:

1. Drag an AuttoDoc action to the canvas of the Workflow Editor.
2. Position your cursor over the action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
3. Either drag-and-drop the document from your PC to the box on the Action Editor or click Choose File, then select the .docx file from your PC and upload it to AUTTO. Only .docx files are allowed for upload.
   
   

4. Enter an optional square bracket name for the resulting document. This will allow use of the document later on in the workflow.
5. By default, the file's output format, or the format of the file when it is used in actions further down the workflow, will also be in .docx. You can change this to PDF if required.
6. Under the Document output name box, enter the name that will be used when saving and downloading the file.

NOTE: You may use square brackets when naming files. For example, sales [current_date|dd-MM-yyyy] document, where current_date|dd-MM-yyyy is a square bracket.

7. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Editor.

To Edit the Attached File

AUTTO allows the attached file in an AuttoDoc action to be edited directly from within the action. This is handy when you are accessing AUTTO from a PC without an Office suite capable of opening the file, for example, Microsoft Word.

To edit the file in an AuttoDoc action:

1. Open the AuttoDocs action and click Open Document.
   
   
   
   
2. Wait for the document to load in the Editor, then make the necessary changes to the document. The Editor functions like any other word processing software and is capable of handling common changes needed in documents, such as typing, deleting, and modifying text and adding pictures or graphics.
3. To download the file in another format, click File, then Download as..., then select from the list of supported formats.
   
   
4. You can also change the document output name for the file, if required.
5. To print the file, click File, then Print.
6. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Editor.

To Replace the Attached File

You can replace the existing document attached to an AuttoDoc action with a new or updated one at any time.

To replace the existing attachment:

1. Position your cursor over the AuttoDoc action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
2. On the Action Editor, click Replace Document.
3. Click Confirm on the message to delete the document from the Action.
   
   
   
   
4. To upload a new document to the Action, follow the steps in To Attach a File.
5. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

To Download the Attached File

You can download the document attached to an AuttoDoc action at anytime.

To download the document attached to an AuttoDoc action:

1. Position your cursor over the AuttoDocs action, then click the Edit icon when it appears.
2. On the Action Editor, click Download Document to start downloading the file to your PC.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the x button to close the Action Editor.

You can then update the document using any compatible word processing software before uploading it back to AUTTO using the procedure outlined in To Replace the Existing Document in the AuttoDoc Action.

Adding Conditional Text to the Attached Document

Aside from allowing direct edits to the document from within the AuttoDoc action, the Editor also allows customizing the document with conditional text, which appears when certain conditions are met. These conditions are based on data contained in square brackets that you call within the Editor. Once you have applied the conditions, you can then decide on which text to show or hide.

There are two types of conditional text that can be added to the document in an AuttoDoc action:

1. IF ELSE will add one of two available texts to the document, depending on whether the condition is true or false.
2. IF will only write to the document if the condition is true.
   
   

NOTE: Conditional text in documents attached to an AuttoDoc action operate in much the same way as conditional text used in other AUTTO actions. For more information, see Using Conditional Text in Actions.

To Add Text Based on an If-Else Condition

In an If-Else condition, alternative texts will be displayed in the document depending on whether the condition is True or False.

To add text based on an If-Else condition:

1. Open the AuttoDoc action and click Open Document.
2. When the document loads in the Editor, under the Conditions tab on the left, click IF ELSE.
   
   
   
   
3. Position your cursor in the section of the document where you want the conditional text to appear, then click Next.
   
   
   
   
4. Follow the wizard to create the IF statement, making sure to enter the conditional text before clicking Next on the ELSE statement.
5. Enter the text for the closing condition, then click Done. The syntax for the conditional text you just created then appears on the document.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

To Add Text Based on an If Condition

An IF condition will only add the text to the document if the condition is True.

To add text based on an If condition:

1. Open the AuttoDoc action and click Open Document.
2. When the document loads in the Editor, under the Conditions tab on the left, click IF.
3. Position your cursor in the section of the document where you want the conditional text to appear, then click Next.
4. Follow the wizard to create the IF statement, making sure to enter the conditional text before clicking Done. The syntax for the conditional text you just created then appears on the document.
   
   
   
   
5. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

Adding Square Brackets to the Attached Document

Square brackets created in other actions added earlier in the workflow can be used anywhere in the document attached to the AuttoDoc action.

To insert a square bracket in the attached document:

1. Open the AuttoDoc action and click Open Document.
2. When the document loads in the Editor, under the Conditions tab on the left, click the Square Brackets tab on the left.
3. Position your cursor over the section in the document where you want to put the information saved in the Square bracket.
4. Either select the square bracket from the list or search for it on the Search bar.
5. Optionally, and depending on the type of square bracket, you may be asked to select how you want the stored data to be displayed in the document. In the screenshot below, the Current Date square bracket is used with a dd-MM-yyyy format.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

Managing Electronic Signatures in the Attached Document

Electronic signatures, or E-signs, can be added to the attached document in an AuttoDoc action. Added e-signatures can also be removed if needed.

To Add an E-Sign to the Document

The electronic signatures can be added to the attached document at any time.

To insert an electronic signature to the attached document:

1. Open the AuttoDoc action and click Open Document.
2. When the document loads in the Editor, click the E-sign tab on the left.
3. Position your cursor over the section in the document where you want to put the e-sign, then click Add.
4. The e-signature is then added to the attached document.
   
   
   
   
5. Click the x button to save your changes and close the Action Editor.

NOTE: If you added an E-signature to the AuttoDoc action, you will need to set up an E-sign action with the workflow right after the AuttoDoc action. You will then need to map the email addresses within the E-sign action to the correct signatory numbers in the AuttoDoc action.

To Remove an E-Sign from the Document

To remove the electronic signature from the document, click the link at the bottom of the E-sign tab.

How the AuttoDoc Action Appears in the User Application

The AuttoDoc action does not appear in the User Application. To display a document attached in a AuttoDoc action in your workflow, you need to add either a Page or Email action or both to your workflow. The document can then can be displayed on and/or downloaded from these Actions using the Attachments feature (for more information, see Attaching Files to Actions).

FAQs

Check out FAQs about the AuttoDoc Action here.

Known Issues

There is a known issue related to the use of Two (2) Table Square brackets in a single branch of a condition in an Auttodoc Action. For more information on the issue, click here.