Design mode
How to build actions in design mode
Design mode is the interface that lets you access and update your action's components. You can design and test your actions by navigating between Inputs, Outputs, Requests and Functions of your action on the same screen.
In design mode, your progress on your actions is automatically saved as a draft as you update any component. When your action is ready to be run, you can apply your changes, or revert them and save the action without your progress and delete your draft.
Only app admins can open an action in Design mode.
Adding new actions
To create a new action, you first need to have an app.
When you have an app ready, next step is to configure a new connection. Navigate to App settings tab or your app and add a new connection.
After adding a connection, you are ready to add new actions to your app.
- Go to your app's Actions tab and click + Add action.
- On the opening screen, enter the name, description, tags and aliases of your action.
You are now ready to enter design mode and add input, output, request and function components.
Action components: Inputs, outputs, requests and functions
To access the components of an action, open it in Design mode. You can design and test your actions by navigating between Inputs, Outputs, Requests and Functions tabs.
When you click on a component, the component design area opens up on the right panel. This is the area where you can view and configure your component.
Updating actions
Your progress is automatically saved as a draft when you update an action's properties and input, output, request and function components. This means if you can't complete your changes or need to switch devices, you don’t have to start over the next time you open the action in design mode.
DRAFT label appears on the actions you are updating. The changes in draft mode are not saved until you click Apply changes button.
If action is run when it is in draft mode, it is run with the latest saved version, the version before your action became draft. Your changes are not applied until you Apply changes.
- Apply changes to save the action with your progress.
- Revert changes to save the action without your progress and delete your draft.
DRAFT label disappears when you apply or revert changes to your draft.
Your changes in draft mode are only visible to you.
Your progress is reverted and your draft is deleted,
- If another app admin deletes you from the app or disables your app admin role.
- If the action is deleted.
- If the app that contains the action is deleted.
- When you lose access to your Actioner workspace.
When multiple app admins are having multiple drafts of the same action, the last published one is saved.
Autosave status
At top right corner, Actioner shows different colors and icons for each autosave status. You can hover over to see autosave message.
Action designing steps
Below you will find recommended action designing steps. Keep in mind that you can always go back and forth between components or revisit any step later on. Your progress on your actions is automatically saved as you update any component.
Add your input components.
Add your requests.
Add API requests to generate dynamic values for action components and to perform operations in your tools.
Add Slack requests to add Slack-native functionalities to your actions, such as to send a direct message or to create a new channel.
Add utility requests for specific functions natively provided by Actioner, such as getting the weather status or a translation of a phrase or inserting gifs from Giphy.
Add link requests to open external links in a new tab.
Add your output components.
Add your functions. You can use functions to write larger, reusable, blocks of code. Add them
- if you find yourself using the same or similar blocks of code multiple times throughout your action
- to store variables —and their values— both on action level and on app level.
Add requests and functions to run steps in the order that they will be executed when the action is run.
When all is set, Apply changes.