1
What Automations Do
Automations are trigger-based sequences that take action on your behalf — sending messages, assigning tasks, moving leads through your pipeline, and more — without you lifting a finger each time.
- They run on triggers — Every automation starts with a trigger: something that happens in Jtek that kicks off the sequence. Common triggers include a new contact being created, a form being submitted, an appointment being booked, or a tag being added to a contact.
- They execute actions automatically — After the trigger fires, Jtek executes a series of actions in order. Actions can be: send an SMS, send an email, wait a set amount of time, add a tag, create a task, or move a contact to a different pipeline stage.
- They save hours of manual follow-up every week — The average agent loses 3–5 hours a week on repetitive outreach that could be automated. A single well-built automation replaces that entirely and responds to leads faster than any human could.
- They can be paused or stopped at any time — If a lead replies and you take over the conversation manually, you can remove them from the automation or pause the sequence mid-way. Jtek gives you full control.
- You can build as many as you need — One automation for new leads, one for leads who no-show an appointment, one for closed clients. Start with one and add more as you identify repetitive tasks that could be automated.
Tip: The most impactful automation you can build is a "speed to lead" sequence — an instant SMS that fires the moment a new lead comes in. Studies show responding within 5 minutes makes you 9x more likely to connect with that lead than waiting an hour.
2
Creating a New Workflow
Jtek calls its automations "Workflows." Each workflow is a canvas where you build out your trigger and action sequence visually. Let's create your first one.
- Go to Automations in the left sidebar — Click the Automations icon (it looks like a lightning bolt or branching arrows depending on your sidebar configuration). This opens your workflow library.
- Click "New Workflow" — Look for the New Workflow button in the top right. A dialog will appear asking if you want to start from scratch or use a template. For now, select "Start from Scratch."
- Name your workflow — Give it a clear, descriptive name so you know exactly what it does at a glance. For this first automation, name it "New Lead Follow-Up."
- Click "Create" — Jtek creates the workflow and opens the visual workflow builder canvas. You'll see an empty canvas with a starting node at the top. This is where you'll add your trigger.
- Familiarize yourself with the canvas — The workflow builder works top-to-bottom. The trigger sits at the top, actions flow downward. You add steps by clicking the "+" button below any existing node. Use the zoom controls in the bottom right if the canvas feels cramped.
Tip: Jtek offers pre-built workflow templates for common use cases — new lead follow-up, appointment reminders, review requests, and more. Once you understand how to build from scratch, explore the template library to save time on future workflows.
3
Setting Your Trigger
The trigger is what tells Jtek when to start this workflow. For your first automation, you'll use "Contact Created" — meaning every time a new contact enters Jtek, this workflow fires.
- Click the trigger node at the top of the canvas — It will say something like "Add Trigger" or "Choose a Trigger." Click it to open the trigger selection panel.
- Select "Contact Created" as your trigger — Scroll through the trigger options and click "Contact Created." This fires the workflow any time a new contact is added to Jtek — whether via form, import, manual entry, or inbound call.
- Add a filter (optional) — If you only want this automation to fire for leads from a specific source or with a specific tag, click "Add Filter" under the trigger settings. For example, filter by Tag = "Website Lead" to only trigger for contacts who came in through your website form.
- Leave filters blank for now if you're unsure — If you don't add a filter, the workflow will fire for every new contact. That's fine to start. You can add filters later to narrow the scope once you understand how the workflow is performing.
- Click "Save Trigger" — The trigger node on the canvas will update to show "Contact Created" with a lightning bolt icon. You're ready to add your first action.
Jtek
Dashboard
Contacts
Automations
Settings
New Lead Follow-Up
Draft
Publish
TRIGGER
Contact Created
No filters — all new contacts
+ Add Action
Tip: Once you have multiple automations, use filters on your triggers to prevent the same contact from entering several overlapping workflows at once. A contact who's already in a "New Lead" sequence doesn't need to also enter a "Re-Engagement" sequence.
4
Adding Your First Action
Now you'll add the first action in the sequence — a text message that goes out instantly when a new contact enters Jtek. This is the most impactful action you can automate.
- Click the "+" button below the trigger node — This opens the action selection panel on the right side of the canvas. You'll see categories like Messages, Wait, Contact, Pipeline, and more.
- Select "Send SMS" from the Messages category — Click "Send SMS." An SMS composer will appear where you can write the message that gets sent to the lead.
- Write a short, friendly intro message — Keep it conversational and personal. A proven example: "Hi {{contact.first_name}}, this is [your name] from [your business]. I just got your info — is now a good time to chat?" Use the {{contact.first_name}} variable so Jtek personalizes the message with their name automatically.
- Set the delay if needed — By default the SMS fires immediately when the trigger occurs. If your leads come in overnight and you don't want texts going out at 2 AM, add a "Wait" step before the SMS and configure it to wait until business hours. For most setups, immediate is best.
- Click "Save Action" — The SMS action node appears on the canvas connected to the trigger. You can see a preview of the message text on the node. Add additional wait steps and follow-up actions if you want a multi-touch sequence — but for your first automation, one action is a great start.
Jtek
Dashboard
Contacts
Automations
Settings
New Lead Follow-Up
Draft
Publish
TRIGGER
Contact Created
ACTION · SEND SMS
"Hi {{first_name}}, this is [name] from [business]. I just got your info — is now a good time to chat?"
+ Add next step
Tip: The best automated SMS messages sound like something you'd actually write by hand. Avoid corporate language and exclamation points. A simple, direct, low-pressure opener gets the best response rates. Test different messages by duplicating the workflow and tracking reply rates.
5
Activating and Testing
Before you flip your workflow live, do a controlled test to confirm the trigger fires correctly and the SMS sends as expected. Never activate a workflow without testing it first.
- Click "Publish" or toggle the workflow to Active — In the top right of the workflow builder, look for a "Publish" button or an Active/Draft toggle. Click it to activate the workflow. Jtek will warn you if there are any configuration errors before saving.
- Add yourself as a test contact — Go to Contacts and manually create a new contact using your own name and personal cell phone number. This will act as your test lead and trigger the workflow.
- Confirm the SMS fires on your personal phone — Within a few seconds of creating the test contact, you should receive the SMS on your personal cell. Check that the {{contact.first_name}} variable resolved correctly (it should show your first name, not the raw variable code).
- Check the workflow history log — In Automations, click on your workflow and look for an "Execution History" or "Contacts" tab. Your test contact should appear here with a status of "Completed" and a log showing each action that was executed.
- Delete the test contact and you're live — Once you've confirmed everything worked correctly, go to Contacts, find and delete your test entry, and your workflow is ready to handle real leads. From this point on, every new contact added to Jtek will trigger the sequence automatically.
Always test before going live. If you activate a workflow without testing and the message has a typo, incorrect variable, or sends at the wrong time, it will fire for every real lead that comes in — and you may not notice until you've sent dozens of broken messages. Two minutes of testing prevents that entirely.
Tip: After your workflow is live and has run for a week, review the execution history. Look at the contacts who went through it and check whether any of them replied. If reply rates are low, try A/B testing a different message. The best automations are continually refined based on real results.