# 🆕 Actions! ⚡⚡⚡ **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [November 5, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026 "2020-11-05T23:12:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![ThinhDinh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/thinhdinh/32/49_2.png) [@ThinhDinh](https://community.glideapps.com/u/ThinhDinh)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 10:31am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/328 "2020-12-08T10:31:23Z")
I think it’s the way it is set up to work, which enables you to have multiple layouts for the same sheet. ---
**Author:** ![Drearystate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/drearystate/32/49605_2.png) [@Drearystate](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Drearystate)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/329 "2020-12-08T23:49:29Z")
This happened to me last satuday requiring me to rebuild 2 sets of 6 for a total of 12 windows and over 60 actions to rebuild. ---
**Author:** ![qb15](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/qb15/32/9973_2.png) [@qb15](https://community.glideapps.com/u/qb15)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 8:19am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/330 "2021-01-19T08:19:48Z")
**Re-Using NAMED Actions** We can name custom action workflows, but they are not available afterwards from what I can tell. This means I have to recreate the same action workflows for every screen step by step. IF we’re naming them, why not make them available as options on the Action Selection dropdown? I’m sure this has been said elsewhere - it’s the #1 thing to add to this to make them more productive. ---
**Author:** ![Rosewebstudio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rosewebstudio/32/12261_2.png) [@Rosewebstudio](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Rosewebstudio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/331 "2021-03-31T13:58:21Z")
> [@\_eric](#): > > **Background Action** - Ability for an action to run based on certain data criteria or on edit/delete. Currently, it looks like everything is an on-click action. Use case, if a parent record gets deleted have an action that deletes child records. +1 👍 This would be great. So rather than have a button (for example) to trigger an action have the action trigger based upon the content of a cell or cells, especially those that are dynamic. Example - Delete record after a certain number of days. ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/332 "2021-03-31T14:11:47Z")
Exactly. Glide needs time based triggers. ---
**Author:** ![Rosewebstudio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rosewebstudio/32/12261_2.png) [@Rosewebstudio](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Rosewebstudio)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/333 "2021-03-31T14:24:07Z")
Been working on a new concept app and this would be so helpful to achieve a seamless user experience. Now I have to get the user to a) actually remember to go into the app (unlikely given they are “so busy”) and b) to then ‘do’ something to trigger the action. I’m sure this will be on the glide roadmap for the future consideration 🤞 Time based or cell content based so it becomes dynamic. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/334 "2021-03-31T15:04:49Z")
I guess the thing with time based triggers is that it would need to be a back end thing, yeah? I mean… I’m not sure I can picture how a time-based trigger would work on a user device. ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/335 "2021-03-31T17:38:10Z")
Ya, I guess it would need to leverage the system clock? ---
**Author:** ![Drearystate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/drearystate/32/49605_2.png) [@Drearystate](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Drearystate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/336 "2021-03-31T22:18:57Z")
If you guys would like I can write you out a time based trigger. I use these currently in my apps. I can write a generic one that you guys can modify to fit your needs. ---
**Author:** ![Drearystate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/drearystate/32/49605_2.png) [@Drearystate](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Drearystate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/337 "2021-03-31T22:21:38Z")
Rose, I built a script that does delete records after a certain timespan. Its in the [Scripts, scripts, scripts!](https://community.glideapps.com/t/scripts-scripts-scripts/18965) forum page I made a while back. ---
**Author:** ![Drearystate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/drearystate/32/49605_2.png) [@Drearystate](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Drearystate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/338 "2021-03-31T22:24:35Z")
Rose, when I asked a little over a month ago about this feature I was told by David that it was not in the pipeline. > [@Button (Timer)](https://community.glideapps.com/t/button-timer/21367/10): > > So we have a stopwatch can we not just add actions to the stopwatch when it ends. and add actions to allow us to start it. Thats all we need. once we have that we can do the rest ourselves. just make the stopwatch accessible via the compound actions. > [@Button (Timer)](https://community.glideapps.com/t/button-timer/21367/12): > > We also have no vague plans for Automations. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/339 "2021-04-01T00:12:32Z")
> [@Drearystate](#): > > If you guys would like I can write you out a time based trigger. I use these currently in my apps. I can write a generic one that you guys can modify to fit your needs. You mean like this? > [@Scripts, scripts, scripts!](https://community.glideapps.com/t/scripts-scripts-scripts/18965/5): > > Here is an example I use for creating time-based triggers. It accepts 3 parameters: func - the name of the function to be executed unit - either ‘hours’ or ‘minutes’ interval - how often to run it (based on the unit) So for example, calling it as create\_time\_based\_trigger('clear\_old\_data', 'hours', 6) would create a trigger that calls the function clear\_old\_data once every 6 hours. function create\_time\_based\_trigger(func, unit, interval) { var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActive(); switch (… But the point here is about having the ability to configure ~~event~~ state or time driven actions in Glide, and be able to avoid Apps Script triggers. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 12:18am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/340 "2021-04-01T00:18:05Z")
> [@Robert\_Petitto](#): > > Ya, I guess it would need to leverage the system clock? Thinking more about the types of actions you’d want to fire with time/ ~~event~~ state based triggers. For example… - deleting and/or updating rows at a specific time of day, or after a specific period of time: rather than have this action fire on every individual user device, you’d want it to fire once on the back end, and then allow the change to sync to all users. - time and/or ~~event~~ state based notifications: again, seems to me something that should be initiated from the back end ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/341 "2021-04-01T00:21:48Z")
Since we’re talking about it: > [@Automatic Time Based Deletion of Rows](https://community.glideapps.com/t/automatic-time-based-deletion-of-rows/23888): > > I don’t have a particular need for this feature…yet…but I think it would be useful to be able to pick a date column in a table and have it drive an automated process to automatically delete the row if the date in that column is so many days older than today’s date. Much like how you can select row owner columns or protected columns, you could designate an ‘Expire’ column with an option to choose how many days a row can exist before it expires and automatically deletes that row. For example, if… ---
**Author:** ![Drearystate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/drearystate/32/49605_2.png) [@Drearystate](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Drearystate)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/342 "2021-04-01T17:29:14Z")
I know, but David said they don’t even have that as a thought for Glide so we are stuck with scripts. But we can make them more user friendly for the community through this process. ---
**Author:** ![Lighted\_Candle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/lighted_candle/32/29544_2.png) [@Lighted\_Candle](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Lighted_Candle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/343 "2021-04-04T18:05:13Z")
Things to know about multi actions. 1. The sequence matters Do this, then this, then that. matters alot. A wrong sequence may contradict or conflict or not work 2. Although Multi actions are sequential, they execute so fast that they may not operate like they are sequential. So you have to configure delays in your sequence so the system wait for a process to end before it starts another. This is especially true of you are moving data from the google table to the glide table. 3. Multiaction may convert your data When you add a type using the action the format of the data is not conveyef. So your numbers my transfer as text. So check your destination column for correct formatting. 4. Filters are essential in every multi action Filters answers various conditions example If user is\_ then run this dequence of actions. if not then show message\_ If this row has column a = yes, then run. if not run sequence b. 1. Zapier will turn off your sequence. If you edit or change zapier it will turn off your zapier action in glidr. Go back in your action and reselect the respective zapier after zap edits. 2. Always use multiaction Even though you can use single action in glide it’s better to always use the multi action because Later you will realise you need to add 1 more action and prevents you from doing it all over again. 3. Use multiactions to transfer large data from google sheets to glide. For most of us who have used glide before there was the glide table. we have a lot of data inside Google tables. You can use the multi action to easily move a row from Google sheets and added in a glide table with the same columns quickly. You can move 1 row per second roughly. This will help your app operate faster with less dependence from Google sheets. 1. Is multi actions with conditional column templates to expand buttons. 1 button could do 10 different things for 10 different people you just have to use filtering. 1. Duplicate your multis Use the duplicate feature to save time and build complexity especially when you want something just slightly different. 2. Use multi action to track users A button doesn’t have to do what it say it does. Sometimes the goal is to get users to push the button. Example. Creating a “Save” button could trigger an email to you, pop up a “saved” msg and go back. even tho the data was already saved. Or Creating a dual button that has log in and log out. will update a column to show current date and time. Log in will erase log out time and put now" in the log in column. Log out will erase log in time and put now in log out column. Then you can use visibility to give log in/out effect. So you see who’s logged in your app. The biggest thing to remember is the timing of all the execution. Sometimes I have to add non related actions in order to use up the time needed to wait for another action to complete in order to make the needed action run effectively. Would be great for glides action set to have a delay function that we can wait for an action to execute. Especially that actions are sometimes interdependent of each other ---
**Author:** ![AjBruce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/ajbruce/32/12937_2.png) [@AjBruce](https://community.glideapps.com/u/AjBruce)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/344 "2021-04-11T04:16:45Z")
Yes there must be a glitch in the condition configurations using “less then”… It assumes that it is a visibility condition for the button. ---
**Author:** ![SantiagoPerez](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/santiagoperez/32/16807_2.png) [@SantiagoPerez](https://community.glideapps.com/u/SantiagoPerez)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 11:29am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/345 "2021-04-11T11:29:55Z")
Hola @AjBruce, Based on what you said. It seems that you have only on condition. You need to have something like: if counter is less than do this, else show notification. That way the button will always visible. I hope this makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![kabookie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kabookie/32/10994_2.png) [@kabookie](https://community.glideapps.com/u/kabookie)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/346 "2021-04-11T15:05:35Z")
> [@Lighted\_Candle](#): > > Always use multiaction > Even though you can use single action in glide it’s better to always use the multi action because Later you will realise you need to add 1 more action and prevents you from doing it all over again. THIS! I do this now but only after having to rebuild and learning this lesson. Great post and tips @Lighted_Candle! ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Petitto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/robert_petitto/32/25193_2.png) [@Robert\_Petitto](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Robert_Petitto)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026/347 "2021-04-11T15:52:51Z")
Agreed! I almost always use multi step actions now even if just a single action is needed because you never know when you might want to add onto it …tprevents the need to re-create the entire action. Especially when link to screens and forms are involved. [Previous page](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026.md?page=16) [Next page](https://community.glideapps.com/t/actions/18026.md?page=18)