There are many times when automated tasks will make life easier. Using Uncanny Automator, there are several actions you can take in conjunction with AWP Classifieds, including publishing ads to Facebook, sending emails, and exporting information into Google Sheets. This article will show you how to set up an automated integration.
Uncanny Automator is software that works with "recipes." Recipes consist of a trigger and an action. You set up a trigger, like posting an ad on your site. Then you choose the action you want to happen. Once the trigger is executed, the action will take place.
For example, perhaps you want all ads in the Automotive Category to post to your Auto Collectors page on Facebook. With Uncanny Automator, you can set this up.
Install Uncanny Automator
The first step in setting up cool automated actions on your website is to download and install Uncanny Automator.
Go to WordPress.org and download, install, and activate Uncanny Automator
How to create a simple recipe for automation
There are several different triggers you can choose from, so for this example, we will do a simple recipe. Depending on the programs that you have connected, these can get very complex - and useful!
Example recipe: you want to receive an email every time a user publishes an ad.
Step 1: Go to Automator → Add New and choose to create a recipe for Logged-in users. Don't forget to name your recipe after choosing Confirm.
Step 2: Choose an integration from the available triggers, which in this case would be WordPress:
Step 3: Choose "A user publishes a type of post with a taxonomy term in taxonomy" as the trigger:
Step 4: Choose Classified Ad as the post type, and leave the taxonomy dropdown set to Any taxonomy:
Step 5: Select an integration from the available apps. In this example, we'll choose WordPress:
Step 6: Choose the action of sending an email and fill out the fields/write the email:
Step 7: Set the recipe to live:
Congratulations! You've completed your first recipe!
Setting up an advanced recipe
Say you've set up a recipe so that you get an email every time a user published an ad. You can now use that recipe as a trigger to reward users based on the number of ads they post.
Example Recipe: When a user has posted 5 ads, you want to send them a "thank you for being a power-user" email. Take the following steps:
- Choose Uncanny Automator as the Trigger.
- Choose the recipe you have created for "publishes an ad."
- Choose the number of times this action should happen.
- Choose the Action in WordPress of sending an email
- Choose the user email address
Uncanny Automator lets you customize the email that is sent to the user. Once a user completes the required trigger 5 times, the action will take place!
Post to Facebook
If you want published ads to be shared to your Facebook page, be sure to connect your Facebook account. You'll follow the steps above using the "A user publishes a type of post with a taxonomy term in taxonomy" trigger. Then, choose Facebook for the action and insert values from the post/ad.
There are a wide variety of actions and recipes out there. We recommend taking a look at all you can do with Uncanny Automator, which is a powerful free plugin!
