Automations aren't magic. They're just instructions following a very literal path. When they fail, it's usually for predictable, fixable reasons.
The Three Main Reasons Automations Break
After building hundreds of workflows, we've seen the same problems over and over:
1. Bad Data In = Bad Results Out
If someone types "tomorrow" instead of "2024-03-15" in a date field, your automation has no idea what to do. It's not stupid—it just needs clean, consistent input.
2. Missing "What If" Logic
Your automation works perfectly when everything goes right. But what happens when a customer leaves the phone field blank? Or submits twice? If you didn't plan for it, the whole thing falls over.
3. The System Changed Underneath
APIs update. Platforms change field names. Someone renames a folder. Your automation was working fine—until the ground shifted beneath it.
How to Build Automations That Actually Last
- ✅ Validate inputs before processing — Check data quality at the door
- ✅ Add error handling for every step — Plan for failure, not just success
- ✅ Log everything — When something breaks, you need a trail
- ✅ Test with weird data — Try edge cases before your customers find them
The Bottom Line
Automations fail because they're built to handle the happy path, not the real world. Build with skepticism, test with chaos, and your workflows will actually survive contact with reality.