Automations are conditional rules that run per product when your template is rendered. Each automation checks a trigger — a condition against product or project data — and, when it matches, applies one or more actions to an element or placeholder. By default, when the trigger doesn't match, a SHOW action automatically reverses to hide the element (and a HIDE action reverses to show it) — you get the opposite case for free, without building a second rule. You can change this default behavior for a given automation; see Else-branches below.
Automations are what make a single template adapt across your whole catalog: the same layout can hide a "Free shipping" badge for one product, show a "Sale" ribbon for another, and swap in a different headline for a third — all from one set of rules, no manual per-product editing.
Three of the actions#
Some of the actions an automation can use:
- SHOW — makes an element or placeholder visible.
- HIDE — makes an element or placeholder invisible.
- SET — replaces a placeholder's value with something else. SET never touches visibility — it only changes what shows, not whether it shows. Use SHOW/HIDE and SET together when a rule needs to do both (for example: show a badge frame, and set its text to "Clearance").
Triggers and conditions#
A trigger is a condition evaluated against the product or project data behind the current render — for example, a price comparison, a stock/availability flag, a category match, or a date range. When the trigger's condition is true, the automation's actions run as written. What happens when the trigger is false depends on the "Otherwise..." setting described next.
Else-branches#
Every automation has a 3-option "Otherwise..." dropdown that controls what happens when the trigger is false:
- "Otherwise, reverse show/hide" (the default) — SHOW actions become HIDE and HIDE actions become SHOW when the trigger doesn't match. This is a true reversal, not "nothing happens": if your automation's action is SHOW, an inactive trigger actively hides the element. SET actions aren't reversible in this mode, so they simply don't run.
- "Otherwise, do nothing" — the actions only ever run when the trigger is true; nothing changes when it's false. Use this when you want a rule that only ever adds behavior (for example, a SET that should never be undone by this same rule).
- "Otherwise..." — reveals a separate list of else-actions with their own Add action button, so you can define genuinely different behavior for the false case (not just a visibility flip) — for example, show a "Sale" badge when a product has a discount, or show a "New" badge when it doesn't, from a single rule.
Because "reverse show/hide" is the silent default, a plain SHOW or HIDE automation is already a complete either/or rule — you only need the custom "Otherwise..." option when the false case needs to do something other than the opposite visibility.
Where to build automations: the Automations panel#
Automations live in the Automations panel — docked on the right by default, in the same group as Elements and Settings (you can move it anywhere).
- The panel lists every automation on the template.
- Drag to reorder — automations run in list order, which matters when more than one rule can affect the same element or placeholder (a later rule can override an earlier one).
- Click an automation to open it and edit its trigger, actions, and else-actions.
Simulate: preview without real data#
Each automation has a simulate toggle. Flip it to force that automation's condition to true or false on the canvas — instantly seeing what the template looks like with the rule active or inactive, without needing to load a real product that happens to match. This is the fastest way to sanity-check a rule's visual effect while you're still designing it, before testing it against real products in Preview.
Common patterns#
Sale-price swap. Trigger: product has a discounted price lower than its regular price. Action: SET the price placeholder's text to the discounted price. If you're using a separate "was" price element, add a second automation on the same trigger with a SHOW action — the default "reverse show/hide" behavior hides it automatically when there's no discount, with no else-branch needed.
Seasonal visibility. Trigger: current date falls within a campaign window (or a project/product flag you set for the season). Action: SHOW a seasonal badge or banner element. Leave the default "Otherwise, reverse show/hide" in place — it hides the badge for products outside the window without any extra configuration.
Conditional visibility by stock or category. Trigger: product is out of stock, or belongs to a specific category. Action: HIDE the "Add to cart" badge, or SHOW a category-specific callout — again, the default reversal handles the opposite condition.
In every case, the automation logic is the same: pick a condition tied to product/project data, and decide what should be visible or what value should show when it's true. A plain SHOW or HIDE action already covers the false case for free via the default reversal — reach for the custom "Otherwise..." option only when the false case needs genuinely different behavior, like swapping in a different badge rather than just hiding one.
Where to go next#
- Placeholders — automations and placeholders work together: SET actions replace placeholder values, and SHOW/HIDE toggle the visibility of elements bound to placeholders.
- Sizes and formats — automations are shared across every size on a template, so a rule you build once applies everywhere.
- Studio overview
- Working with Aimée — Aimée can create and edit automations conversationally.