> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.samita.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.samita.io/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/automation.md).

# Automation overview

See how presets, rules, tax ID checks and automations work together to decide applications and tell people about them.

The **Automation** screen in Sami B2B Onboarding is where you set up what happens to applications without anyone opening them. Rules decide applications, presets carry the terms an approval writes to Shopify, the tax ID check verifies the buyer's number, and automations send the emails and Shopify Flow triggers for each event.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only admins see **Automation** in the app menu. Reviewers don't. To change someone's role, see [Team and roles](/sami-b2b-onboarding/settings/team-and-roles.md).
{% endhint %}

## The Automation screen

Open **Automation** from the app menu in the Shopify admin sidebar. The screen has three tabs. Each tab shows a count:

| Tab             | What it holds                                                                                                                                                 | The count shows                 |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **Presets**     | Sets of approval terms: catalog, payment terms, checkout, tax, contact role, customer tags and assigned staff.                                                | How many presets you have       |
| **Rules**       | An ordered list of rules that approve, reject, assign, flag or ask for more information. The **Tax ID validation** card sits beside them.                     | How many rules are live         |
| **Automations** | One switch per application event, with the emails it sends and the Shopify Flow trigger it publishes. Also has the **Shopify Flow** card and **Recent runs**. | How many events are switched on |

Changes on the **Rules** and **Automations** tabs stay as drafts until you click **Save** in the save bar. Presets are saved one at a time, from the preset's own page.

<figure><img src="https://3844812229-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FRrf4pQPgjvb3GW7IN3Ci%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-62d4abbf766b80a0a41734ee736ce74385e137e0%2Fscreenshot-automation-hub-tabs.png?alt=media" alt="The Automation screen&#x27;s three tabs with their counts: Presets 2, Rules 2 (selected) and Automations 6."><figcaption><p>Each tab shows a count: your presets, your live rules and the events that are switched on.</p></figcaption></figure>

## How it fits together

When a buyer submits an application, or answers a request for more information, the app works through these steps in order:

1. **Automations.** The **Application received** event (or **Application revised**, for an answer) sends its emails and publishes its Shopify Flow trigger, if its switch is on.
2. **Tax ID check.** If it's on, the app checks the tax ID against the EU's VIES registry or against the country's number format. Depending on your settings, a failed check can reject the application here.
3. **Rules.** The app tests your live rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches decides what happens: approve with a preset, assign a reviewer, request information, reject, or flag for review. If no rule matches, the application waits for your team.
4. **Presets.** When an application is approved, by a person, a rule or a Shopify Flow workflow, the chosen preset's terms are written to the new Shopify company and its location.

Each decision then fires its own event (approved, rejected, more information requested), with its own emails and Shopify Flow trigger.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Approval presets</strong></td><td>Save the catalog, payment terms, tax and checkout settings an approval gives a company.</td><td><a href="/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/approval-presets.md">Approval presets</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Rules that decide applications</strong></td><td>Approve, reject, assign or flag applications automatically, based on their answers.</td><td><a href="/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/rules.md">Rules that decide applications</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tax ID checks</strong></td><td>Verify EU VAT numbers with VIES and check number formats in other countries.</td><td><a href="/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/tax-id-checks.md">Tax ID checks</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Automations and Shopify Flow</strong></td><td>Choose which events send emails, and build Shopify Flow workflows on them.</td><td><a href="/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/automations-and-shopify-flow.md">Automations and Shopify Flow</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Next steps

* [Approval presets](/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/approval-presets.md) — create your first preset, so approvals give companies the right terms.
* [Rules that decide applications](/sami-b2b-onboarding/automation/rules.md) — approve your clearest cases without opening them.
* [Approve an application](/sami-b2b-onboarding/reviewing-applications/approve-an-application.md) — see where your presets appear when you approve by hand.


---

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