### [Visually Build Automations with the New Drag and Drop Builder](https://www.wpcharitable.com/introducing-the-visual-automation-builder/)

**Published:** September 4, 2026
**Author:** David Bisset

**Content:**

Automations are supposed to save you time, but they only help if you can actually see what they do.

Until now, each Charitable automation was a single webhook tied to a single event, configured in a form.

That works, but it hides the bigger picture: what happens, in what order, and under what conditions.

With Charitable Automation Connect 2.3.0, we are changing that.

**🎉 Meet the Visual Automation Builder.**

## Building Automations Visually

The Visual Automation Builder is a full-screen canvas where every automation appears as a flow of connected cards.

You set a **Trigger** that starts the flow. Next, optional **Conditions** decide whether it should continue, and one or more **Actions** run in order.

![tag donor in automation](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tag-donor-in-automation.png)Connecting lines show you exactly how the automation moves from one step to the next. It is styled to match the Charitable Campaign Builder, so if you have built a campaign, you already know your way around.

This is not just a nicer coat of paint. It reflects a real change in what an automation can do.

## See It In Action

## One Trigger Can Have Many Actions

The biggest shift in 2.3.0 is that an automation is no longer a single webhook. It is now an ordered list of actions that all run when your trigger fires and your conditions pass.

![Add Action panel showing Send webhook, Tag donor, Add donor note, and Send email in the Visual Automation Builder](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/vab-add-action-960x600.png)⚡ **Do more from one event:** When a donation comes in, tag the donor, notify your team, and push the record to your CRM, all from a single automation.

🎯 **Control the order:** Drag actions to arrange them. They run top to bottom, every time.

🧩 **Mix and match:** Combine an in-WordPress action with an external webhook in the same flow.

## Tag Donors Automatically, No External Tool Required

Automation Connect has always been about connecting Charitable to other apps. Version 2.3.0 introduces many actions including one that has been highly requested: **Tag Donor**.

Here’s what you need to know:

🏷️ **Add, remove, or swap tags:** Automatically tag a donor when they give, when they hit a milestone, or when any of your 21 trigger events fire.

🤝 **Segment your supporters:** Build donor segments in real time as donations happen, then use those tags across your fundraising.

✅ **No round trip:** Because Tag Donor writes inside Charitable, there is no external service to set up and nothing to break.

## Send Emails and Notes, Personalized Automatically

Tagging is just the start. Version 2.3.0 gives you a full library of actions you can stack in any order, so an automation can do real work inside Charitable, not just hand data off to another app.

✉️ **Send Email:** Email the donor, your site admin, the campaign creator, or any custom address when an automation runs. Write the subject and message, and optionally wrap HTML emails in your branded Charitable template so they match your receipts.

📝 **Add Donor Note:** Append a note to a donor’s record automatically, so you build a running history of milestones and follow-ups without lifting a finger.

🔤 **Merge tags:** Personalize any email or note with live fields like `{first_name}`, `{total}`, and `{campaign_name}`. An Insert merge tag picker shows every field available for the trigger you chose.

## Reach the Donors You Already Have

New automations usually only affect what happens next. The Visual Automation Builder can also work backward.

![Apply To Existing Donors control in the Visual Automation Builder top bar](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/apply-automation-to-existing-donors.png)🔁 **Apply to existing donors:** For actions that support it, like Tag Donor, run the automation against donors who already exist in your database.

👁️ **See the impact first:** Charitable estimates how many donors will be affected and asks you to confirm before anything runs.

⚙️ **Runs in the background:** The backfill processes quietly so your site stays fast. Webhooks are skipped for past donors, so you never re-fire an old donation to an external tool.

## Two Ways to Work

Not every automation needs a full canvas. That is why Automation Connect gives you two views of the same automation.

🖥️ **Canvas:** The full-screen visual builder, best for multi-step flows you want to see at a glance.

📝 **Simple:** The classic embedded form, best for a quick edit or a single delivery.

The **Simple View** link in the builder’s top bar drops you into the form.

![Simple View link in the Visual Automation Builder top bar](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/switch-to-simple-view-automation-builder.png)Below is what the form looks like. And from the form, the **Canvas View** link in the top right takes you back.

![Automation Connect simple view form with the Canvas View link in the top right](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/charitable-automation-builder-simple-view.png)Switch between them whenever you like. They edit the same automation, so nothing is locked to one view.

## How to Build an Automation, Step by Step

Building your first automation takes a couple of minutes. Here is the whole flow, screen by screen.

### Step 1: Open the Automations Screen

In your WordPress dashboard, go to **Charitable » Automations** and click **Add Automation**.

![Charitable Automations screen with the Add Automation button highlighted](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/add-automation.png)### Step 2: Pick a Template or Start From Scratch

Choose a platform template if you are sending data to Zapier, Make.com, n8n, Pabbly Connect, HubSpot, Mailchimp, or Slack. If you would rather build your own, click **Use Template** under **Start from scratch**. You can change every setting afterwards either way.

![Choose A Platform Template screen with the Start from scratch option highlighted](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/use-automation-template.png)### Step 3: Take the Tour or Start Building

The canvas opens with a short welcome that explains the 3 parts of an automation. Click **Take the Tour** for a guided walkthrough, or **Start Building** to jump straight in.

![Visual Automation Builder welcome screen with Take the Tour and Start Building buttons](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/take-tour-or-start-building-automation.png)### Step 4: Name It and Pick a Trigger

Type a clear name in the top bar, something like “Thanking Major Donors”. The name updates live as you type.

Then open the **Trigger** tab on the left and choose the event that starts the automation. Each one has a short description under it, so you can tell **Donation Created** apart from **Donation Completed** without guessing.

![Flow automation editor with 'Donation Created' trigger selected on the left and a simple conditions step on the canvas.](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/automation-trigger.png)### Step 5: Add Conditions 

On the **Conditions** tab you can narrow things down, for example only donations over a certain amount, or only a specific campaign. Leave this empty and the automation runs every time the trigger fires.

![conditions in automation](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/conditions-in-automation.png)### Step 6: Add Your Actions

Click **Add Action** in the top right and pick **Send webhook**, **Tag donor**, **Add donor note**, or **Send email**. The action shows up as a new card wired into your flow.

![Add Action button in the Visual Automation Builder top bar](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/add-action-in-automation.png)Click the card to set it up on the **Action** tab. A webhook needs a Delivery URL, Tag Donor needs the tag you want to add, and Send Email needs a recipient, subject, and message.

![actions in automation](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/actions-in-automation.png)Repeat as many times as you like, then drag the cards to set the order they run in.

### Step 7: Test It, Then Save

If your automation sends a webhook, send a test payload first and check the response inline. When it looks right, click **Save**.

![Save button in the Visual Automation Builder top bar](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/save-automation.png)### Step 8: Confirm It Is Live

Back on **Charitable » Automations**, your new automation is listed with its trigger event, its actions, and an **Active** status. It will run the next time that trigger fires.

![Charitable Automations list showing a saved automation with an Active status](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/automations-created.png)That is the whole process. No code, no connecting screens, and no guesswork about what will happen.

[Read the Full Visual Automation Builder Setup Tutorial →](https://www.wpcharitable.com/documentation/automation-connect-visual-automation-builder/ "Read the Full Visual Automation Builder Setup Tutorial →")

## What Can Trigger an Automation?

![Trigger dropdown in the Visual Automation Builder listing every available automation event](https://www.wpcharitable.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/automation-trigger.png)Automation Connect 2.3.0 gives you 21 trigger events across donations, donors, recurring donations, and campaigns. A few of the most useful:

💸 **Donation Completed:** Act only on successfully paid donations, perfect for thank-you and CRM workflows.

🌱 **Donor Created (First Donation):** Welcome a brand-new donor the moment they give for the very first time.

🔁 **Recurring Donation Payment Made:** Fire on every renewal, with the renewal number included in the data.

⚠️ **Recurring Payment Failed:** Start a dunning or win-back sequence the moment a scheduled charge fails.

🎯 **Campaign Goal Reached:** Celebrate and notify your team the moment a campaign hits its fundraising goal.

You will also find events for donation status changes and refunds, recurring plan updates and cancellations, and the full campaign lifecycle. See the [documentation](https://www.wpcharitable.com/documentation/automation-connect-visual-automation-builder/) for the complete list of all 21 events.

## Test Before You Trust

Before an automation ever runs on a real donation, you can send a test webhook and see the response inline. Test with sample data, or with a real record so you see exactly what a live delivery will send. Once an automation is live, delivery history and a resend control help you diagnose anything that goes wrong.

## For Agencies and Developers

The action system is extensible. Developers can filter the available trigger events, condition fields, starter templates, and webhook payloads to fit any client’s workflow.

Also this version built to stay compatible, every automation you built before 2.3.0 keeps working. A legacy single-webhook automation is treated as an automation with one webhook action, so existing deliveries and Zaps fire exactly as before. There is no migration step for you or your clients.

## Get Started with the Visual Automation Builder

Update Charitable Automation Connect to 2.3.0, then head to **Charitable » Automations** and click Add. Your new automation opens right on the canvas, ready to build.

[Read the Visual Automation Builder Documentation ](https://www.wpcharitable.com/documentation/automation-connect-visual-automation-builder/ "Automation Connect: Visual Automation Builder")»

## Charitable Has 1.2+ Million Downloads!

Trusted by millions to power successful fundraising campaigns. Try Charitable risk-free today.

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We also launched several powerful features and improvements recently:

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We’ve been adding to Charitable constantly, features and improvements designed to help you raise more and serve your donors better. See everything we’ve shipped at the [Charitable Changelog](https://www.wpcharitable.com/charitable-changelog/?utm_source=onsite&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=whats-new-block).

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**Categories:** Announcement

**Tags:** automation, automation connect, charitable pro

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