Purpose
Unlock powerful automations by using Gravity Forms entries to set Asana custom fields that trigger rules—such as creating subtasks or next‑stage task flows—based on those field values.
1. Auto‑Create Subtasks Based on Custom Field Values #
- Use case: Your Gravity Forms feed sets a custom field like “Campaign Type = Display”. An Asana rule uses that signal to auto-create a subtask such as “Run Display Campaign”.
- Another example: If “Approval = Required”, auto-create a subtask assigned to a manager.
- Tip: For dropdown or multi-select fields, use “contains all” logic to avoid duplicate subtask creation.
- Community insight: Multi-select triggers can result in repeated actions if conditions aren’t precise.
2. Trigger Actions When a Custom Field Changes to a Specific Value #
- Use case: A custom Status field moves to “Confirmed”, triggering task assignment or notification.
- Limitation: Asana rules don’t distinguish value transitions—any change to “Confirmed”, from any previous value, fires the rule.
- Workarounds:
- Combine field change rule + project section condition so the rule only fires if the task is in a specific section when the field changes.
- Use more descriptive field values to narrow clarity—e.g., “Confirmed‑After‑Pending” vs “Confirmed‑After‑Draft.”
3. Use Custom Fields for Branching Workflow Logic #
By mapping important form data (like priority or team assignment) into custom fields, you trigger orchestrations in Asana:
- Use case: Task has “Priority = High” → rule moves it to “Urgent Review” section and adds a “Review Now” subtask.
- Use case: If “Team = Graphics”, rule adds a subtask assigned to the Graphics Lead.
4. Advanced Routing: Combine Fields and Custom Signals #
Build layered logic:
- Use form data to set multiple custom fields (e.g., Status, Department).
- In Asana, build rules like:
- When Status changes to Confirmed AND Department is Finance → assign task to Finance Ops and set due date.
Summary Table #
| Signal Type | What It Enables | Limitations / Workarounds |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field = Value | Auto-create subtasks based on Campaign Type, Priority | Use dropdowns; be careful with multi-select duplication |
| Field Changed to Value | Trigger next-step tasks or notifications | Cannot detect specific transitions; use section filters or rename values |
| Multiple Signals Combined | Branching workflow logic | Watch for rule component limits and test condition intersections |
Tips & Best Practices #
- Think of custom fields as signals, not just labels—design them to trigger rules.
- Start simple (one field, one rule) before layering multiple conditions.
- Use descriptive field names and values to make automation rules easier to manage.
Premium Feature
Leveraging Asana custom fields for automation signals requires the Premium version of the plugin (custom field mapping) plus Asana’s rules engine.
