Lead qualification and handoff automation

This recipe makes sure no new lead is forgotten: when a lead arrives, Spacebrain gives it an owner and creates a follow-up task. It doesn't message the customer, so it's a safe first automation. It's for owners, sales managers and anyone building their first automation.

Download the automation recipe

Before you begin

• Role: Editor or higher.
• Plan: your plan must allow active automations. If you see Upgrade to activate, check Settings → Billing.
• A test lead: yourself, clearly labelled, for example Test – Maya (internal).
• Decide who owns new leads and how quickly they should follow up.

The recipe

Outcome: Give one eligible new lead a named human owner and follow-up task.

Trigger: A Lead is created.

Eligibility:
- Source equals the approved test source.
- Email exists.
- Test or suppression marker does not prohibit action.

Actions:
1. Assign the approved test owner.
2. Create a task: "Review new lead and choose next step."
3. Set the task due time according to the team's operating policy.

Do not include a customer-facing send in version 1.

Evidence:
- Trigger Lead ID
- Automation execution ID
- Condition result
- Assigned owner
- Task ID and due time

In plain English: when a new lead is created and has an email address, assign it to Priya and give her a task to review it within one day. The "eligibility" checks make sure it only runs for the leads you mean. While testing, limit it to your test source so real leads aren't affected.

Build it with Orbit

1. Go to Automations → All Automations and select New Automation.

2. Choose Describe with Orbit.

3. Paste something like this, changing the name and timing to suit you:

   "When a lead is created, create a task named Review new lead, assign it to the new lead's owner, due in one day with medium priority. Keep it as a draft."

   This matches the Review each new lead idea Orbit suggests.

4. Review the plan Orbit shows. Ask for changes in plain words, for example "only for leads that have an email address."

5. Select Save draft. Orbit AI uses credits.

Or build it by hand

1. In New Automation, choose Build manually.
2. Choose the new-lead trigger as the starting event.
3. Add a condition that checks the lead has an email address (and, while testing, that the source is your test source).
4. Add a step to assign the owner.
5. Add a step that creates a task: title Review new lead and choose next step, due in one day.
6. Save.

The exact step names depend on your plan and what's switched on in your workspace. If a step isn't available, don't swap in something unrelated. Build the closest simple version you can.

Test it

1. Open the draft and select Run dry test to see which path a lead would take. Nothing is changed.
2. Select Publish.
3. Create your test lead in CRM → Leads.
4. Check Automations → Runs for one completed run.
5. Check Tasks: there should be exactly one new task, assigned to the right person, linked to your test lead.

Then run through these cases:

You're ready when each test behaves as expected. Then remove the test-source condition so it applies to all new leads, and publish again.

Worked example

Sam's studio gets about five leads a week from its website. After publishing the recipe, a lead called Alex arrives on Monday at 10:14. Automations → Runs shows a completed run at 10:14, and Priya's Tasks list shows Review new lead and choose next step due Tuesday at 10:14, linked to Alex's record.

What to add next

Once this works reliably for a week or two, you might add:

• A short thank-you email to the lead (check your email is connected and you have permission to email them).
• A classifier step that sorts leads into "hot," "warm" or "not a fit." Use Test classifier · Free to check it before publishing.
• A text message or AI call for urgent enquiries (check consent and your phone number setup first).

Add one thing at a time, and test again after each change.

If something goes wrong

More help: communications and automation troubleshooting.

FAQ

Why no email in the first version?

Because it's much easier to fix a wrong task than a wrong email to a customer. Prove the trigger and conditions work first.

Can I pause it?

Yes. Open the automation and select Pause. Nothing is deleted.

Next step

Read the full Automations guide.