Automation has become a game-changer for businesses and individuals alike. But how do you know when is the right time to automate a task? Automation can help you save time, but not if you spend all of your time automating and none of it actually producing a good or service. Understanding how to optimize your time and automate the low value tasks is key to becoming more productive in 2025.

In this guide, we’ll break down when you should automate, common use cases, and practical examples to help you determine where automation fits best into your workflow. We'll also cover insights from Aytekin Tank (CEO of Jotform)'s book, Automate the Busywork.

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Why automate?

Before diving into specific tasks you should start automating, you should understand why automation is important:

Saves Time: Automation removes repetitive tasks, freeing up time for higher-value work.

Reduces Errors: Manual processes are prone to mistakes. Automation ensures accuracy and consistency.

Boosts Productivity: By eliminating small bottlenecks, automation keeps workflows moving smoothly.

Increases Scalability: Automating allows your business to handle larger workloads without hiring additional help.

Imagine having two of yourselves. You could technically be twice as productive right? Well now imagine having a team of 20 of your duplicates, all working on projects simultaneously. That's exactly what our Applets are, small computer programs designed to function non-stop, forever. Below are a few of our user's favorite Applets. Just click the card to get started.

5 signs that a task should be automated

If a task meets any of these conditions, it should be automated:

1. It’s repetitive and time-consuming

Does the task involve the same steps every time? If so, it’s ideal for automation. For example, sending out new customer welcome emails. Instead of manually crafting and sending each email, you can set up an automated email sequence that triggers when a new user signs up. Another example is adding each new lead into your CRM manually. You can set up Applets that will automatically add any new lead into Mailchimp, Google Sheets, or Pipedrive.

2. It requires accuracy and consistency

Human errors in data entry, reporting, or communication are easy to make and can have consequences. If a task requires precision, automation is necessary. For example, making sure your data is synced perfectly between tools. A CRM should always have up-to-date customer data, but manually copying information across platforms will lead to errors. Building an Applet that automatically shares data from one tool to the next will do it perfectly every time and doesn't sleep. It will continue running forever.

3. It’s rule-based and predictable

Tasks that follow strict rules—without the need for human judgment—are easy to automate. For example, invoice processing. No one likes to process invoices. It can be automated by when a service is purched on your website, an Applet can generate an invoice and send it to the customer without manual intervention.

4. It’s high-volume and scalable

If a task increases in frequency as your business grows, automations will prevent bottlenecks. For example, social media posting. Instead of manually scheduling posts across multiple platforms, automation tools like IFTTT can let you cross-post seamlessly.

5. It involves data collection and reporting

Gathering and analyzing data is crucial for any business or productive person. It also can be automated with IFTTT. For example, you can automatically keep track of every Instagram or Twitter in a Google Sheet. You can also keep track of your Strava runs in a Google Sheets. Basically, if you want to track anything in your life, it can be automatically added to Google Sheets.

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When not to automate

While automation is awesome, some tasks should remain manual:

When human judgment & empathy is needed

Tasks requiring critical thinking, creativity, or empathy (e.g., crafting custom client proposals or handling sensitive customer complaints). Humans will not be replaced by AI and automation. Instead, humans will have more time to be more human and actually connect with each other.

When automation takes longer than manual work

Some tasks are so quick that setting up automation may not be worth the effort.

When there’s a high risk of errors without oversight

Automation without regular monitoring can lead to unnoticed mistakes. For example, you could have a Twitter bot that has been writing non-sense for 6 months. That isn't helpful for anyone.

Top services to automate

The Automation Flywheel

This is a concept shared in Aytekin Tank's book, Automate your Busywork. In the book, he talks about the three steps, Divide and Conquor, Design and Implement, and Refine and Iterate.

Divide and Conquer

In this step, you need to perform a week long Automation Audit. This is a week where you track each task you work on and how long it takes you. After the week, you will have a list of tasks and an estimate of how long they take. This could be 'checking and responding to emails,' or 'following up with new leads.' You then choose one of the tasks and build an automation for it.

Design and Implement

Now that you have the first couple tasks you want to automate, it is time to build the automations. Connect all of your internal tools with IFTTT and start building Applets to automate them.

Refine and Iterate

All automations should not be, 'set it and forget it.' They should always be reviewed to confirm they're still working properly in your workflow. Continue to optimize and add automations to continue to be more productive!

Automate your life with IFTTT

Knowing when to automate is about balancing efficiency with a little human touch. By identifying repetitive, rule-based, and high-volume tasks, you can streamline workflows and free up time for more meaningful work.

Ready to start automating? Explore IFTTT to connect your favorite apps and be more productive today!