Stage Automations in Dapple fire actions automatically whenever a submission enters a specific Stage — sending messages, assigning team members, updating scores, adding tags, triggering webhooks, or requesting feedback from a Review Panel. Set them up in Project Settings → Stages → choose a stage → Configure Automation. Most projects benefit from at least one automation; busy programmes might run a dozen.
Please note - Automations are only available on Growth plans and higher.
What can a Stage Automation do?
Action | What it does |
Send Message | Sends a message template to the creator the moment their submission enters this stage. |
Assign to User | Auto-assigns a team member (specific person or a random rotation) so no submission sits unassigned. |
Update Score | Sets a numeric score, adds to an existing one, or subtracts — useful for stage-based scoring rules. |
Add Tag | Adds a Submission Tag — e.g. tag everything entering Longlist as 'Longlist 2026'. |
Remove Tag | Removes a Submission Tag — clean-up for tags that should only live in earlier stages. |
Trigger Webhook | Pushes submission data to an external system (CRM, Slack, Zapier). Pro plan only. |
Request Feedback | Sends the submission to a Review Panel for scoring. |
How to set up an automation
Open the project → Project Settings → Stages.
Click the three-dot menu on the stage where you want the automation to fire.
Choose Configure Automation.
Click Add Automation.
Pick the action you want.
Configure it (see per-action detail below).
Save.
You can add multiple automations per stage — for example, on a 'Shortlist' stage, Send Message + Add Tag + Request Feedback together.
Send Message
Choose a message template from your existing templates (create new ones in Settings → Message Templates). Then decide whether to allow replies — toggle off for rejection messages where you don't want to invite a conversation. Important: the very first stage of every project has an automatic Send Message for the receipt confirmation — that one can't be switched off.
Assign to User
Choose either a specific team member or Random Team Member. Random rotation makes sure work is evenly distributed across the team rather than piling up on one person. Use this on your New stage to assign every incoming submission an owner from the start.
Update Score
Three modes: Set Score (overwrites any existing score with this value), Add to Score (adds this number to any existing score), or Subtract from Score (subtracts). Useful for adding bonus points for shortlisted stages, or for resetting scores when a submission moves back.
Add / Remove Tag
Pick from your existing Submission Tags (create new ones in Settings → Tags). Note: this applies to Submission Tags only — Creator Tags are managed separately and stay attached to the creator, not the individual submission.
Trigger Webhook
Pro plan only. Pushes the submission data to an external endpoint when the stage is entered. Use this for CRM sync, Slack notifications, Zapier flows, Google Sheets logging, etc. Full guide: How to Set Up Webhooks for Zapier
Request Feedback
Sends the submission to a Review Panel automatically the moment it enters the stage. The submission appears in every assigned reviewer's Review Account, ready for them to score. Pair this with the standard 'Send Message' confirmation so creators know their work is in active review.
How do I see which stages have automations?
On the Stages list view, every stage with an automation shows a small automation icon. Click it to see the configured automations; click the cog wheel to edit. The Kanban board also surfaces this icon on each column header.
Stages board
Project Settings
Best practice for stage automations
Start with one automation per stage — usually Send Message — and add more as you find friction points.
Test every automation in a test submission before opening to creators.
Use Add Tag + Request Feedback together on shortlist stages — it gives you both tagging and review trigger in one transition.
Don't stack automations that contradict each other (e.g. Add Tag + Remove Tag on the same tag).
Document your automations in a one-pager for your team — when something fires unexpectedly, this is the first place to check.
Where to go next