Uncanny Automator is a WordPress automation plugin that connects actions between plugins and external services without code. When someone completes a LearnDash course, Uncanny Automator can automatically add them to a FluentCRM list, post to a Slack channel, and update their user role – three actions from one trigger, configured in a visual interface without writing any code. Think of it as Zapier running inside your WordPress site for WordPress-specific events.
How Uncanny Automator Works
Each automation has three parts: a Trigger (what starts the automation), one or more Actions (what happens in response), and optional Conditions (rules that determine whether the automation runs for a specific user or situation). Triggers come from WordPress plugins: a WooCommerce purchase, a form submission, a course completion, a new user registration, a comment being approved. Actions go to plugins or external services: send an email, add a tag in FluentCRM, create a post, enroll in a course, post to Slack, add to Mailchimp.
The free version (Uncanny Automator Free) includes integrations with core WordPress and many popular plugins. Uncanny Automator Pro ($149/year) adds integrations with external services (Slack, Mailchimp, Zoom, Twilio) and more advanced trigger and action options within WordPress plugins.
Step 1: Install and Create Your First Recipe
Uncanny Automator calls automations “Recipes”. Go to Automator -> Add New Recipe. Configure:
- Recipe type – Logged-in users (triggers for actions specific users take) or Everyone (triggers that fire regardless of login state, like a form submission from anyone)
- Trigger – select from the integrated plugins’ available trigger events
- Actions – one or more things that happen after the trigger fires
Need help setting this up? Describe your project and get a free estimate.
Step 2: Practical Automation Examples
The automations that deliver the most time savings on typical WordPress sites:
WooCommerce purchase grants course access: Trigger: WooCommerce – A user purchases a specific product. Action: LearnDash – Enroll user in a specific course. This replaces the manual process of checking orders and manually enrolling customers.
Form submission adds to email list: Trigger: Fluent Forms – A user submits a specific form. Action: Mailchimp – Add subscriber to list with specific tags. Action: FluentCRM – Add contact to list and apply tag. Both actions run from one form submission.
Course completion triggers certification and notification: Trigger: LearnDash – User completes a course. Action: LearnDash – Award a certificate. Action: Slack – Post message to #completions channel. Action: FluentCRM – Apply tag “course-completed” and trigger email sequence.
Step 3: Using Tokens for Dynamic Data
Uncanny Automator supports dynamic data tokens in action fields. When a WooCommerce purchase triggers an action, tokens like {“}Order Total{“} and {“}Product Name{“} pull real data from the triggering event. Use tokens to personalize emails sent as actions, to include the specific form submission content in a Slack notification, or to use the purchased product name in a course enrollment confirmation.
Step 4: Conditions for Smart Automations
Add conditions to recipes to prevent them running in every circumstance. A “New user registration” trigger with a condition “User has role: Student” fires only for users who already have the Student role – useful for automations that should run for specific user types. Conditions prevent automations from running on the wrong users and create more precise workflows without building separate recipes for each scenario.