Action Buttons

Action buttons let users trigger predefined operations directly from an entity—such as updating a status, copying data, or creating a related record. These actions help streamline common workflows and eliminate repetitive manual steps.

Action buttons can be added to the top of the entity page (A) or embedded within specific groups on the entity form (B).

Behind the scenes, actions are powered by triggers, which are defined within trigger sets on the entity’s definition. Each trigger specifies the behavior that should occur when the action is executed.

Configuring Action Buttons

In this article, we’ll walk through how to configure actions using a lab request definition as an example. You’ll learn how to add action buttons both to the top of the page and within a form group—so you can tailor the placement to your workflow needs. Although this example uses lab requests, actions can be added to any definition in the platform.

1. Within the Triggers tab of a definition, access the definitions trigger set to view the individual triggers (A). Note that this must be the trigger set on the definition itself, not a shared set.
2. Create a new trigger or select an existing one (B).
3. Within the Edit Trigger [Trigger Name] tab:
   • Add and configure Actions.
   • Set the When field to “Explicit”. This instructs the platform to only trigger the action when a button is explicitly clicked.
4. Within the Entity Action tab (C),
   • Set the Entity Action Behavior. Options include:
     • Apply Independent of an Entity: Allows the trigger to run without needing to be associated with a specific entity.
     • Apply to Multiple (separate): Enables the trigger to be applied to multiple entities individually.
     • Apply to Multiple (together): Allows the trigger to be applied to multiple entities as a group action.
     • Not Available as Action: Select if you want the trigger to never be available as an entity action.
     • Only Apply to Single Entities: Restricts the trigger to only work on one entity at a time.
   • Set the Entity Action Allowed Entity Types. This step is essential as only action buttons on the definition types selected will be functional.
5. Within the Constraints tab (D), add optional constraints to an action. For example, you could add a Phase Match constraint to instruct the platform to only fire the trigger when the request is in a specified phase.

Adding Action Buttons in the Toolbar

To add an action button to the top toolbar, take the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Actions tab of the definition.
2. In the Action Buttons section, click “Add” and select an action type:
   • Action Single: Add a single action button using a single trigger.
   • Action Dropdown: Add a dropdown menu, with multiple action buttons using multiple different triggers.
3. In the modal, configure the following:
   • Trigger: Select from a list of trigger actions.
   • Label: Add a label, which is how the button will appear in the toolbar.
   • Appearance: Optionally, add a color and icon to the button.
   • Constraints: Add constraints, if desired.

Once saved, the button will appear in the top actions toolbar for any entity created using that definition.

Adding Action Buttons within the Entity

To embed an action button within the entity itself, take the following steps:

1. Navigate to the Structure tab of the definition.
2. Select an inline group to add the action button to. Within the Actions tab, use the “Add” dropdown menu to select an action type:
   • Action Single: Add a single action button using a single trigger.
   • Action Dropdown: Add a dropdown menu, with multiple action buttons using multiple different triggers.
3. In the modal, configure the following:
   • Trigger: Select from a list of trigger actions.
   • Label: Add a label, which is how the button will appear in the toolbar.
   • Appearance: Optionally, add a color and icon to the button.
   • Constraints: Add constraints, if desired.

Once saved, the button will appear directly within any entity created using that definition.