How to use Action

1. Introduction

In Yala, the Action section complements your workflow by letting you update the Status of rows (limited to Pending, Ignore, Success, or Continue) and “jump” directly to a particular line (in the same sheet or another) in one prompt. This helps coordinate your workflow effectively, allowing you to conclude tasks with Success, skip problematic ones with Ignore, reprocess items with Pending, or continue the flow with Continue from a specific point.

In a sheet like Nutritionist, you might have columns such as Task, Category, Product, Composition, and finally Action Prompt. The instructions in the Action Prompt tell Yala which rows to update and whether to proceed (or “jump”) to a certain line.

2. How Action Works

When you provide instructions in the Action Prompt, Yala:

Interprets the instructions on which sheet and rows to modify.

Updates the Status of those rows to one of the four values that impact Yala’s workflow (Pending, Ignore, Success, or Continue).

If instructed in the same prompt, “jumps” to line X (in the same sheet or another), letting the flow proceed from that point onward.

Interactions with Other Components

Data
Use Data to insert/edit records, then Action to set Status = "Pending" (or another) for those records to be processed by the flow.

Status
Action only sets the Status; the overall flow recognizes Pending as up for processing, Ignore to leave it out, Success when done, and Continue to proceed from there.

Variables
You can reference columns (for example, Category, Product), or use placeholders (like {LineDestination}) in the Action Prompt to instruct Yala which row to “jump” to, and which rows to update.

3. Required Parameters and Inputs

Input Data

Action Prompt
A unified set of instructions on how to update the Status and/or jump to a specific line.

Prerequisites

Target Sheet and Line
If you want to “jump” to a line, indicate the exact sheet and line number.

Valid Status Values
You must use only Pending, Ignore, Success, or Continue, as those are recognized by Yala for workflow progression.

4. Explanation of the Action Column

Action Prompt

Description
The place where you describe the actions you want Yala to perform (such as updating rows’ Status to Pending, Ignore, Success, or Continue) and “jumping” to a certain line in the same or another sheet, all in one prompt.

How to Use

Specify which rows (conditional or absolute) will have their Status changed, and to which value.

If “jumping” to another line, include something like: “Then go to sheet X, line Y.”

Example:

In sheet "Sheet1", for all rows with `Category` = "Cake", set "Success".
Then go to sheet "Analysis" and continue from line 5.

5. Practical Examples

Example 1: Converting Rows to Success and Jumping to Line 10

Scenario

You finished processing some rows in the “Pedidos” sheet. You want to mark them as Success and then continue from line 10 in the same sheet.

Steps
In the Action Prompt, write:

In the "Pedidos" sheet, for all rows with Status = "Pending", set to "Success".
Then continue from line 10 in the same sheet

Set the execution’s overall Status to Pending.

Result
Yala finds all rows in Pending, changes them to Success, and “jumps” to line 10, continuing the flow from that point onward.

Example 2: Reprocessing Failures to Pending and Jumping to Another Sheet

Scenario
Some rows in “Importacoes” are set to Failure. You decide to reprocess them (switching back to Pending) and then move on to the “Aprovacoes” sheet, line 3, resuming the workflow there.

Steps
In Action Prompt:

In the "Importacoes" sheet, for all rows with Status "Failure", change to "Pending".
Then go to the "Aprovacoes" sheet and continue from line 3.

Set the execution’s overall Status to Pending.

Result
Yala changes rows in Failure to Pending, then jumps to the “Aprovacoes” sheet, line 3, so the flow picks up at that position.

Example 3: Ignoring Certain Rows and Moving Others to Continue (in the Same Prompt)

Scenario
In the “Processos” sheet, you want to ignore (Ignore) rows that failed and simultaneously proceed (Continue) with rows that are in Processing, all in one command.

Steps
In Action Prompt:

In the "Processos" sheet, for all rows with Status "Failure", set to "Ignore".
For rows with Status "Processing", set "Continue" and go to line 8 in the same sheet

Set the execution’s overall Status to Pending.

Result
Yala ignores the failed rows, and for the ones in “Processing,” changes them to “Continue,” jumping to line 8 and continuing the workflow there.

Example 4: Using Variables for Pending with a Jump

Scenario
You have {LineDestination} defined in Variables, specifying the line you want to jump to, and {ValueLimit} to decide which items should revert to Pending.

Steps
In the Action Prompt, you might say:

In the "Analysis" sheet, for rows where "Cost" > {ValueLimit}, set them to "Pending".
Then go to the "Approvals" sheet and continue from line {LineDestination}

Set the execution’s overall Status to Pending.

Result
Yala uses {ValueLimit} to find rows above that threshold and switch them to Pending, then “jumps” (Continue) to line {LineDestination} in “Approvals.”

6. Best Practices

Combine Status Updates and “Jump”
If you need to update multiple rows and also proceed from a specific line, place both commands in the same Action Prompt.

Be Clear about Rows
For conditional updates (e.g., “all rows in Pending”), specify the exact current status or conditions. If you want a certain row range, mention them clearly.

Use the 4 Status Options

Pending: For items to be (re)processed.

Ignore: To exclude them from the workflow.

Success: Concluded successfully.

Continue: A signal to proceed from there (can be combined with a “jump to line Y”).

Manual Check
Always verify in the sheet that the changes in status and the jump occurred as intended.

7. Troubleshooting

No Change Occurred

Confirm that the execution’s overall Status is set to Pending. Without that, Yala does not initiate the action.

Check if your prompt syntax is correct, with accurate sheet and column names.

Wrong Rows Updated

Possibly the condition is too broad or incorrect.

Refine the Action Prompt to cover only the intended rows.

Did Not Jump to the Specified Line

Make sure the target sheet exists and that the specified line is valid.

If it’s conditional, confirm the condition was met.

Invalid Status

Only Pending, Ignore, Success, and Continue affect Yala’s workflow. Others are not recognized.

8. Relationship with Status

Pending
Set the execution’s Status to Pending so Yala can carry out the instructions in the Action Prompt.

Ignore
Exclude rows from the flow; they will not be processed further.

Success
Marks rows as successfully finished; no additional workflow actions for them.

Continue
Indicates the workflow should proceed from that point onward. You can also “jump” to a different line in the same or another sheet.

9. References and Additional Resources

Complementary Guides

Check Data to create/edit records before you set their Status using Action.

Review any “Control” references in Yala to understand how Status orchestrates the workflow.

Advanced Automation

Incorporate more complex conditions in a single prompt (e.g., “If Value > 500, set Ignore and jump to Review sheet, line 2; else set Success and continue at line 10”).

Use variables if you need more flexible logic.

Support

If you have questions or issues, reach out to the Yala support team.

By mastering the Action section, you can update rows in your workflow to Pending, Ignore, Success, or Continue and jump to another line all in a single prompt—making your processes more dynamic and adaptable to your project’s logic!