> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.practicemate.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create your first Automation > Build a Birthday Card Email Automation using a Recipe, an Email Template, and the Automation editor. In this guide, you will build a simple Automation for: **Sending a birthday Email to patients whose birthday is today.** This is a friendly first example because it uses the three main pieces of PracticeMate Communications work: * a Recipe to find the Patient Cohort * an Email Template to hold the wording * an Automation to bring them together ## Before you start You need: * a Recipe named **Patients whose birthday is today** * an Email Template named **Birthday email** If your practice uses different names, choose the matching Recipe and Template from your own list. Do not use **Run Now** until your team is ready for the Automation to contact patients. Build, save, and review the Automation first. ## Open a new Automation Open **Automations**, then select **Create Automation**. The Automations page with the Create Automation button available above the Automations table. PracticeMate opens a blank Automation editor. A blank new Automation editor showing Automation details, When, Starting from, Then do, and Save Automation. ## Name the Automation In **Automation details**, enter: * **Name**: Birthday Card Email * **Description**: Sends patients an email on their birthday. The name and description are for your practice team. Patients do not see them. Use a name that describes the workflow clearly. **Birthday Card Email** is easier to recognise later than **Birthday automation** or **Test email**. ## Choose when it runs Leave **When** set to **Manual** while you build the Automation. Manual means PracticeMate will not run this Automation automatically. It will only run when a Member chooses **Run Now**. If your practice is ready for this to happen automatically every day, choose **Scheduled** instead, then set the Timezone, Frequency, and Time. The When section with Scheduled selected, showing Timezone, Daily Weekly Monthly frequency options, Time controls, and the schedule summary. For a birthday workflow, a daily morning schedule is usually the natural choice once the team is ready. ## Add the Recipe Source In **Starting from**, select **Add Data Source**. The Select Data Source dialog showing Run Recipe as the available data source. Choose **Run Recipe**. PracticeMate adds a **Run Recipe** card to the **Starting from** section. The Starting from section with a Run Recipe card and an empty Using Recipe selector. ## Select the birthday Recipe Open **Using Recipe**. Choose **Patients whose birthday is today**. The Using Recipe menu showing available Recipes, including Patients whose birthday is today. After you choose the Recipe, PracticeMate shows an expected patient count based on the last time that Recipe was run. The Run Recipe source selected with Patients whose birthday is today and an expected patient count notice. The expected count is a guide. It helps you check whether the selected Recipe looks sensible before the Automation runs. ## Add the Email step In **Then do**, select **Add First Step**. PracticeMate shows the available Automation Steps. The Add Step dialog showing Clinical Review, Create Report, Send Email, Send SMS, and Wait. Choose **Send Email**. PracticeMate adds a **Send Email** step. The Then do section with a Send Email step and an empty Using Template selector. ## Select the Birthday email Template Open **Using Template**. Choose **Birthday email**. The Using Template menu showing Birthday email and other Email Templates. The **Send Email** step now uses the Birthday email Template. The Birthday Card Email Automation with Patients whose birthday is today selected as the Recipe Source and Birthday email selected for the Send Email step. ## Review the complete Automation The complete Automation should read like this: * **When**: Manual while building, or Scheduled when your team is ready * **Starting from**: Run Recipe using **Patients whose birthday is today** * **Then do**: Send Email using **Birthday email** Your editor should look similar to this finished example. The completed Birthday Card Email Automation showing details, Manual trigger, Patients whose birthday is today Recipe Source, and Send Email using Birthday email. ## Save the Automation Select **Save Automation**. PracticeMate checks that the Automation has: * a valid name * a data source * at least one Automation Step * required selections inside each step Saving also locks the selected Recipe Version and Email Template Version into the Automation. Later edits to the Recipe or Birthday email Template will not quietly change this Automation. If you want the Automation to use a newer Recipe or Template version later, open the Automation and choose **Update to latest** when that option appears. ## Check the Settings tab After saving, open **Settings**. The Automation Settings page showing Processing Rules, Prevent reprocessing, Credit Limit, and Communication Limit. For a birthday Email, **Prevent reprocessing** is usually helpful. It stops PracticeMate from sending again to patients this Automation has already processed for the same Recipe. You can also check the Credit Limit before running the Automation. ## Check the Runs tab Open **Runs** when you want to see Automation Run history. For this walkthrough, the Birthday Card Email Automation may not have previous runs yet. The Runs tab for an Automation with no runs yet, showing Run history, No runs yet, overview cards, and Run Now. A populated Runs page looks like this example: A populated Automation Runs page showing a selected run with status, total patients, credits used, timing, and step activity. The Runs page helps your practice see what happened each time the Automation ran. ## What you learned You used: * **Automation details** to name and describe the workflow * **When** to choose Manual or Scheduled * **Starting from** to select a Recipe Source * **Then do** to add a Send Email step * **Using Template** to choose the Birthday email Template * **Save Automation** to store the workflow * **Settings** to review processing and limit controls * **Runs** to review previous Automation Runs You have built your first PracticeMate Automation. Next, use the [Automation editor reference](/automations/editor-reference) when you want a complete guide to every control and available step.