Action
A task an automation performs after its trigger runs.
Plain-English definitions for the AI, API, app automation, and workflow terms you will hear when designing better business systems.
A task an automation performs after its trigger runs.
An application programming interface (API) is a documented way for software systems to exchange data and instructions.
An API key is a credential a service uses to identify or authorize the software making an API request.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of a machine-based system to produce outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions for human-defined objectives.
Automation is a repeatable system that completes tasks or moves data automatically in response to rules, schedules, or events.
Conditional logic is a set of rules that chooses what a workflow does based on the data or state it receives.
Customer relationship management (CRM) software stores and organizes interactions with prospects and customers.
Data mapping is the process of matching a source system’s fields and values to the correct destination fields and values.
Deduplication is the process of detecting and preventing multiple records or events that represent the same real-world item.
A filter is a workflow rule that allows processing to continue only when incoming data matches stated criteria.
A formatter is a workflow step that converts data from one representation into another required representation.
An AI hallucination is generated content that is unsupported, incorrect, or inconsistent with the provided sources or real-world facts.
Idempotency is the property that repeating the same operation has the same intended effect as performing it once.
An integration is a connection that lets separate software systems exchange data or coordinate actions.
JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is a text format for representing structured values, objects, and arrays during data exchange.
A large language model (LLM) is a model trained on large amounts of data to generate or transform language and related structured content.
A loop is a workflow pattern that repeats one or more steps for each item in a collection.
OAuth 2.0 is an authorization framework that lets an application obtain limited access to a service on a resource owner’s behalf.
A payload is the application data carried in a request, response, message, or event.
A prompt is the instruction and context supplied to an AI model to guide the output it produces.
A rate limit is a service rule that restricts how many requests a client may make during a defined period.
A scenario is a Make automation composed of modules that transfer and transform data according to a configured schedule or trigger.
A trigger is the event or condition that starts an automation run.
A webhook is an HTTP request one system sends to a registered URL to notify another system about an event.
A workflow is an ordered process of tasks, decisions, handoffs, and outcomes performed by people, software, or both.
A Zap is a Zapier automation that contains a trigger and one or more actions.
Automation Ace can translate your requirements into reliable workflows across AI tools, APIs, Zapier, Make, Airtable, and more.