Early/Late Request Triggers & Task-Type Conditions

Workflows let you automate the parts of your operation that happen the same way every time. Two additions give you finer control: you can now start a workflow when an early check-in or late checkout request is decided, and you can filter task-based workflows down to specific task types. You can also include a direct link to any task right inside your automated messages.

Trigger on an early check-in or late checkout decision

You can build a workflow that fires the moment an early check-in or late checkout request is approved or declined. That gives you a clean hook for everything that should happen next, for example:

• Message the guest to confirm their new arrival or departure time.
• Notify your cleaning team so they can adjust the turnover.
• Post to a Slack channel so the front desk knows the unit's schedule changed.

Instead of watching for these requests and reacting by hand, you set the rule once and let it run every time. Pair it with the inbox notification described in Early Check-In & Late Checkout Requests.

Filter by task type

When a workflow is triggered by task activity — a new task, a completed task — you can now add a Task type condition to include or exclude specific kinds of tasks. The condition works both ways: run the workflow only for certain task types, or run it for everything except the ones you name.

A common example: send a Slack message whenever a new task is created, but exclude laundry so routine turnover chores don't flood the channel — you only hear about the tasks that need a human's attention. The same pattern works for any split you care about: notify on maintenance but not restocks, escalate inspections but not standard cleans.

Send a direct link to the task in your messages

When a workflow is triggered by a task event, you can include a Task Link variable in any message action — Slack notifications, emails, or any other message template. When the message sends, that variable resolves to a clickable URL that opens the specific task in Vanio.

This is especially useful for Slack alerts: instead of team members having to search for the task, they click the link and land right on it.

Which triggers support Task Link

The Task Link variable is available whenever your workflow's trigger is one of the following task events:

• Task created — a new task has been added
• Task completed — a task has been marked done
• Task assigned — a task has been assigned to a team member
• Task updated — details on a task have changed
• Task blocked — a task has been flagged as blocked

If your workflow is triggered by any other kind of event (a reservation, a guest message, a payment, and so on), the Task Link variable will appear blank in the sent message. Use it only in rules built on one of the five task triggers above.

How to add a Task Link to a message

1. Open Workflows and select the rule you want to edit, or create a new one.
2. Make sure the trigger is set to a task event (Task created, Task completed, Task assigned, Task updated, or Task blocked).
3. Scroll to the message action — for example, a Send Slack message or Send email action.
4. Click inside the message field where you'd like the link to appear.
5. Open the Insert variable picker next to the field.
6. Under the Task section at the top of the list, select Task Link. The placeholder {{data.taskUrl}} is inserted at your cursor.
7. Save the action.

[Screenshot: Variable picker open with the Task section expanded, showing Task Link, Task Title, Task ID, Task Category, and Task Priority]

When the rule fires, {{data.taskUrl}} is replaced with the full URL for that task — your team members just click it to open the task directly in Vanio.

Other task variables

Alongside Task Link, the variable picker also surfaces these task-specific fields when your trigger is a task event:

Variable	What it inserts
Task Link	A clickable URL that opens the task in Vanio
Task Title	The name of the task
Task ID	The unique ID number of the task
Task Category	The category assigned to the task
Task Priority	The priority level set on the task

These variables only appear in the picker when your workflow is using a task trigger — for all other trigger types they are hidden, since they would render empty.

Tips & best practices

• Lead with the link. In Slack messages, put the Task Link near the start of the message so team members can tap through immediately without reading the whole notification.
• Combine variables for context. Pair Task Link with Task Title and Task Priority so the message tells people what the task is and how urgent it is before they even click. For example: "New {{data.priority}} task: {{data.title}} — {{data.taskUrl}}"
• Stick to task triggers. Only add Task Link to rules that fire on task events. If you copy a rule and change its trigger to a reservation event, remove the Task Link variable from the message — it will otherwise send as a blank space.
• Filter noisy triggers with task-type conditions. Use the Task type condition alongside task triggers to control which task categories actually fire the rule, so your team only gets notified for the tasks that matter to them.
• Test before publishing. Save the rule, then manually trigger a test task event and check that the link in the message resolves correctly and opens the right task.

Common questions

The Task Link variable isn't showing up in my variable picker. Why? The Task Link variable (and all other Task variables) only appear in the picker when your workflow's trigger is a task event — Task created, Task completed, Task assigned, Task updated, or Task blocked. If your trigger is set to anything else, switch it to one of those task events and the Task section will appear at the top of the variable list.

What happens if the task link is empty in my message? This usually means the rule fired from a non-task trigger, or you're testing with a synthetic event that doesn't carry a real task. Confirm the trigger type is a task event and run a real task through the workflow to see the link resolve correctly.

Can I use Task Link in an email subject line? Yes — the variable picker is available in email subject lines, message bodies, Slack messages, and all other text fields inside a message action. The same rule applies: the link only resolves when the trigger is a task event.

Related

• Building Custom Workflows — triggers, conditions, and actions
• Early Check-In & Late Checkout Requests — where these requests come from