How to Build Your First Automation Workflow in Make.com (2025)

Make.com terminology you need to know

Scenario: an automation workflow — a connected series of triggers and actions. Module: a single step in the scenario — one action in one app. Trigger: the event that starts the scenario (new email, new form submission, scheduled time). Operation: one execution of one module — how Make.com meters usage.

Step 1: Create your first scenario

Log into Make.com, click Create a New Scenario. You'll see a blank canvas with a circle in the middle — that's your first module. Click it and search for your trigger app (start with something you know: Gmail, Google Sheets, or Shopify).

For a first scenario, use the Google Sheets 'Watch New Rows' module as the trigger — it checks for new rows in a spreadsheet on a schedule you set (every 15 minutes is common).

Step 2: Add your trigger module

Select the trigger module, connect your Google account, choose your spreadsheet and sheet, and set the polling interval. Make will ask 'Which row should I start from?' — choose 'All' if you want it to process existing rows, or 'From now on' for new rows only.

Test the module by clicking Run and checking that Make correctly reads your spreadsheet data. The output shows you exactly what data is available to pass to subsequent modules.

Step 3: Add action modules

Click the '+' icon after your trigger to add a second module. This is the action — what happens when the trigger fires. Search for your action app (Gmail, Slack, Notion, etc.) and choose the action type ('Send an Email', 'Create a Page', etc.).

In the action module, map data from your trigger to the action fields. Click any field and select variables from the 'Available Variables' panel — this is how you insert dynamic data like {customer name} or {order total} into your automation.

Step 4: Add filters and routers

A Filter module lets you add conditions: 'Only continue if the value in column B equals 'Paid'.'. Click the connecting line between two modules and select 'Add Filter' to configure conditions.

A Router module splits the flow — 'If the order value is over $100, do X. Otherwise do Y.' This is where Make's power really shows compared to linear tools like Zapier.

Step 5: Test and activate

Before activating a scenario, always run it in test mode. Click 'Run Once' at the bottom of the screen — Make executes the scenario once and shows you the data flowing through each module. Check each module's output for errors or unexpected data.

Once it works correctly, toggle the scenario ON (top right switch). Set the scheduling — for triggered events, Leave as 'Immediately when trigger fires'. For scheduled scenarios, set the interval (every 15 minutes, hourly, daily, etc.).