Master actions fast (and avoid ordering mistakes)
Use this checklist to jump straight to the action task you need.
- Understand what an Action is
- Create a new action node
- Add an action to an existing node (stacking actions)
- Change the order of actions in a node
- Delete an action safely
You’re set—use actions to make your flows run automatically and predictably.
Step-by-Step Process
In RapidPro.app, an action is a step that performs a task when a contact reaches it. Common examples include:
- Send a message (text and/or media)
- Send a message to a third party
- Add a label to an incoming message
- Update or set contact fields
- Add/remove a contact from a group
- Call a webhook
- Send an email
- Set a contact’s preferred language
- Start another flow
- Start a third party in a flow
[CAPTURE: Flow editor showing a node with multiple stacked actions (top-to-bottom).]
- Open your flow in the flow editor.
- Click Create Message (or your “add node” button, depending on your UI) to start a new node.
- Choose the action type you want (Send Message is a common first step).
- Configure the content/settings and save.
[CAPTURE: Flow editor showing the “Create Message” button and the node editor opening.]
You can attach actions to other nodes so they run as a sequence.
- Hover the node you want to extend.
- Click the + button on the node (bottom-right).
- Select the next action from the dropdown.
- Repeat to stack more actions as needed.
[CAPTURE: A node with a visible + button and an action dropdown list.]
- Hover the action you want to move inside the node cluster.
- Use the reorder control (often shown as an arrow/handle like ^, depending on your UI).
- Place it in the correct position so execution happens in the right order.
[CAPTURE: Node cluster with multiple actions and a reorder icon/handle highlighted.]
- Hover the action/node you want to remove.
- Click the x (delete) icon.
- Confirm deletion when prompted.
[CAPTURE: Action node showing an “x” delete icon and a confirmation state.]
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
My message shows missing or outdated values
Problem: A message references a value, but it prints blank or an older value.
Fix:
- Reorder actions so data is updated before it’s used (Update Contact → Send Message).
- Confirm you’re referencing the correct variable type (contact field vs results vs webhook output).
- Run the simulator to confirm the value exists at the moment the message is sent.
Actions run, but not in the order I expected
Problem: Multiple actions execute, but outcomes look inconsistent.
Fix:
- Use the reorder control to move actions into the correct sequence.
- Keep dependent steps adjacent (update immediately before sending the message that uses it).
- If needed, split long stacks into separate nodes to keep debugging simple.
I deleted an action and now the flow behaves differently
Problem: A removed action causes missing variables, missing tags, or incomplete data updates.
Fix:
- Recreate the action with the same configuration.
- Check downstream steps for dependencies (messages, splits, webhooks) that expected the deleted output.
- If available, use Revision history to restore a previous version.