# Automations that Trigger Outbound Communications

Automations can be used to send communications outside of Welkin to patients, users, and even patient Contacts.

There are additional inputs needed to prepare to trigger outbound communications, depending on the intended recipient and mode of communication:

**Patients (Email/SMS/Chat)**

* Message templates (Email/SMS/Chat): [Create Message Templates](/designer/automations/automations-that-trigger-outbound-communications.md)
* Phone name (SMS) [Designer: Phone Names](/designer/automations/automations-that-trigger-outbound-communications.md)

**Users (Email, SMS)**

* Message templates (Optional)
* Phone Name (SMS)

**User Contacts (Email/SMS)**

* Message Templates (Email/SMS)
* Profile Type (Email/SMS) [Designer: Profiles Overview](/designer/automations/automations-that-trigger-outbound-communications.md)
* Phone Name (SMS)

The process to create an automation to send an outbound communication is the same as any other automation. You will need a trigger event, any conditiona\[TRUNCATED]


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.welkinhealth.com/designer/automations/automations-that-trigger-outbound-communications.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.