Automation based on OOO status

Question

We have created daily tasks for our service agents and we would like to create an automation that resolves the daily task if the agent has set an OOO. Possible?

Servicecentre · Answer

Thanks, we shall try one of these at least :-)

jeremymayfield · Answer

OK Using Claude.ai (enter at your own risk…)

Native OOO Behavior: What It Does (and Does Not) Do.

When an agent activates their OOO status, work items assigned to them including incidents, tasks, and approvals are automatically reassigned to a specified backup agent. SolarWinds This is the extent of the native OOO automation; it does not natively support evaluating OOO status as a conditional trigger to resolve or close a task.

SWSD's automation engine operates on an IFTTT (If This, Then That) principle, with conditions that can range from specific keywords to custom fields or record attributes such as priority, state, category, etc. SolarWinds "Assignee OOO Status" is not a currently exposed condition field in the automation rules builder.

Recommended Approach — Three-Path Architecture

Given this constraint, the following paths are available, ordered by implementation complexity:

Path 1 — Native OOO Reassignment + Downstream Automation (Lowest Complexity)

This is the pragmatic near-term solution.

* Agent OOO Configuration: Each agent configures their OOO in their profile, designating a backup agent as the reassignment target.
* Automation Rule on Task Assignment: Build an automation rule scoped to Tasks with the following logic:* Trigger: Record updated (Assigned To field changes)
* Condition: Assignee = [specific backup agent designated for OOO coverage] AND Task Title contains [daily task keyword, e.g., "Daily" or a specific naming convention your team uses]
* Action: Update Status → Resolved (or closed)

Limitation: This approach resolves based on reassignment to the backup agent, not OOO status directly. It requires consistent task naming conventions and a dedicated OOO coverage agent to function reliably.

Path 2 — Custom Field as OOO Flag + Automation Rule (Moderate Complexity)

This is the most robust native solution.

* Create a Custom Field on the Agent/User profile or on the Task record (e.g., a dropdown: "Agent Status" with values: Active | OOO).
* Administrative Process: When an agent activates OOO, an admin (or the agent) sets the custom field value to "OOO." This can be standardized as an operational procedure.
* Automation Rule:* Trigger: Task created or updated
* Condition: Assignee custom field "Agent Status" = OOO AND Task category = [Daily Task category]
* Action: Resolve task

Consideration: As of the June 2024 release, automation rules can be triggered by any update to a custom or system field SolarWinds, which makes this approach viable without workarounds.

Path 3 — API-Driven Automation (Highest Complexity / Most Scalable)

For a fully automated, zero-touch solution:

* Leverage the SWSD REST API to query open daily tasks each morning via a scheduled script or Power Automate flow.
* The script checks whether the task's assigned agent has OOO status active (via the SWSD API user endpoint or cross-referencing Microsoft 365 / Outlook OOO status via Graph API).
* If OOO is confirmed, the script calls the SWSD API to update the task status to Resolved.

Per SolarWinds documentation, the only way to trigger secondary or cascading automation logic is through API calls to update the relevant record, which can then be combined with time-based automation rules for downstream actions. SolarWinds

Given your existing M365 E5 licensing and Power Automate entitlement, this path is particularly viable — the Microsoft Graph API can surface Outlook OOO/Automatic Reply status, which can then drive the SWSD task resolution via the REST API.

Recommended Path for NSM

Criterion

Path 1

Path 2

Path 3

Implementation Speed

Fast

Moderate

Slower

Manual Dependency

Medium

Low

None

Scalability

Low

Medium

High

Technical Complexity

Low

Low-Medium

Medium-High

Recommended For

Interim

Near-term

Long-term

Recommendation: Implement Path 2 immediately as the operational standard, while scoping Path 3 as a longer-term automation enhancement leveraging your existing Power Automate investment. Path 1 is acceptable only as a stopgap.

Prerequisites / Prerequisites Checklist

*  Confirm SWSD plan tier (Automation Rules are available on all plans; API access confirmed available on Essentials and above)
*  Establish a consistent task naming convention for daily tasks (required for any condition-based filtering)
*  Define the expected "resolved" state for daily tasks in your workflow (Resolved vs. Closed)
*  Determine whether OOO status management will be agent-driven or admin-managed
*  If pursuing Path 3, confirm Power Automate licensing and SWSD API key provisioning

jeremymayfield · Answer

The capability is partially achievable natively within SWSD, but with a critical limitation the native OOO feature does not expose "assignee OOO status" as a condition field within the Automation Rules engine. A workaround can be achieved but you will need to google or AI your way into that one.  I am sure you can find something out there.  Sorry I wasn't more help.