Get answers to the most common questions about Krom Automation, we’re covering both the free plugin and Krom Automation Pro.

General questions #

What is Krom Automation?

Krom Automation is a visual workflow automation plugin for WordPress. It connects WordPress events (user registrations, WooCommerce orders, form submissions, post publishing) to automated responses like sending emails, tagging contacts in a CRM, sending Slack messages, or calling external APIs. You build automations on a drag-and-drop canvas with no code required.

Is Krom Automation free?

Yes. The core Krom Automation plugin is free and available on WordPress.org. It includes 16 triggers, 21 actions, a visual workflow builder, merge tags, conditional branching, delays, a workflow simulator, execution logging, analytics, 20 pre-built templates, and full REST API access. Krom Automation Pro is a paid extension that adds 24 third-party integrations, 80+ additional triggers, 60+ additional actions, 101 templates, and four exclusive features.

How is Krom Automation different from Zapier or Make.com?

Krom Automation runs entirely on your WordPress server. Your data never leaves your site, there are no per-task fees, and there are no monthly SaaS bills. Zapier and Make.com are external platforms that process your data on their servers and charge based on usage volume. Krom Automation is a one-time purchase (or free) with no execution limits.

Does Krom Automation require any coding knowledge?

No. All workflow building happens on the visual canvas- drag-and-drop nodes, form-based configuration panels, and a point-and-click interface throughout. Developers can extend Krom Automation using WordPress hooks and the REST API, but coding is not required for any standard functionality.

What WordPress version do I need?

WordPress 6.2 or higher. PHP 7.4 or higher. MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.2+. Most current WordPress hosting environments meet all three requirements.

Krom Automation Installation and setup #

Do I need to install anything else before Krom Automation?

No additional plugins are required for the free version. WooCommerce is optional- WooCommerce triggers and actions activate automatically if WooCommerce is already installed. For Krom Automation Pro, the free plugin must be installed and active first since Pro is an extension.

Can I install Krom Automation on multiple sites?

The free plugin can be installed on any number of sites. Krom Automation Pro licensing is per-site- check your license terms at wprigel.com for the number of sites your plan covers.

Does Krom Automation work with multisite?

Krom Automation works on individual sites within a WordPress multisite network. Contact wpRigel support for multisite licensing guidance.

Will Krom Automation slow down my site?

No. All workflow executions run as background jobs via Action Scheduler, they don’t execute during web requests. Your site’s front-end performance is not affected by workflow execution. The workflow builder is loaded only in the WordPress admin.

Triggers and actions #

How many workflows can I create?

There is no limit. Both the free plugin and Krom Automation Pro allow unlimited workflows with no execution caps.

Can one trigger start multiple workflows?

Yes. Multiple workflows can use the same trigger. Each workflow runs independently when the trigger fires.

Can I have multiple triggers in one workflow?

No. Each workflow has exactly one trigger. If you need to respond to two different events with the same set of actions, create two separate workflows (one per trigger) with the same action configuration.

Can I chain multiple actions in one workflow?

Yes. You can add as many action nodes as you need to a single workflow. They run in sequence, top to bottom. A failing step does not stop subsequent steps from running.

Does a failed action stop the rest of the workflow?

No. Krom Automation runs each step independently with isolated error handling. If one step fails, Krom Automation logs the failure and continues to the next step. The execution is marked as “failed” overall if any step failed, but all steps attempt to run.

What’s the difference between Post Published and Post Status Changed triggers?

Post Published fires only when a post of type post transitions to publish for the first time. Post Status Changed fires on any status transition for any post type, including pages and custom post types. Use Post Status Changed for broader coverage and Post Published for the specific “new blog post goes live” scenario.

Merge tags and conditions #

What are merge tags?

Merge tags are placeholders you put into action fields that Krom Automation replaces with real data at execution time. For example, {{first_name}} in an email subject becomes the actual first name of the user who triggered the workflow. See the Merge Tags Reference for the full list.

What happens if a merge tag has no value?

If Krom Automation can’t find the tag in the execution context, it leaves the placeholder as-is in the output. So {{first_name}} stays as {{first_name}} in the email if the user didn’t provide a first name. Use the Workflow Simulator to see how tags will resolve before activating a workflow.

Can I use merge tags from a previous action in later actions?

Yes. The AI Generate Text action and HTTP Request action both store their output under a key you name. You can then use {{your_output_key}} in any subsequent action in the same workflow. This is how you chain AI-generated content into an email, or use an API response in a post update.

Can conditions test multiple values at once?

Each condition node tests a single field against a single value. For multi-condition logic, chain multiple condition nodes- he first condition’s Yes or No branch leads to the second condition, creating layered logic.

Delays and scheduling #

How reliable are delays?

Delays are processed by Action Scheduler, the same background job library WooCommerce uses. Jobs are stored in the database and processed on a schedule. As long as WordPress Cron is running on your server, delays are reliable. On low-traffic sites, WP-Cron may fire late if no one visits the site during the delay window, setting up a real server cron resolves this.

Can I set a delay in weeks?

Delays in weeks are available in Krom Automation Pro. The free version supports delays in minutes, hours, and days.

Can I run a workflow on a schedule without an event triggering it?

Yes, with Krom Automation Pro. The Schedule trigger runs workflows hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, on a custom interval, or once at a specific date and time. See the Schedule Trigger guide.

What happens to a delayed job if I pause the workflow?

The delayed job still runs even if you pause the workflow after it’s been scheduled. Pausing a workflow prevents new executions from being queued- it does not cancel jobs that are already scheduled. To prevent a specific queued job from running, cancel it manually in the Action Scheduler queue (accessible via Tools > Scheduled Actions with a cron management plugin).

Krom Automation Pro #

Do I need the free plugin to run Pro?

Yes. Krom Automation Pro is an extension of the free plugin. Both must be installed and active at the same time. Install the free plugin first, then install and activate Pro alongside it.

Can I upgrade from free to Pro without losing my workflows?

Yes. Upgrading to Pro preserves all existing workflows. Pro adds new triggers, actions, and features- nothing you’ve already built changes or breaks.

What happens to my workflows if my Pro license expires?

Existing workflows continue to run. You lose access to Pro settings, the ability to add new Pro triggers or actions, and automatic update notifications. All automations already built and activated keep executing normally.

Is Pro a subscription or a one-time payment?

Krom Automation Pro is a one-time purchase with no recurring subscription fees. There are no monthly charges and no per-execution fees. See current pricing at wprigel.com.

Does Krom Automation Pro have a money-back guarantee?

Check the current terms on the Krom Automation pricing page. wpRigel typically offers a refund window on Pro purchases.

WooCommerce #

Do I need a separate plugin for WooCommerce automation?

No. WooCommerce support is built into the free Krom Automation plugin. The Order Created and Order Completed triggers, plus the Create Coupon and Update Order Status actions, are all available in the free version without any additional plugin. Krom Automation Pro adds 11 more WooCommerce triggers and 6 more actions, plus full WooCommerce Subscriptions support.

Does Krom Automation work with WooCommerce Subscriptions?

Yes, with Krom Automation Pro. The WooCommerce Subscriptions integration includes 9 triggers covering creation, renewal, cancellation, expiry, payment failures, and trial endings, plus 2 actions for managing subscription status.

Data and privacy #

Does Krom Automation send any data to external servers?

Krom Automation itself does not send data to external servers. Workflow execution logs and analytics are stored in your WordPress database. When you use AI actions, data is sent to your configured AI provider (OpenAI, Google Gemini, or Groq)- that’s a direct connection from your server to the provider’s API using your own API key. Integration actions (Mailchimp, Slack, etc.) send data directly from your server to those platforms using your own credentials.

Where is execution log data stored?

All execution logs are stored in your WordPress database in Krom Automation’s custom tables. They never leave your server unless you explicitly export them via the REST API or the CSV export on the Reports page.

Can I delete execution logs?

Yes. Go to Krom Automation > Settings > Debug and Tools and use Manual Logs Cleanup to delete logs older than your configured retention period immediately. You can also configure Auto-Cleanup to delete logs automatically on a daily schedule.

Technical questions for developers #

Does Krom Automation have a REST API?

Yes. Krom Automation exposes a full REST API under the krom-automation/v1 namespace. It covers workflow management, execution logs, analytics, templates, and a simulation endpoint. See the REST API Reference for the complete endpoint list.

Can I trigger a workflow programmatically?

Yes. Use POST /krom-automation/v1/workflows/{id}/run to trigger any workflow from an external script, another plugin, or a server-side process. Pass a context object in the request body to supply trigger data for merge tag resolution.

Can I create custom triggers or actions?

Krom Automation’s trigger and action system is extensible via WordPress hooks and filters. See the Developer Guide for details on registering custom triggers and actions.

How does Krom Automation handle concurrent executions?

Each execution runs as an independent Action Scheduler job. Multiple executions can run concurrently without interfering with each other. Each job has its own execution context and its own log record.