To turn an automation on, all trigger and action steps must test successfully. A test record is a record that our system automatically chooses to use for the testing of a step. At least one record will need to match all of the parameters set in the automation to allow our system to find a test record. The record we use for testing will also depend upon the trigger or action selected.

• When a record matches condition trigger: First matching record
• When a record is created trigger: First record in the table/view
• When a record is updated trigger: First record in the table/view
• When a record enters view trigger: First record in the table/view
• Google sheets row created trigger: Last row in the sheet
• New response Google Form trigger: Last response/row in the sheet the response is sent to
• Find Records action: All matched records 

It's worth noting that a certain view's first record may be different based on filters or groupings in that view. The next section offers tips on how to find the test record being used if it is not immediately clear.

Manually determining a test record

The first step to being able to manually determine a test record is to test the trigger step of the automation. Determining a test record can be extremely helpful in troubleshooting automations. When a trigger has tested successfully a dropdown menu will appear to view more details about the test record used. The primary field is typically the most insightful field to investigate.

Consider using the RECORD_ID() function

If you are still unable to determine the test record at this point, then you can find the record via the Record ID. You'll need to create a new formula field that will show each RECORD_ID() in the table that your automation is looking at. More information on that setup can be found in the Record ID article linked above. After the Record ID field has been created, you can pull the test record's ID from the automation setup window and then use the find feature to return the matching record.