# Allow "after user update" automation trigger to fire without custom field
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-after-user-update-automation-trigger-to-fire-without-custom-field/368575
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** automation
**Created:** [June 2, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-after-user-update-automation-trigger-to-fire-without-custom-field/368575 "2025-06-02T16:33:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-after-user-update-automation-trigger-to-fire-without-custom-field/368575/1 "2025-06-02T16:33:24Z")
Currently, if you want to be notified of user signups in a topic or PM using automation, you have to create a custom user field and use that as the trigger. It would be helpful to change this so account creation/activation triggers the automation, so you don’t have to create a custom user field.
> [@How to get an email notification when a user joins?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-an-email-notification-when-a-user-joins/364706/1):
>
> I wonder if I can configure a webhook for example that emails me every time someone creates a new member on my forum?
> [@How to get an email notification when a user joins?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-an-email-notification-when-a-user-joins/364706/6):
>
> Automation is a good idea! I just tested this and you can actually use an existing automation, if you’re willing to create a user custom field and require your users to complete it at signup.
>
> Steps that worked for me:
>
> 1. create a custom user field and make it required
> 2. create a topic in your #staff::category category
> 3. create a new automation
> 4. choose “Create a post” script
> 5. choose “After user update” trigger
> 6. choose your custom field
> 7. select “once per user”
> 8. select “new users only”
> 9. specify system as the creator
> 10. specify the topic ID of your topic (the number that appears in the URL)
> 11. write the content you like, including the variable e.g. “{{updated\_user\_username}} signed up!”
> 12. sign up a new test user to test
> [@How to get an email notification when a user joins?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-get-an-email-notification-when-a-user-joins/364706/9):
>
> But a change to the trigger so you could have ‘user created/activated’ for this and not need a superfluous custom field would be :chefs_kiss:
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### Author:  [@Jinpeng\_Wang](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Jinpeng_Wang)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2025, 6:22am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-after-user-update-automation-trigger-to-fire-without-custom-field/368575/2 "2025-06-18T06:22:44Z")
Hi, could you please tell how to find “After User Update” in Automation Plugin?
I checked all functions under Automation, didn’t see “After User Update”
