# Actions

An ‘action’ is a task that a flow performs. Actions can either be tasks within MessageBird or a task that takes place in an external [connector](https://docs.bird.com/applications/integrations/integrations).

## Action types

There are six types of flow actions:

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Core actions</strong></td><td>Core actions are fundamental Flow actions that enable the processing of data and the execution of tasks. </td><td></td><td><a href="actions/core-actions">core-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Contact actions</strong></td><td>Contact actions enable you to create, retrieve, update, and delete contact information from Contacts.</td><td></td><td><a href="actions/contact-actions">contact-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Channel actions</strong></td><td>Channel actions enable you to send and receive messages through various communication channels, such as SMS and WhatsApp.</td><td></td><td><a href="actions/channel-actions">channel-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Conversation actions</strong></td><td>Conversation actions are a set of actions that allow you to manage conversations in Inbox. </td><td></td><td><a href="actions/conversation-actions">conversation-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Connector actions</strong></td><td>Connector actions are used to interact with external tools, such as CRM systems or cloud storage solutions, from Flows.</td><td></td><td><a href="actions/connector-actions">connector-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>MessageBird API actions</strong></td><td>API actions are deveoper-level actions that interface directly with out APIs.</td><td></td><td><a href="actions/bird-api-actions">bird-api-actions</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Voice actions</strong></td><td>Voice actions are a set of actions that allow you to automate Voice call events.</td><td></td><td><a href="actions/voice-actions">voice-actions</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Set up an action

### Choose your flow event

1. In the flow editor, once you have set up your [trigger](https://docs.bird.com/applications/automation/flows/concepts/triggers), click **Add new action**.
2. Browse the available actions, or use the search bar to find a specific action.
3. Select your action and complete the fields to tell the flow exactly what you want it to do. Depending on the type of action you choose, there might be dropdown menus, form fields, and radio buttons to select.
4. Once you're happy with how your action has been set up, click **Next**.

### Test your action

Run a quick test to see if your action is working. If there are errors, these will be flagged and displayed in the output for you to review and fix.

If you're happy with your action, you can click **Add new action** to continue to build your flow, or click the **Publish draft** to set your flow live.