Update ATS Record Fields Using the Update Step

The Update step in Bullhorn Automation (BHA) lets you automatically change, copy, or clear field values on ATS records without manual data entry. Use it to keep records accurate as conditions change, populate job records from company data, or standardize field values at scale.

This article covers all three Update step actions: setting a field to a specific value, copying a value from another field, and clearing a field entirely.

Common Reasons You Might Need This Article

  • You want job records to automatically reflect the hiring company's address without manual entry.
  • You need to standardize a field value across records when they reach a certain point in a workflow.
  • You want to copy data from a company record to a related job record.
  • You need to clear an outdated or incorrect field value automatically.
  • You're building a job-based automation and want to use company data to populate job fields.

Before You Start

Make sure the following are in place before adding an Update step to your automation:

  • You have an active automation for the record type you want to update.
  • The field you want to update is not restricted. See Fields the Update Step Cannot Set or Clear below for details.
  • To copy company fields to job records, your organization must have CompanyV2 enabled.

Check Which Records You Can Update in Your Automation

The Update step is available in automations for the following record types. The record you can update depends on which automation type you are working in.

Automation TypeClosed When selecting an automation type, there are two options: Standard and Center on Date Field. The Standard option means that the list(s) alone will control who enter the automation. The Center on Date Field option, in addition to list criteria, controls entrt based on a relative date. Records That Can Be Updated
Candidate Contact Company* Job Lead Placement Submission
Candidate-based ✓            
Sales contact-based   ✓ ✓*        
Lead-based (Enterprise only)         ✓    
Submission-based ✓ ✓ ✓*       ✓
Placement-based ✓ ✓ ✓* ✓   ✓  
Job-based     ✓* ✓      

*The Update Company step requires CompanyV2 to be enabled.

Add the Update Step to an Automation

To add an Update step, open your automation in Bullhorn Automation and click the + icon to insert a new step. Select the Update step for the record type you want to update. The available Update step options depend on the automation type. Refer to the table above for details.

Set a Field to a Specific Value

Use Set a field value when you want the automation to write a fixed value to a record field. When the record reaches this step, the field you selected is updated to the value you specify.

To set a field value:

  1. In the Update step, select Set a field value.
  2. In the Field to Update picker, select the field you want to change.
  3. Enter or select the new value for that field.
  4. Click Save.

If the field is a picker that allows multiple values, you can choose to Add to Existing Values or Replace Existing Values. For text fields, the new value always overwrites the previous one.

Copy a Value from Another Field

Use Copy a field value when you want the automation to transfer the current value from one field to another. When the record reaches this step, the destination field is updated to match the source field's value at that moment.

To copy a field value:

  1. In the Update step, select Copy a field value.
  2. In the Field to Update picker, select the destination field.
  3. In the Copy Values From picker, select the source field.
  4. Click Save.

If the destination field is a picker that allows multiple values, you can choose to Add to Existing Values or Replace Existing Values.

Copy Company Address and Fields to Job Records (CompanyV2)

In job-based automations, the Update Job step supports copying the company's full address and other CompanyV2 field values directly to matching job record fields. This lets you automatically populate job location data from the hiring company's record, eliminating manual entry and keeping job records consistent.

This capability requires CompanyV2 to be enabled on your account. Contact your Bullhorn administrator to confirm.

Copy the Company Full Address to a Job Record

To copy the hiring company's full address to a job record:

  1. In the Update Job step, select Copy a field value.
  2. In the Field to Update picker, select Job Full Address.
  3. In the Copy Values From picker, select Company Full Address. This is the only option available when Job Full Address is selected as the destination.
  4. Click Save.

Job Full Address is only available as a destination field when using the Copy a field value action. It is not available with Set or Clear. If the company address contains null values in individual address components, those null values are copied to the corresponding job address fields.

Copy Other CompanyV2 Fields to Job Fields

In addition to full address, other CompanyV2 fields can be copied to matching job fields using the same Copy action. Field types must be compatible -- for example, a text field on the company record can be copied to a text field on the job record. Supported field types include text, date, boolean, and integer.

To copy a CompanyV2 field to a job field:

  1. In the Update Job step, select Copy a field value.
  2. In the Field to Update picker, select the job field you want to write to.
  3. In the Copy Values From picker, select the CompanyV2 field you want to read from. CompanyV2 fields appear in this picker for job-based automations.
  4. Click Save.

CompanyV2 fields are only available in the Copy Values From picker in job-based automations. Field types must match between source and destination (for example, text to text, date to date).

Clear a Field Value

Use Clear a field value when you want the automation to remove the current value from a field entirely. When the record reaches this step, the field is cleared. This action cannot be undone automatically.

To clear a field value:

  1. In the Update step, select Clear a field value.
  2. In the Field to Update picker, select the field you want to clear.
  3. Click Save.

Fields the Update Step Cannot Set or Clear

The following fields cannot be Set or Cleared using the Update step. Updating these fields incorrectly could cause data integrity issues:

  • Mobile
  • Email
  • Individual Job Address fields (street, city, state, postal code, country)

Individual Job Address fields cannot be Set or Cleared using the Update step. However, Job Full Address can be written using the Copy a field value action in job-based automations with CompanyV2 enabled. See Copy Company Address and Fields to Job Records above.

Picker:Internal fields: If you use the Update Company step to write to a customText field configured as Picker:Internal, the ATS record overview shows the internal ID instead of the display name. For example, the field may show 2201 instead of John Doe. Clicking Edit on the record shows the correct label.

To display the name correctly in the overview, configure the field as Picker:Text:Internal instead of Picker:Internal.

Fix Common Update Step Problems

If Company Full Address is not appearing in the Copy Values From picker

CompanyV2 must be enabled on your account for company fields to appear in the Copy Values From picker. If you don't see Company Full Address or other company fields, contact your Bullhorn administrator to confirm whether CompanyV2 is enabled.

If Job Full Address is not available in the Field to Update picker

Job Full Address only appears in the Field to Update picker when you are in a job-based automation and have selected the Copy a field value action. If you've selected Set or Clear, Job Full Address will not appear. Switch to the Copy a field value action to access this field.

If individual job address fields are not updating

Individual job address fields (street, city, state, postal code, country) cannot be Set or Cleared using the Update step. To populate job address data automatically, use the Copy a field value action with Job Full Address as the destination and Company Full Address as the source. CompanyV2 must be enabled.

If the company address is incomplete and the job record receives null values

If any address component on the company record is null, the Update step copies those null values to the corresponding job address fields. Review the company record in the ATS to confirm the address is complete before the automation runs.

Common Questions About the Update Step

Can I use the Update step to update fields on a different record type than the automation is based on?

Yes, in some cases. What you can update depends on the automation type:

  • Candidate-based: Can update candidate records only.

  • Sales contact-based: Can update contact records and company records (CompanyV2 required for company).

  • Lead-based (Enterprise only): Can update lead records only.

  • Submission-based: Can update candidate, contact, submission, and company records (CompanyV2 required for company).

  • Placement-based: Can update candidate, contact, company, job, and placement records (CompanyV2 required for company).

  • Job-based: Can update job and company records (CompanyV2 required for company).

Can I copy a value from a company record to a job record if my automation is not job-based?

No. CompanyV2 fields in the Copy Values From picker are only available in job-based automations. If your automation is based on a different record type, this feature is not available.

What happens if the source field is empty when the automation runs?

If the source field is empty or null, the Copy action writes a null value to the destination field, which clears any existing value in that field. Make sure the source record has complete data before the automation runs if you want to avoid overwriting existing values.

Can I update multiple fields in one Update step?

No. Each Update step updates a single field. To update multiple fields, add multiple Update steps to your automation workflow.

What is the difference between Set and Copy?

Set a field value writes a fixed value that you define when building the automation. Copy a field value reads the current value from another field at the time the automation runs and writes it to the destination field. Use Set when the value is always the same. Use Copy when the value should match whatever is in the source field at runtime.