# Can I do this assimilation? "Automation == State Machine"

**URL:** <https://forum.mautic.org/t/can-i-do-this-assimilation-automation-state-machine/24730>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [July 10, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/can-i-do-this-assimilation-automation-state-machine/24730 "2022-07-10T19:11:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xmontero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/xmontero/32/7499_2.png) [@xmontero](https://forum.mautic.org/u/xmontero)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/can-i-do-this-assimilation-automation-state-machine/24730/1 "2022-07-10T19:11:49Z")

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Can I think this way?

- Each automation is a “state machine definition”
- Each “box” of the automation is a “state”
- Each pair “automation x contact that enters there” is an instance of that state machine.
- Each contact can “only” be in one “state” for a given state machine.
- A contact may be “inside N state machines” but only once per machine (ie: a contact cannot be twice in the same automation).

Does this match 100% mautics behaviour? Or only 99% and I’m missing nuances?

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**Author:** ![joeyk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/joeyk/32/11164_2.png) [@joeyk](https://forum.mautic.org/u/joeyk)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2022, 5:29am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/can-i-do-this-assimilation-automation-state-machine/24730/2 "2022-07-11T05:29:43Z")

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> Can I think this way?
> 
> - Each automation is a “state machine definition”

Yes, each campaign can be understood this way.

> - Each “box” of the automation is a “state”

Yes. Kinda.

> - Each pair “automation x contact that enters there” is an instance of that state machine.

Yes.

> - Each contact can “only” be in one “state” for a given state machine.

No, each conact can be in multiple automations.

> - A contact may be “inside N state machines” but only once per machine (ie: a contact cannot be twice in the same automation).

Correct

> Does this match 100% mautics behaviour? Or only 99% and I’m missing nuances?

Your questions are really hard to understand, I believe Google translate is the culprit.