Before Stax.ai CX creates any projects, the launch wizard runs a set of checks called the pre-flight. It looks for problems that would leave a project broken, like a task with nobody assigned or an email that can't send. You see every problem up front, while it's still easy to fix, instead of finding out after the projects are live.
Overview
The pre-flight check runs on the Validate step of the launch wizard. It tests your project template against every company, plan, or deal you picked, the same way the real launch will. Each problem it finds is either a blocker, which stops the launch until you fix it, or a warning, which you can review and launch past. This helps anyone who launches projects from a template, from a single onboarding project to an annual launch across hundreds of plans.
Key benefits
No more silently broken projects. If a template assigns a task to a company's Manager role and one company has no Manager, CX tells you before the launch. Without the check, that company's task would be created with nobody assigned, and it could sit unnoticed.
Problems are named by company and task. When you launch to 50 plans, you don't have to guess which one is the problem. Each finding shows the company, plan, or deal and the task it affects.
Fix many issues right in the wizard. Missing an internal role? Assign it from the Validate step. CX re-runs the checks for you as soon as you do.
Emails go out the way you expect. CX checks that each email has a connected sender and recipients with real email addresses, so client requests don't quietly fail to send.
How the pre-flight check works
The launch wizard has five steps: Targets, Data, Details, Validate, and Timing. The checks run when you move from Details to Validate.
Go to Library > Projects and open the project template you want to launch.
Click Launch. The launch wizard opens on the Targets step.
Choose your targets (companies, plans, or deals) and click Next.
On the Data step, fill in the project data fields. Click Next.
Tip: A field marked Recommended is one an automation in this template needs, and no earlier task will fill it. Fill these in now to avoid a blocker later.
On the Details step, choose the Project Lead and an optional Due Date. a. If you're launching to plans, decide whether to check Associate these projects with a plan-year project. (See "Plan Year problems" below.) b. Click Next. CX shows "Validating template and targets..." while the checks run.
Review your results on the Validate step. You'll see one or more of these:
These problems will stop the launch (blockers). Next stays off until every blocker is fixed.
Worth checking before you launch (warnings). Read each one, then check I understand and want to launch anyway. to turn Next on.
Validation complete. This launch is ready. Nothing was found. You're good to go.
Fix any blockers. (See "Resolving common issues" below.)
Click Next to go to Timing, then click Launch or Schedule Launch.
What the pre-flight checks
Blockers (these stop the launch):
What CX Checks | What you'll see |
Every task has someone assigned for each target | "This task would launch unassigned: its assignee does not resolve for this target." |
The project lead resolves to a person | "This project would launch with no lead, and every task that follows the lead would be created unassigned." |
Linked values can be read | "This linked expression cannot be read" |
Each plan or deal belongs to a company | "This plan has no company, so none of the template's client roles can be assigned." |
Required automation settings are filled in | "This task's automation(s) need [setting[, and the template leaves it empty." |
Linked automation settings have a value for each target | "This task's automation needs [field], and nothing in this launch fills it." |
Data an automation needs will there when it runs | "This task's automation needs [field], and nothing in this launch fills it." |
The plan year is a real year (plan launches) | "Plan year is blank or not a year. Launching projects for plans fails until it is a year such as 2026." |
Plan-year association has everything it needs | "To associate these projects with a plan-year project, ad a task that logs its completion to the plan year." |
Note: Role checks follow plan assignments. If a company's only Manager is assigned to a different plan, that Manager doesn't count for this plan, and CX flags it.
Warnings (review, then launch if you're comfortable):
What CX Checks | What you'll see |
The email sender's account is connected | "[Name]'s email account is not connected, so this task's email will not send until they reconnect it. |
Each email has someone to send to | "This task's email has nobody to send to". or "A recipient of this task's email resolves to nobody with an email address for this target." |
Recipients are real email addresses | " A recipient of this task's email resolves to "[value]", which is not an email address." |
Contacts who opted out of email | "The [role] contact is set not to receive emails, but this task will email them anyway." |
Your team's branding is set up for sending | "Emails from this launch will not send until your team's display name and color are set in Settings." |
The template isn't email only | "Every task in this template sends an email. A bulk email is more reliable for this." with an Open bulk emails link. |
Targets that already have this project | "[X] of [Y] targets already have an unfinished project from this template. Launching creates another one for each." |
Plan year is filled in (no plan year association) | "This launch has no plan year, so milestone completion dates are logged to last year's plan year record. |
Plan year logging on a non-plan launch | "This template logs completion to a plan year, b ut this launch is not for plans, so those dates will be logged to the project instead." |
Targets CX couldn't check ahead of time | Shown when targets come from a filter or a launch file, or when a launch has more than 1,000 targets |
Note: Problems on tasks inside a conditional branch show as warnings, not blockers. Those tasks are only created when the branch's conditions are met, so they shouldn't stop the launch for everyone else.
Resolving common issues
A task or the project lead "does not resolve for this target"
Why it happens: The template assigns the task (or the lead) to a role, like the company's Manager, and that company doesn't have anyone in that role. It can also happen when the person in that role is assigned to a different plan.
How to fix it:
Look under the finding to see which company or plan is affected.
If you see an Assign [role] picker, select a user. CX assigns the role on that company and re-runs the checks. The blocker clears.
If you see "Add a [role] on the company's profile," click company's profile. It opens in a new tab. Add the contact or external role there.
Back in the wizard, click Back, then Next to re-run the checks.
Tip: If you leave the Project Lead blank, CX uses you as the lead. A lead problem usually means the lead is linked to a role, like the company's Manager. You can also pick a specific person on the Details step.
"This linked expression cannot be read"
Why it happens: A linked value in the template is broken. The most common cause is a linked value that got split across two lines.
How to fix it:
Note the task named under the finding.
Open the project template in a new tab and find that task.
Remove the broken linked value and insert it again from the picker. Save the template.
Return to the wizard and click Back, then Next to re-run the checks.
"This plan has no company"
Why it happens: The plan or deal isn't connected to a company, so CX can't find anyone in the template's client roles.
How to fix it: Open the plan or deal, connect it to the right company, and re-run the checks. Or remove that target on the Targets step.
"This task's automation needs [setting]..."
Why it happens: An automation on that task has a required setting that is empty, or that is linked to something that's blank for this target (for example, a company field with no value).
How to fix it:
Open the project template and find the task named under the finding.
Open the task's automation settings and fill in the required setting.
If the setting is linked to company or plan data, fill in that data on the company or plan record.
Re-run the checks.
"...nothing in this launch fills it"
Why it happens: An automation needs a project data field, and no value was given at launch. No earlier task in the project fills it either.
How to fix it:
Click Back to the Data step.
Find the field named in the finding. It shows a Recommended badge.
Enter a value and click Next until you return to Validate.
Plan Year problems
When you launch to plans, you'll see Associate these projects with a plan-year project on the Details step. It's checked for you when the template already logs task completion to a plan year.
If it's checked, you need both a Plan Year on the Data step and at least one task that logs its completion to the Plan Year. If either is missing, the launch stops.
If it's unchecked and there's no Plan Year, you'll get a warning. Completion dates would be logged to last year's plan-year record.
If Plan Year has a value, it must be a year, like 2026. A blank or a word like "soon" stops the launch.
How to fix it: Go Back to the Data step and enter the Plan Year as a four-digit year. If you need a logging task, edit the template so a task logs its completion to the Plan Year, or uncheck the association box if you don't need it.
Email warnings
Sender not connected: Ask the person named in the warning to reconnect their email in Settings > My Account. See "Connecting Email and Communication Tools."
Nobody to send to, or not an email address: Open the company's profile and check that the contact role used in the email exists and has a valid email address.
Contact opted out of email: Decide if this person should get the email. If not, change the recipient in the template.
Team branding missing: Check Settings > Branding. If the warning stays, contact Stax.ai support to finish your team's branding setup.
Email-only template: Click Open bulk emails and send it as a bulk email. Bulk emails send from a verified domain instead of one person's mailbox, and they stop if a recipient can't be resolved.
"The launch checks could not run"
This means CX couldn't finish the checks, often because of a brief connection issue. You can continue. CX runs the same checks again when you click Launch, and if they still can't run, the launch goes ahead without them.
Form 5500 filing templates
Templates tagged for 5500 filings have two extra checks when you click Launch:
"All plans must have a client to launch a 5500 filing project." Connect each plan to its company.
"All clients must have a directory to launch a 5500 filing project." Set up the company's directory, then launch again.
You're all set! Once the Validate step says "Validation complete. This launch is ready.", your projects will launch with every task assigned and every automation ready to run.
When to contact support
Reach out to Stax.ai support if:
A blocker won't clear after you've fixed the issue and re-run the checks.
You believe a finding is wrong for your setup.
You see "The launch checks could not run" every time you launch.
When you contact us, include the template name, the target named in the finding, and the exact message you see.
Related articles
Creating and Launching Projects
Projects Overview
Creating Your First Automation
Connecting Email and Communication Tools
Sending Bulk Emails