Next Actions
Every opportunity in PR Tracker can track a next action — the concrete next step that needs to happen to move things forward. Combined with a due date and an owner, next actions ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
The Three Fields
Each opportunity has three next-action fields:
| Field | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| next_action | What needs to happen | "Send follow-up email to Sarah" |
| next_action_date | When it's due | "2026-04-10" |
| next_action_owner | Who owns it | "Adam" |
All three are optional, but they work best together. An action without a date is easy to forget. An action without an owner might not get done.
Setting Next Actions
"Set the next action on the TechCrunch opportunity to 'Send follow-up email' due Friday, owned by Adam"
"Update the Forbes opportunity: next action is 'Wait for article publication', due April 15"
"The Bloomberg pitch needs a next action: 'Schedule prep call with CEO' due tomorrow, owned by Lisa"
You can update just one field at a time too:
"Change the next action owner on the Forbes opportunity to Lisa"
"Push the TechCrunch next action date to next Monday"
Viewing Next Actions
See all next actions
"What next actions do we have?"
The list_next_actions tool shows all open opportunities with next actions, grouped by owner. This is your team's to-do list for PR work.
Filter by owner
"What are Adam's next actions?"
"Show me Lisa's next actions for this week"
Find overdue items
"What next actions are overdue?"
This shows all opportunities where the next_action_date has passed without the action being completed or the opportunity advancing.
Clearing Next Actions
When an action is complete, either advance the opportunity to the next stage or set a new next action:
"I sent the follow-up email to Sarah. Advance the TechCrunch opportunity to 'pitched' and set the next action to 'Wait for response' due next Friday."
"Clear the next action on the Forbes opportunity — we're waiting to hear back and there's nothing to do right now."
Example: Weekly Review
A weekly review using next actions might look like this:
Monday morning:
"Show me all overdue next actions"
Address anything that slipped. Then:
"What next actions are due this week?"
Plan your week around these items. Then check the pipeline:
"Show me our full pipeline"
Look for opportunities without next actions — those are the ones at risk of stalling:
"Which open opportunities don't have a next action set?"
Set next actions for any that need them.
Tips
- Be specific. "Follow up" is vague. "Send Sarah the user growth data she requested" is actionable.
- Set realistic dates. If you know you won't get to it until Thursday, don't set it for Tuesday. Overdue actions create noise.
- Always assign an owner. Even if it's yourself. When the team reviews next actions, everyone should know what's theirs.
- Update after every interaction. When you complete a call, send an email, or get a response, update the next action right away while it's fresh.
- Use the weekly review pattern. Reviewing next actions at the start of each week prevents things from falling through the cracks.