Automations allow you to schedule flows and suites to run automatically based on triggers like new builds, time intervals, or specific schedules. This ensures continuous testing without manual work.
What is an Automation?
An Automation defines when and how flows or suites should run automatically. Automations can be triggered by:
- CI/CD Build Uploads: Run flows whenever a new app build is uploaded
- Daily Schedule: Run flows at a specific time every day
- Weekly Schedule: Run flows on a specific day and time each week
- Hourly Intervals: Run flows every N hours
Creating an Automation
Step 1: Navigate to Automations
Click on Automations in the sidebar.
Step 2: Click “Create Automation”
Click the Create Automation button in the top right.
Step 3: Name Your Automation
Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Nightly Regression Flows”, “Smoke Flows on Build”)
Step 4: Select an App
Choose which app the flows will run on.
Step 5: Select Targets
Choose what to run:
Option 1: Select Suites (Recommended)
- Check one or more suites to run
- Suites automatically stay up-to-date when flows are added or removed
- Best for organized, maintainable automations
Option 2: Select Individual Flows
- Check specific flows to run
- Creates a fixed list of flows
- Best for one-off or specific flow combinations
Using suites is recommended because your automation automatically includes new flows added to the suite later.
- Best for smoke flows on every build
- No additional configuration needed
Daily - Runs once per day
- Set time (e.g., 2:00 AM) and timezone (ET/CT/PT)
- Best for nightly regression suites
Weekly - Runs once per week
- Set day, time, and timezone
- Best for comprehensive regression before releases
Hourly Interval - Runs every N hours
- Choose interval (1-168 hours)
- Start immediately or at a specific time
- Best for continuous monitoring
“Only Run on New Builds” (Optional)
- Enable to skip runs if no new build was uploaded since the last run
- Saves resources on unchanged builds
- Useful for daily/weekly automations
Step 7: Review and Create
Review the summary at the bottom of the dialog:
“Autosana will run [flows/suites] on [app name] [trigger schedule]”
Click Create Schedule to activate your automation.
Managing Automations
Running an Automation Manually
To trigger an automation immediately:
- Click the play icon (▶️) on the automation card
- Confirm you want to run it
- View results in the Runs page
This is useful for testing an automation or running it ad-hoc.
Enabling/Disabling an Automation
Toggle the switch on the automation card:
- Enabled (blue): Automation will run on schedule
- Disabled (gray): Automation is paused
Disabling an automation keeps the configuration but prevents it from running.
Automation Triggers in Detail
CI/CD Trigger
How it works:
- Monitors for new app or build uploads via CI/CD API
- Automatically starts when a new build is detected
- Runs immediately upon upload completion
Use cases:
- Post-deployment validation
- Continuous integration pipelines
- Automated smoke flows
Example:
Name: "Smoke Flows on Build"
Trigger: CI/CD app/build upload
Suites: ["Smoke Flows"]
Only run on new builds: N/A (always runs on upload)
Daily Schedule
How it works:
- Runs once every 24 hours at the specified time
- Uses your selected timezone (ET, CT, PT)
- Calculates next run based on current time
Use cases:
- Nightly regression suites
- Daily health checks
- Morning or evening validation
Example:
Name: "Nightly Regression"
Trigger: Daily at 2:00 AM PT
Suites: ["Regression Suite"]
Only run on new builds: Yes
Weekly Schedule
How it works:
- Runs once per week on the specified day and time
- Uses your selected timezone
- Ideal for less frequent, comprehensive suites
Use cases:
- Weekly regression before releases
- Weekend validation
- Comprehensive flow suites
Example:
Name: "Weekly Full Regression"
Trigger: Monday at 9:00 AM ET
Suites: ["Full Regression Suite"]
Only run on new builds: No
Interval Schedule
How it works:
- Repeats every N hours from the start time
- Can start immediately or at a specific time
- Continues running until disabled
Use cases:
- Continuous monitoring (every 1-2 hours)
- Frequent validation (every 4-6 hours)
- Scheduled checks (every 12 hours)
Example:
Name: "Hourly Smoke Check"
Trigger: Every 2 hours, starting at 8:00 AM PT
Suites: ["Critical Path Flows"]
Only run on new builds: Yes
Best Practices
Use Suites for AutomationsOrganize flows into suites, then automate the suites. This makes maintenance easier—add a flow to the suite, and it’s automatically included in all related automations.
Name Automations ClearlyUse descriptive names that indicate what runs and when:
- “Nightly Regression - iOS”
- “Smoke Flows on Build”
- “Weekend Full Suite”
Enable “Only Run on New Builds”For daily/weekly automations, enable this option to avoid wasting resources running flows on unchanged builds.
Monitor Automation ResultsReceive email notifications with results for each automation run.
Common Automation Patterns
Pattern 1: CI/CD + Daily Regression
Setup:
- Automation 1 (CI/CD): Quick smoke flows on every build
- Automation 2 (Daily): Comprehensive regression suite at night
Benefits:
- Fast feedback on critical paths
- Detailed validation overnight
- Efficient resource usage
Example:
# Automation 1
Name: "Smoke Flows on Build"
Trigger: CI/CD
Suites: ["Smoke Flows"]
# Automation 2
Name: "Nightly Regression"
Trigger: Daily at 2:00 AM
Suites: ["Full Regression"]
Only run on new builds: Yes
Pattern 2: Hourly Monitoring
Setup:
- Automation: Run critical flows every 2-4 hours
Benefits:
- Continuous validation
- Early detection of issues
- Production monitoring
Example:
Name: "Continuous Monitoring"
Trigger: Every 2 hours
Suites: ["Critical Path Flows"]
Only run on new builds: Yes
Pattern 3: Weekly Deep Dive
Setup:
- Automation: Comprehensive suite once per week
Benefits:
- Thorough validation without daily overhead
- Time for longer, more complex flows
- Pre-release validation
Example:
Name: "Weekly Comprehensive Suite"
Trigger: Friday at 6:00 PM
Suites: ["Full Regression", "Edge Cases", "Performance Flows"]
Only run on new builds: No
Next Steps
