> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autosana.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automations

> Schedule flows to run automatically on intervals, daily, weekly, or on new builds

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
* **Intervals**: Run flows at a custom interval (as frequent as every minute)

## Creating an Automation

### Step 1: Navigate to Automations

Click on **[Automations](https://autosana.ai/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

<Tip>
  Using suites is recommended because your automation automatically includes new flows added to the suite later.
</Tip>

### Step 6: Configure Schedule

Choose when and how often the automation runs:

**CI/CD Build Upload** - Runs when new builds are uploaded via CI/CD

* 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

**Interval** - Runs at a custom interval

* Choose from presets (5 min, 15 min, 30 min, 1 hr, etc.) or set a custom value
* 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:

1. Click the play icon (▶️) on the automation card
2. Confirm you want to run it
3. 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)
```

[Learn how to set up our CI/CD integration →](/ci-cd-integration)

### 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 at a custom interval (minimum 1 minute, maximum 1 week)
* Can start immediately or at a specific time
* Continues running until disabled

**Use cases:**

* High-frequency monitoring (every 1-15 minutes)
* Continuous validation (every 1-2 hours)
* Scheduled checks (every 12 hours)

**Example:**

```
Name: "Frequent Smoke Check"
Trigger: Every 30 minutes, starting at 8:00 AM PT
Suites: ["Critical Path Flows"]
Only run on new builds: Yes
```

## Best Practices

<Tip>
  **Use Suites for Automations**

  Automate suites rather than individual flows. When you add a flow to the suite, it's automatically included in all related automations.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Enable "Only Run on New Builds"**

  For daily/weekly automations, enable this option to skip runs when no new build has been uploaded since the last run.
</Tip>

## Next Steps

* [Set up our CI/CD integration →](/ci-cd-integration)
* [Learn about organizing flows with suites →](/suites)