Automations
Recurring work that runs on your data without anyone starting it.
An automation is work that runs without being started manually. It fires on a schedule or a condition, reads the same modeled data as everything else in the platform, and delivers a result to a destination such as a Slack channel, an inbox, a file, or another system.
The three parts
Trigger. Most automations run on a schedule — weekly, daily, hourly, monthly. Others run when a condition is met, such as stock at a location dropping below a threshold or an account going inactive. An automation can also be run on demand.
Work. Every automation reads your models, so it uses the same definitions as your documents. What it does with them is either a fixed rule or an Operator task.
Output. Posting to a Slack channel, sending an email, exporting a file, or writing a value back into another system so a field calculated in Switchboard appears in the tool your team already uses.
Rules and agents
The difference between the two kinds of automation is how much is decided at run time.
A rule performs the same steps every time: given this input, take this action. Rules suit decisions that must be identical on every run — reordering stock when it crosses a threshold, for example.
An agent is Operator working towards a goal, such as reviewing last week's ad performance and recommending how to shift budget. The steps vary because the situation does.
Both read the same data. The choice depends on whether the task needs interpretation.
Common uses
- A recurring summary posted to a channel at the start of the week.
- A threshold check that would otherwise depend on someone remembering to run it.
- A report that is currently exported, pasted into a spreadsheet, and emailed on.
- A calculated field, such as an account health score, written back into a CRM on a schedule.
Run history and control
Every run is logged with the time it fired, what it read, what it sent, and whether it succeeded. Failures are surfaced rather than silent.
Automations that send externally are configured with your approval, and any automation can be paused.