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An Automation is a task OpenWork runs for you on a schedule, such as triaging your inbox every morning or sending a sales digest every Monday. Each run is a normal OpenWork chat you can open afterwards.

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Desktop and Cloud Automations

Where you create an Automation decides where it runs, for as long as it exists: To move an Automation from one to the other, create a new one in the other place.
A Desktop Automation only runs while the desktop app is open and signed in. If no desktop picks up a scheduled run in time, the run is marked Missed — desktop runner unavailable, and Run now says No desktop runner is online.

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Create an Automation

  1. In the OpenWork desktop app or in OpenWork Web, open Automations.
  2. Click New Automation.
  3. Write what OpenWork should do, and choose the model.
  4. Choose the Schedule:
    • Once, at a set date and time.
    • Daily, at a set time.
    • Weekly, on the days and at the time you pick.
    • Every few hours, between a start and end time on the days you pick, for example every 3 hours from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays.
    • Around my meetings, a set time before or after each meeting you accepted on your Google Calendar. You can limit it to Only meetings with people outside my organization. This one is for Cloud Automations only and needs Google Calendar connected.
  5. Save the Automation.
From the Automation’s page you can Run now, change it, Deactivate it (and Activate it again), or archive it.

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See your Automations in OpenWork Cloud

My Automations in OpenWork Cloud shows every Automation OpenWork is running or has scheduled for you, Desktop and Cloud alike. Click My Automations in the sidebar, under Work. Automations are grouped by what needs your attention first: Running now, Needs attention, Scheduled and Paused. Open one to see:
  • its schedule and where it runs,
  • its Run history, and each run’s Run receipt and result,
  • Cancel run for a run that’s still going.
My Automations is for keeping an eye on things. To create or change an Automation, use Manage in OpenWork Web for a Cloud Automation, or Manage in OpenWork Desktop for a Desktop one.

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For admins: where Automations can run

Owners, and others with Edit organization settings, choose which kinds of Automation the organization allows in Settings › General, under Automations › Where Automations can run:
  • Desktop Automations: members schedule work that runs on their own signed-in OpenWork desktop.
  • Cloud Automations: members and agents schedule work that runs in OpenWork Cloud, even when every computer is off. On a self-hosted deployment this needs the headless runner.
Both are on unless you turn them off. Turning a kind off stops new ones from being created and skips their scheduled runs. Existing Automations and their history are kept, and they resume when you turn it back on. Cloud Automations that use the cloud default run on the model chosen in Manage › Workbot.