# Automations & agents

Use deterministic steps for predictable work and agents for instructions that need interpretation.

Open Automations & agents. An Automation follows explicit steps; an Agent interprets an instruction with the configured AI provider. Both belong to a workspace and source sheet. Start with a narrow goal, such as preparing follow-up work when a project becomes blocked.

## Configure and test

- Choose a manual, record-added, record-changed, or scheduled trigger. Add conditions; all must match.
- Set ordered automation steps: update fields, create a record, propose archiving, notify selected members, or prepare document drafts where configured. Use {{Column name}} to insert source values into supported text.
- For an agent, name the goal, fields, and permitted creation destinations. It cannot alter table structure, deploy more agents, or invoke arbitrary external services.
- Choose Review first or explicitly authorize Automatic changes. New helpers start paused.
- Inspect Test run carefully: it uses the configured control mode, so an automatic test may immediately apply permitted changes. Enable only after reviewing the result.

## Read run history

Runs show running, waiting for review, applied, no changes, failed, or dismissed. Review exposes actual operations and values. Apply commits the batch; Dismiss leaves records untouched. Refresh preview reruns against the current workspace revision. A provider error, invalid result, or revision conflict does not partially commit a run.

> **Always-reviewed operations** Archiving and other high-risk operations require review even when routine changes are automatic. Human-only rule transitions remain unavailable to helpers.

## Understand execution

Event triggers examine rows changed by that event; manual and scheduled runs examine matching active rows. The server and background worker must remain running. A restart dispatches one overdue interval rather than replaying every missed interval. Helper changes do not trigger other helpers, preventing recursive chains; put related work in ordered steps instead.

Pausing stops future event and schedule runs. Deleting a helper stops future work while preserving run history and existing records. If nothing runs, check enabled state, archived workbook state, conditions, provider availability for agents, and worker health.