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

# Automations

> Schedule automated data reports and AI summaries delivered to Slack channels.

## What Are Automations?

Automations let you schedule the delivery of saved [insights](/features/insights) to Slack channels on a recurring basis. Instead of manually checking dashboards, your team receives formatted data reports - with optional AI-generated summaries - directly in Slack at the times you choose.

Each automation is called a **flow**. A flow consists of a **trigger** (when to run) and one or more **actions** (what to do).

## Creating an Automation Flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Automations">
    Open the sidebar and click **Automations**. Click **New Automation** to create a flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name and describe the flow">
    Give your automation a descriptive name (e.g., "Daily Sales Summary") and an optional description so your team understands its purpose.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the trigger">
    Set the schedule for when the automation should run:

    **Daily schedule:**

    * Select **Daily** frequency
    * Set the **time of day** (HH:MM format)
    * Choose a **timezone**

    **Weekly schedule:**

    * Select **Weekly** frequency
    * Choose the **day of week**
    * Set the **time of day** (HH:MM format)
    * Choose a **timezone**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a Slack message action">
    Configure what gets delivered:

    1. **Select Slack integration** - choose which connected Slack workspace to use
    2. **Select channel** - pick the channel where the message will be posted
    3. **Choose insights** - select one or more saved insights to include in the report
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure delivery options">
    Customize how the report is presented:

    | Option                      | Description                                                      |
    | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Include charts**          | Attach chart visualizations from each insight                    |
    | **Include tables**          | Include data tables with the raw results                         |
    | **Message prefix**          | Custom text to display at the top of the message                 |
    | **Mention users**           | @mention specific Slack users to notify them                     |
    | **AI summary**              | Generate an AI-powered summary of the data                       |
    | **AI summary instructions** | Custom instructions to guide the AI summary (max 500 characters) |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and activate">
    Click **Save** to create the automation. The flow is active by default and will run at the next scheduled time.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Use the **AI summary instructions** field to focus the summary on what matters to your team. For example: "Focus on week-over-week changes and highlight any metrics that declined by more than 10%."
</Tip>

## Managing Automations

### Active/Inactive Toggle

You can pause an automation without deleting it by toggling it to **Inactive**. The flow retains all its configuration and can be reactivated at any time. When reactivated, it will calculate and resume from the next scheduled execution time.

### Manual Runs

To test an automation or trigger it outside the normal schedule, use the **Run Now** button. This immediately executes the flow and delivers the results to the configured Slack channel, regardless of the schedule.

<Note>
  Manual runs do not affect the regular schedule. The next scheduled execution will still run at its planned time.
</Note>

### Execution History

Each automation keeps a history of past runs so you can verify deliveries and troubleshoot failures. The history shows whether each run succeeded or failed, along with details about what was delivered or what went wrong.

## Example: Weekly Sales Report

Here is an example of a fully configured automation:

* **Name:** Weekly Sales Report
* **Trigger:** Weekly, every Monday at 09:00 AM (America/New\_York)
* **Action:** Slack message
  * **Channel:** #sales-team
  * **Insights:** "Revenue by Region", "Top 10 Customers", "Weekly Order Volume"
  * **Include charts:** Yes
  * **Include tables:** Yes
  * **Message prefix:** "Good morning! Here is your weekly sales snapshot:"
  * **Mention users:** @sales-lead, @vp-sales
  * **AI summary:** Enabled
  * **Instructions:** "Compare this week to last week. Highlight the top-performing region and any regions that declined."

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Automation did not run at the scheduled time">
    Verify the automation is set to **Active**. Check that the timezone is correct - a flow set to 9:00 AM in UTC will run at different local times depending on your timezone.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Slack message was not delivered">
    Check the execution history for error messages. Common causes include: the Slack integration has been disconnected, the bot was removed from the target channel, or the selected insights no longer exist.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Charts are missing from the message">
    Ensure **Include charts** is enabled in the delivery options. If the insight does not have a chart visualization configured, no chart will be included.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>