---
title: "Create Automations"
slug: "create-automations-1"
description: "Create an automation that runs an approved Action on endpoints, set its run options and defaults, and select the groups that can use it."
status: "update"
updated: 2026-11-05T08:25:42Z
published: 2026-11-05T08:25:42Z
canonical: "documentation.lakesidesoftware.com/create-automations-1"
---

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

# Create Automations

Create an automation to run an approved Action on endpoint devices from a tool schedule, Self-Help, Assist, Resolve, or Prevent. For what automations are and how they run, see [Automations Overview](/documentation/docs/automations-overview).

## Prerequisites

- Editing is turned on. Click the lock icon in the upper-right part of the screen. While the page is locked, it is read-only.
- The Action that the automation runs is approved and enabled at **Configure** > **Tools** > **Automations and Collection Extensions** > **Action Governance**. See [Approve and Enable Actions](/documentation/docs/approve-actions) and [Enable or Disable an Action](/documentation/docs/approve-actions#enable-or-disable-an-action).

You can create your own Actions, or you can import Kits that contain Actions. Some factory Actions are also supplied with automation definitions. To create your own Action, see [Create Actions](/documentation/docs/create-actions-1).

## Creating the Automations

1. Go to **Configure** > **Tools** > **Automations and Collection Extensions** > **Automations** and click **Create Automation**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(170).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)
2. Select the **Supported OS**: **Windows**, **Mac**, or **Linux**. No OS is selected by default, and you must select one. You can't change the OS after you save the automation.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(171).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)
3. Enter the **Name** of the automation. The name is required, has 1 to 100 characters, and must be unique across automations and collection extensions. It can't contain these characters: `' " ` - ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) + = { } [ ] / \ ? | : ; < > , .`

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(172).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)
4. (Optional) Enter a description of the automation, with up to 1,024 characters.
5. (Optional) Select a **Category** from the list. The default is **None**. The **Category** list shows **None**, the sensor categories, and the categories that other automations use. To add a category, click the **+** button to the right of the **Category** list. A category that you add with **+** is kept only when you save an automation with it. A category name can have up to 30 characters.
6. Click **Select Action**. It is available after you select the OS. A list of the Actions for the selected OS opens.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(173).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)

> [!NOTE]
> **NOTE**: To see the Actions for all operating systems, select the **Remove OS filter** check box in the lower-left corner, under the table of Actions.
7. Select the Action and click **Select Action**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(174).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)
8. Set the options of the automation. The options depend on the operating system.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/87d11426-6b1f-4b19-b593-b71e55a81af3/Images/Documentation/image(175).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T16%3A44%3A40Z&se=2026-11-08T17%3A44%3A40Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qisdhDanNsKlnNdUfoDf%2Fh5nMNpM6ukMbXd5cQIZXQA%3D)
  - **File To Execute**: The file to run. If the Action has more than one executable file, select the required file. If the Action has usage examples, **File To Execute** and **Arguments** are filled in from the first example. You can change them.
  - **Arguments**: If the Action has required or optional parameters, enter the arguments separated by spaces. If the Action has a required parameter, **Arguments** is required. The arguments can include sensor payload values in the form `@{<payload value name>}`, for example `@{ALM_ITEM}`, and static arguments, for example `-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned`. These characters are not allowed in an argument: `|` `;` `&`. Empty by default.
  - **Notify Prompt** (Windows only): The text shown to the user when a tool schedule runs this automation with the **Prompt** or **Notify** run mode. Empty by default.
  - **Additional Availability**: Select **Make available in Assist** or **Make available in Self-Help (Windows Only)**. Both are cleared by default.

> [!NOTE]
> **NOTE**: Actions that require arguments can not be used with automations that are published for Self-Help. If you provide an optional argument, that automation will not be available in Self-Help.
  - **Run As**: Whether **System** or the logged-in **User (Windows Only)** runs the file. The default is **System**. With **User (Windows Only)**, the automation does not run when no user is logged in.

> [!WARNING]
> **IMPORTANT**: Starting from version 11.7, relative paths no longer work for User-context scripts. Use absolute paths or registry-based resolution to load SysTrackPS.dll. For details, see [Loading SysTrack PowerShell Module in User-Context Scripts](/documentation/docs/loading-systrack-powershell-module-in-user-context-scripts).
  - **Execution Control**: How the file runs on the system. The default is **Immediately (async)**. With **Immediately (async)**, the **Runtime Limit** options are **None** (the default, no time limit) or **Cancel automation if not finished after** a number of **Minutes** or **Seconds**. The time field shows 1 minute by default.

With **After previous synchronous automations finish (sync)**, the **Runtime Limit** options are **Use Configuration-defined Max Execution Time** and **Only applicable if limit is less than Configuration-defined Max Execution Time**. By default, **Max Execution Time** in the configuration is 5 minutes. You can enter from 1 second to 5 minutes. A larger value is reset to 5 minutes. For example, if the max execution time in the configuration is 5 minutes, you can set a lower limit of 2 minutes.
  - **Order** (sync only): The order in which this automation runs when other sync automations start at the same time. Lower numbers run first. The default is 0. For example, if Sensor 1 triggers Automation A and Automation B, set Automation A to 0 and Automation B to 1 to run A before B.
9. Click **Edit Permissions**. In **Automation Permission Control**, select the groups that can use the automation, and click **OK**. A new automation has no groups.
10. Click **Save Automation**. To empty the form and start again, click **Clear All** and confirm.

## Check the Result

The new automation shows in the **Automations** table. Click its name to open the detailed view, check the settings, and click **View Permissions** to check the groups.

The automation runs on a system after the system reads the configuration that contains the new Action. To make systems read their configuration now, go to **Configure** > **SysTrack Settings** > **Administration**, select the systems, and run **Read Configuration**.

To run the automation when a sensor triggers, add it to a tool schedule. See [Tool Schedules](/documentation/docs/schedule-automations).

If the automation does not run or does not show where you expect, see [Common Errors with Automations](/documentation/docs/common-errors-with-automations-1).