> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mercora.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Automations > Standing instructions that run on a schedule or when something arrives. Any change they propose waits for a person. An automation is a job you describe once and Mercora runs for you, such as "Every weekday at 7:00, list the invoices that went overdue yesterday." It reads on its own, but every change it proposes waits in the Inbox for a person to approve. > [!NOTE] > > Available when the **Automations** module is turned on for your workspace. Ask your workspace admin. ## Create an automation **1. Describe the job** Click **Automations** in the sidebar, then **New automation**. Describe what it should do, for example "When a freight invoice arrives, check it against the rate sheet and propose the deduction", and click **Draft**. Or click **Start empty**. **2. Check the trigger and steps** Under **When it runs**, check the [trigger](#triggers). Each [step](#steps) reads as a sentence: click one to edit it, reorder with **Move up** and **Move down**, or click **Add a step**. **3. Set what it can use** For each data area, choose **No access**, **Read** or **Propose changes**. A draft never gets **Propose changes** by itself: it's shown as "Suggested" for you to accept. **4. Test, save and switch on** Click **Test** (see [below](#test-before-you-switch-on)), then **Save**, then switch it on. You can also draft one from a Copilot answer with **Make this an automation**. ## Triggers | Trigger | Starts a run when | | - | - | | **On a schedule** | A set time comes round: every weekday, day, week or month | | **When a document finishes processing** | A document of the chosen types is processed (by default, once it's matched to a trade) | | **Only when someone runs it** | Someone clicks **Run now** or asks the Copilot to run it | | **When another system calls** | Your system calls the Mercora API. See the [API reference](https://docs.mercora.io/api-reference/introduction.md). | | **When an email arrives** | An email matching your filters reaches the workspace's email inbox | | **When a Teams channel gets a post** | A post arrives in a channel an admin set to **Automations** | | **When a WhatsApp group gets a message** | A message arrives in a group an admin set to **Automations** | Document and message triggers only count what arrives after the automation is switched on. A message goes to one place only: once an email, channel or group feeds an automation, it no longer goes to Deal Capture. Only an admin can save an email trigger, and emails from registered freight carriers always stay with Freight Rates. Teams channels and WhatsApp groups are set up under **Settings → Integrations** ([Microsoft 365](https://docs.mercora.io/integrations/microsoft-365.md), [WhatsApp](https://docs.mercora.io/integrations/whatsapp.md)). ## Steps * **AI · work something out** does the job in its brief, reading what the automation may use. With **Can stop and ask** on, it may pause to ask the owner. * **Find a record**, **Update a record** (always asks first) and **Report a finding** (ends the run with an Inbox card) work on Mercora records. * **App actions** use connected apps, such as posting to a channel. Reading runs on its own; anything else asks first. Each action starts off until an admin switches it on in [Integrations](https://docs.mercora.io/integrations/overview.md). * **Ask someone to approve** or **Ask someone a question** waits for a person. * **If**, **Wait for** and **Tell someone** control the flow: carry on only when a value matches, wait for a time, document or callback, or leave someone a note. ## Test before you switch on **Test** runs the steps on real data, as you. Pick a recent document (such as Veltana's B/L RCLLCH2607841), API call or message to try it on. Reads are real, but any change is only shown as the card the approver would see, and the result ends with "Nothing was sent or saved". If you switch on without testing the current steps, Mercora asks first. ## Runs and results The **Runs** tab shows what the automation did. A failed run leads with the step that failed and why. On a finished run, **Continue in Copilot**, **Rerun** or **Save as PDF**. Editing a live automation saves a new version (see **Versions** in the ⋯ menu); runs under way keep theirs. Results land in the [Inbox](https://docs.mercora.io/documents/inbox.md) under **Needs you**: findings, failures, proposed changes and questions. A run that found nothing files nothing. ## Approve what an automation proposes Each proposed change is one Inbox item showing the change, the record, why, and the evidence. For example: move the due date on invoice KSS-INV-26-0288 to match the payment terms of contract VCS-P-2026-0688. * **Approve** makes exactly that change (**Approve and send** or **Approve and run** for anything leaving Mercora). * **Edit** lets you change the values, then **Save and approve**. * **Reject** changes nothing. Only the owner or a workspace admin can decide. A request nobody decides ends on the date shown on its card, and nothing changes. ### Approve from your phone If you switched on WhatsApp under **Settings → Notifications** and linked your number, waiting approvals and questions also reach your WhatsApp, each with a number. Reply with: | Reply | Does | | - | - | | `4` | Approves request 4 | | `4n reason` | Rejects request 4, with a reason | | `all` | Approves every waiting approval you can decide by number | | `4a`, `4b` | Picks a choice on question 4 | | `4 your answer` | Answers question 4 in words | A reply counts exactly like a click in the Inbox. See [WhatsApp](https://docs.mercora.io/integrations/whatsapp.md). ## Ownership and permissions A run acts as the automation's **Owner**: it reads only what the owner's role can, within the automation's areas. Under **More settings → Who can see it**, keep it **Private** to the owner and admins (the default) or share it with **Everyone in the workspace**. **Automations — management** lets a role create, edit and run automations; **Automations — results** lets it act on their results in the Inbox. See [Roles and permissions](https://docs.mercora.io/concepts/roles-and-permissions.md). From the ⋯ menu, **Switch off** stops new runs and **Archive** removes the automation from the list; its runs and decisions stay. Each workspace has a daily limit on automation runs; runs, tests and API calls beyond it are refused until the next day. ## Next steps * [The Inbox](https://docs.mercora.io/documents/inbox.md): where findings, approvals and questions wait for you. * [Copilot](https://docs.mercora.io/copilot/overview.md): draft an automation from a chat. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.