Compile a canvas or group into a versioned automation, inspect estimated Sparks, apply per-run/day/month limits, schedule or run manually, and operate live runs safely.
Where: Flowgen canvas or group → Publish as automation; dashboard → Automations.
Key ideas
- Publication freezes runnable structure: The automation runs without the app being open and links back to its source canvas/group.
- Cost is a range: The dialog shows a low/high estimate because cache, optional paths, and routing can change each run.
- Updates are versioned: Saving an update preserves the automation identity while creating an immutable runnable version.
Steps
- Open Publish as automation and verify whether the source badge says Preview or Live.
- Resolve every item under What is stopping this; use Show me to navigate to a blocker.
- Name the automation and review What each run costs.
- Choose On a schedule or Only when I run it and review the monthly projection.
- Set Per run, Per day, and Per month spending limits—or explicitly accept no limits.
- Choose the consecutive-failure auto-pause behavior and any approval threshold above one run cost.
- Choose Turn it on now or Keep it running and publish/save.
- In Automations, expand the row, pause/resume it, or choose Run now.
- Open a run to inspect every step and each cost; cancel an active run when necessary.
- Use the kill switch for an urgent global stop and follow the source link before publishing a corrected version.
Version behavior
- Updating can switch an automation off while saving.
- An unchanged source may reuse an existing compiled version.
- The overview shows run history, step status/cost, source project, schedule, and controls.
Tips
- Set a conservative per-run cap before enabling a frequent schedule.
- Use the step-cost view to find the real expensive branch rather than guessing from total cost.
Limitations and important notes
- An estimate is not a fixed quote.
- Changing the source canvas does not mutate an already published immutable version.
Troubleshooting
The automation cannot publish.
Open What is stopping this and use Show me for each unresolved connection, unsupported node, or required configuration.