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Create and manage agent automations

Automations run agent tasks from a saved prompt and session configuration. Use them for work such as summarizing repository changes or triaging issues without starting each session manually. Run an automation on demand, on a recurring schedule, or, for cloud automations, in response to supported repository events. You can also start from a template or share an automation as a reusable file.

Run an automation locally when the task needs your development environment. Run it in GitHub's cloud Cloud automations is in preview and might change before it becomes generally available. Share feedback about Cloud automations (opens in new tab). when you want recurring repository work to continue while VS Code and your computer are off.

This article explains how to choose between local and cloud automations, and how to create, monitor, and safely manage them.

Prerequisites

Automations and cloud automation management are on by default. If Automations isn't visible in the sidebar, check that chat.automations.enabled Open in VS Code Open in VS Code Insiders is on. If Run in the Cloud isn't available in the creation form, also check chat.automations.cloud.enabled Open in VS Code Open in VS Code Insiders . Turning on these settings doesn't grant access to the GitHub service.

Choose where an automation runs

You can choose to run an automation locally or in the cloud based on your needs:

Option Choose it when Execution requirements
Local The task needs your local workspace, tools, or development environment. Keep your computer awake and the agent available for scheduled runs.
Cloud You want unattended repository work on a schedule or in response to supported issue and pull request events. Runs on GitHub, even when your computer is off. Requires an eligible repository and service access.

GitHub service plans, permissions, billing, security, and supported triggers can change independently of VS Code. Review GitHub Copilot automations before enabling unattended cloud runs.

Automations start a run when a trigger fires. They are different from cloud sessions, where you start an interactive task and reopen the same session to continue it. Creating a cloud session doesn't create an automation or schedule.

Create an automation

Choose local or cloud execution:

  1. In the Agents window sidebar, select Automations.

  2. Create a new automation or select one of the starter templates. Starting from a template prepopulates the prompt and schedule fields.

  3. Leave Run in the Cloud off.

  4. Enter a descriptive Name and a Prompt. Specify the task, its scope, and the output you expect. For example:

    Summarize commits on the current branch from the last 24 hours.
Group the summary by feature, fix, and maintenance work.
Include commit references and flag changes that might need documentation.
Do not modify files.

    If you start with a template, review and adapt its prompt before saving.

  5. Choose the workspace where the agent should work, or Chat for a task that doesn't need project files. The available agents depend on this choice.

  6. Choose an available agent and review other configuration options like the model and permissions. For a Git workspace, you can select New Worktree and a base branch when the agent supports isolation. Learn how to choose an agent and code isolation.

  7. Configure the Trigger to specify when the automation should run.

    You can choose between Manual or a recurring schedule.

  8. Optionally, in the advanced settings, enable or disable the use of customizations.

  9. Review your automation settings, and then select Create.

Screenshot showing the automation creation form with the prompt, workspace, session configuration, and schedule controls.

Caution

An automation can read files, run commands, and make changes according to its agent's permissions. Review the permission level before scheduling unattended work. Saving an automation doesn't bypass organization policies or guarantee that future runs won't need your approval.

Create an automation from chat

You can also create an automation by asking in a normal chat in the Agents window. Describe the task, where it should run, and its schedule. For example:

Create a local automation for this workspace that runs daily at 9:00 AM.
Summarize commits from the last 24 hours, grouped by feature, fix, and maintenance.
Return the summary in the session. Do not modify files.
Save the automation disabled so I can review it before enabling scheduled runs.

The agent creates the automation through the normal tool-approval flow. Review any approval request before allowing creation. Then open Automations to review the saved prompt, execution environment, schedule, and permissions before enabling scheduled runs.

Start from a template

Automation templates provide a starting name, prompt, and schedule that you can review and adapt:

  • Built-in Templates contains templates included with VS Code.
  • Templates from Plugins contains templates from enabled Agent Plugins. Each template shows a Plugin badge and its source plugin.

The template sections start expanded when you have no saved automations and collapsed when you have saved automations. A blue marker on Templates from Plugins indicates that an enabled plugin contributed a new template. Expand the section to clear the marker.

Select a template to open it in the New Automation dialog. Review the prompt and schedule, and then choose the workspace, agent, model, permissions, and isolation. The Enabled checkbox is cleared by default. Select it only after you review the complete configuration, and then select Create.

Disabling a plugin removes its templates from the view. Automations that you already created from those templates and their run history remain available.

Run and review an automation

Select Run now on the automation card. The automation starts an agent session, and its run appears under History.

Select a run in History to open its session. Review the response and any changes before relying on the task's output. If the session needs approval, review the request there. If a run fails, inspect its error and session before trying again.

Each run uses the selected agent and model, so account for recurring usage when choosing a schedule.

For a cloud automation, the automation card and its history update while a run is active and show whether the run is queued, running, completed, or failed. Select a run to open its session in the Agents window, review its output, and send a follow-up when available. A follow-up continues that run's conversation. It doesn't update the automation's saved prompt or future triggers.

Select Refresh to retrieve changes made on GitHub. On a run, use Open on GitHub to review or manage it there, or if the session isn't available in the editor yet. If a run reports Needs input on GitHub, open it on GitHub to respond.

Set a recurring schedule

After checking the first run, select the automation's name to edit it. Choose a schedule from Trigger, keep Enabled selected, and select Save.

Schedule When it runs
Manual Only when you select Run now.
Hourly (local only) Every hour.
Daily At the selected Time each day.
Weekly At the selected Time on the selected Day of week.

Daily and weekly times are displayed in your local time zone. Cloud schedules are stored in UTC. Review the saved time when your local UTC offset changes, such as after a daylight saving time change.

Cloud automations support Manual, Daily, and Weekly triggers. For daily and weekly cloud schedules, select a time with minutes set to 00, 15, 30, or 45.

For local automations, keep these execution requirements in mind:

  • Keep the machine that runs the automation awake and its agent available. Agent Host-backed schedules require a running Agent Host process. Other schedules require a running VS Code window. Don't assume that local automations continue after you quit the application.
  • After an interruption, a missed schedule can trigger a catch-up run. Don't rely on every missed occurrence being replayed.
  • An automation runs one session at a time. Another scheduled occurrence doesn't start a parallel run of the same automation.

Cloud schedules run on GitHub rather than through your local scheduler. You can close the Agents window or turn off your computer without stopping the schedule.

Run on repository events

Instead of a schedule, a cloud automation can respond to events advertised by GitHub for your account and repository:

  1. Create or edit a cloud automation and set Trigger to Issue or Pull Request, when available.

  2. Choose the event or pull request events to respond to. For example, respond when an issue receives a label or a pull request review is submitted. Available events depend on GitHub's trigger catalog.

  3. Expand Advanced to configure the filters available for the selected event. The fields, allowed values, and required fields depend on GitHub's trigger catalog.

    Field Use it to
    Query Limit which issues or pull requests match.
    Comment text Filter by text in the triggering comment.
    Labels added Match labels added to an issue or pull request.
    Assignees Filter by assignees associated with the event.
    Changed paths Limit triggering to matching file paths in a pull request.
    Review states Filter by pull request review states.

  4. Under Trigger activity, select Include activity from users without write access to this repository to let these users trigger runs. Clear it to restrict triggers to users with write access. Repository settings can keep this option cleared and unavailable, with Disabled by your repository settings shown. Review the security considerations before including activity from users without write access.

  5. Review the prompt and allowed tools for the selected event, then save the automation with Enabled selected.

Test with a controlled event in a repository where you can safely inspect the outcome. Event-triggered automations don't show Run now. To test the prompt manually first, create a separate automation with a Manual trigger.

If an existing automation uses triggers or fields that the editor doesn't support, those trigger controls are read-only. Other supported changes preserve the triggers. Use Open on GitHub to manage the unsupported trigger configuration.

Share an automation

Export a local automation as a .automation.md file to reuse it on another machine or share it with someone else. The file is readable Markdown with YAML frontmatter and contains only portable information:

  • Name and prompt.
  • Manual, hourly, daily, or weekly schedule.
  • File format version and portable identifier.

The file doesn't include the workspace, provider, model, permissions, enabled state, or run history. The person who imports the file chooses these options locally.

Cloud automations don't offer Export. Manage their definitions and triggers on GitHub rather than relying on an exported .automation.md file to reproduce them.

Export an automation

  1. On the automation card, select More Actions > Export.

  2. Choose where to save the proposed .automation.md file.

You can open the exported file in an editor to review its prompt and schedule before you share it.

Import an automation

  1. Select Import Automation in the Automations view, and then choose a .automation.md file. You can also drag one .automation.md file anywhere over the view.

  2. In the New Automation dialog, review the imported name, prompt, and schedule.

  3. Choose the workspace, agent, model, permissions, and isolation for the automation.

  4. The Enabled checkbox is cleared by default. Select it only after you review the complete configuration, and then select Create.

VS Code rejects unsupported files instead of silently changing their schedule or importing execution permissions.

Manage an automation

  • Edit: select the automation's name, update its supported fields, and select Save. A cloud automation's repository and Owner can't change after creation. Create another automation to use a different repository or owner, and disable the original if it should no longer run.
  • Enable or disable future runs: select More Actions > Enable or Disable. Disabling an automation doesn't stop a run already in progress.
  • Duplicate: select More Actions > Duplicate, review the copy in the New Automation dialog, and select Create. Duplicate event-triggered cloud automations on GitHub to preserve their complete configuration.
  • Stop an active run: select Stop for the run in History when available. This requests cancellation, not a rollback of completed actions.
  • Export (local only): select More Actions > Export. For more information, see Share an automation.
  • Open on GitHub (cloud only): select More Actions > Open on GitHub to open the automation definition. Use this action on an individual run to open that run instead.
  • Delete: select More Actions > Delete and confirm. This permanently deletes the automation and its run history.

For cloud automations, edit, enable, disable, and delete actions update the automation on GitHub. Disabling a cloud automation prevents future scheduled runs but doesn't stop a run in progress. Deleting it removes the cloud automation and its schedule from GitHub. Select Refresh after managing an automation on GitHub to update the Automations view.

Important

Turning off chat.automations.cloud.enabled Open in VS Code Open in VS Code Insiders or chat.automations.enabled Open in VS Code Open in VS Code Insiders hides cloud automation controls in VS Code, but it doesn't stop schedules or event triggers that are already active on GitHub. Disable or delete those cloud automations before turning off the settings.

Cloud automation security and usage

Cloud automations perform unattended work with the tools you allow. Grant only the tools the task needs, use narrowly scoped prompts and event filters, and review a manual run before enabling recurring work. Don't assume that local approval or sandbox settings apply to GitHub's execution environment.

An Only me automation is private, but its run sessions and logs can be visible to people with repository access. Don't put secrets in prompts. Use the repository's supported secret configuration and review GitHub automation security and safety.

Scheduled runs, event-triggered runs, and follow-ups can consume service usage. Check GitHub automation billing and your organization's policies before enabling frequent triggers.

Troubleshoot cloud automations

Symptom What to check
Cloud automation creation is unavailable Check both automation settings, your GitHub.com account, repository write access, and service or organization eligibility. Turning on a setting doesn't grant access.
A repository isn't offered Use an eligible private GitHub.com repository. Public repositories and non-Git folders aren't cloud automation targets.
A saved automation is missing Check the signed-in account and selected repository. The view discovers automations in known repositories, not every repository in your account. Select the repository and then Refresh.
Run now isn't available Cloud automations must be enabled. Event-triggered automations run from matching events instead of Run now.
A trigger or tool catalog doesn't load Retry loading it and inspect the reported error. Don't replace saved tools or triggers with an empty selection to work around a load failure.
A run needs input or its session won't open Use Open on GitHub. If the session isn't available yet, refresh and try opening it again.
Work continues after turning off an editor setting Disable or delete the automation on GitHub. Hiding editor controls doesn't stop remote triggers or cancel an active run.

Cloud automation limitations

Cloud automation support in VS Code currently has these limitations:

  • Available repositories, event types, filters, models, and tools depend on GitHub service support and your account's permissions.
  • A cloud automation uses the cloud model and tool configuration. It doesn't accept local mode or approval settings, custom agents, or local MCP configuration.
  • Unsupported trigger configuration must be managed on GitHub. It isn't replaced when you edit other supported fields.

Next steps

10/28/2026