An automation canvas is the editable workflow. Deploying it publishes a runnable project version. Placing that automation on the Tools page or Power Strip creates an independent deployment.
Publish the Canvas
An automation can be published when:
- The automation exists.
- It contains at least one tool.
- It has at least one tool-to-tool connection.
- Its connections do not form a cycle.
A single unconnected tool cannot be published as an automation.
Publishing uses the connected tools and their order. Document cards and canvas positions are not part of the runnable automation.
Canvas changes do not affect an already published version until you deploy the canvas again.
Add an Automation to the Tools Page
- Open the project that owns the automation.
- Open the Tools page.
- Select Add from Library.
- Open Automations.
- Select the automation and choose Deploy Automation.
The Project | Global switch changes only the inventory. Add from Library always places the automation in the open project.
Run and Inspect
Select the automation in the Project inventory to run it or inspect its connected Tools.
Run
Run starts the deployed automation. Its connected Tools run in the listed execution order and pass each result to the next Tool.
Current automation execution follows one sequence. Drawn fan-out, convergence, conditions, branches, and merge behavior are not executed as visual logic.
Connected Tool Settings
Tools in this automation lists connected Tools in execution order. Settings beside a connected Tool changes only that Tool inside this automation deployment. It does not change the reusable Tool or a deployment outside this automation.
Details
Details shows read-only placement and source identifiers for the automation deployment. Expanding it does not change the deployment.
Automation More Menu
More manages the selected automation deployment.
Rename
Rename changes this deployment's name. It does not rename the source automation or its canvas.
Duplicate
Duplicate creates an independent Tools-page copy with a (Copy) suffix. The copy receives independent connected-Tool deployments.
Remove from Tools
Remove from Tools removes only this Tools-page deployment. It does not delete the source canvas or reusable published automation.
Copy to Tools
For an automation selected from another surface, Copy to Tools creates an independent Tools-page deployment with independent connected-Tool configurations.
Changing a duplicate or copied deployment does not change the source automation, its canvas, or another deployment.
Input
A run uses explicit input supplied by the caller first. If none is provided, it can use a saved file or folder binding; otherwise it starts with empty input.
The current Automations page does not provide a binding editor. Re-publishing preserves an existing binding unless another workflow explicitly replaces it.
A Power Strip drop or browser capture overrides a saved binding for that run.
Re-Publish
Re-publishing the canvas:
- Recalculates tool order and connections.
- Updates tool names and deployment time.
- Preserves existing input bindings by default.
- Updates the reusable published automation.
- Does not overwrite independent Tools-page or Power Strip copies.
Current Limits
Keep beta automations to one clear sequence and confirm that every connected tool still exists.
The Tools page and Power Strip can own and run automation deployments. Ribbon, tool triggers, Mobile Dashboard, and ThinkForge MCP currently target individual tools rather than multi-tool automations.