Plan Availability | All plan types with varying history retention based on plan. |
Permissions | Administrators and Solution Managers: Can access all automation logs and receive error notifications. |
Related Reading |
What is Automation Run History?
The Automation Run History provides a real-time snapshot of an automation's past executions. It helps you track progress, measure performance, and troubleshoot any issues that occur during execution. The retention of run history depends on your plan type:
Free plan: 2 weeks
Team plan: 1 year
Pro plan: 2 years
Enterprise: 3 years
Signature: 3 years
Checking an Automation's Run History
Access the Automation:
Go to the Automation in question within your workspace.
Open the History View:
Click the History button in the Automation's interface.
Review the Run History Details:
The history view displays the following details for each run:
Start Time: When the automation started.
Status: Whether the run was successful or encountered an error.
Duration: Time taken to complete the execution.
Actions Executed: Number of actions performed during the run.
Use these details to monitor the automation's progress and identify any potential issues.
Automation Error Notifications
Error Emails for Administrators
When an error occurs in an automation, Workspace Administrators and Solution Managers receive email notifications. The email includes details about the error, helping you address the issue promptly. You will also receive a SmartSuite notification of the error.
Common Automation Errors
Here’s a table of common errors, their descriptions, and possible causes:
Error | Description |
Build record missing inputs | Field used as input in an action was deleted. |
Action inputs could not be generated | Invalid or missing inputs for an action, often due to deleted fields. |
Bad Gateway | Server didn’t respond. |
Gateway Timeout | Server didn’t respond in time or request duration was too long. |
Action Fail | Error from an external service (e.g., Slack, Twilio integration). |
Missing record ID in inputs | Record to be updated is not found. |
Invalid phone number | Twilio integration error due to an invalid phone number. |
Bad Request | Invalid data sent to the server. |
Unable to find choice: 'CHOICE' | Missing option in a Select-type field. |
No emails to send to | No valid email addresses were passed to an action requiring email output. |
Practical Use Cases and Scenarios
1. Monitoring Automation Success
Scenario: You want to confirm that a newly created automation runs as expected.
Solution: Use the Automation Run History to verify that all actions execute successfully.
2. Troubleshooting Errors
Scenario: An automation designed to notify team members fails.
Solution: Check the errors in run history details in the history view. If it’s due to missing inputs, update the fields used by the automation.
3. Identifying External Service Issues
Scenario: Notifications sent via Twilio fail to reach recipients.
Solution: The error run history details reveals an invalid phone number. Update the recipient information and trigger a new run.
Tips for Effective Monitoring
Regularly Check Logs: Especially for critical automations, review run history details to ensure smooth operation.
Address Errors Promptly: Use error descriptions to quickly identify and resolve issues.
Monitor External Integrations: Pay attention to third-party services integrated into your automation for potential errors.
For further assistance, refer to Common Automation Errors.