# Rippling AI automations

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.rippling.com/llms.txt). Every page is available as Markdown by adding .md to its URL.

> Use Rippling AI in automations to produce an output or drive downstream automation steps.

Source: https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/rippling-ai

## Overview

Rippling AI automations let builders run a natural-language Rippling AI prompt on a schedule or in response to an event. The prompt can use Rippling context, variables, skills, and connected plugins to produce an output or drive downstream automation steps.

A Rippling AI automation automation step can:

- Read structured context from the automation trigger or earlier steps.
- Use a prompt to reason over that context.
- Call approved skills or plugins when needed.
- Return structured output variables for later automation steps.
- Pause for human approval or clarification when the requested action requires it.

### Use cases

- **Front line week-ahead brief** - Generate a weekly frontline manager briefing on the workforce issues most likely to disrupt the coming week. Bring together upcoming staffing changes, absences, training and certification deadlines, first shifts, unresolved equipment or access issues, timecard exceptions, and pending approvals. Apply the company's playbooks to recommend the next steps and responsible owners.
- **Performance review coach** - During quarterly or bi-annual performance review cycles, help employees and managers draft reviews by applying company guidance, surfacing themes, organizing supporting evidence, and improving clarity and tone.
- **Low CSAT investigator** - When a low CSAT score arrives, summarize the preceding interaction, identify possible contributing factors, and prepare coaching questions for the representative's manager.

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## Requirements

- Once the Developer app is enabled for your company, you have access to Automation Studio. See [Permissions for the Developer app](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/permissions.md) for more information.
- The **Prompt Rippling AI** step is only available if your company has an active Rippling AI trial or subscription.

---

## Setup

### Configure the automation trigger

1. Create a new automation using one of these methods:
    - Open Rippling AI and select **Automations** in the top left corner of the chat history window.
    - Select **Tools** > **Automation Studio**, then select the **Automations** tab.
2. Click **Create** and select **Build manually**. The editor's instructions mode opens.
3. Select **Graph** in the top right corner to open graph mode.
4. Click **Choose your automation trigger**.
5. Select and configure your desired trigger.
6. After configuring your trigger, click **Select** to add it to the automation.
7. Optionally add qualifying filters here by clicking **+ Add condition**. For example, filter the automation to only run for people in a specific work location.
8. When you’re finished adding any filter conditions, click **Continue**.

### Define the automation step

1. In the left pane, locate the **Prompt Rippling AI** step and drag onto the canvas below the trigger.
2. Click on the prompt Rippling AI step you just added to open its settings and optionally name the step.
3. In the **Instructions** field, add your prompt. You can include variables, skills, and plugins for Rippling AI to use as part of the prompt.
    - To add a variable, click **Insert variable** or type: `{{`
    - To add a skill, click **Insert skill** or type: `/`
    - To add a plugin, click **Insert plugin** or type: `$`
4. Optionally add **Attachments** for Rippling AI to reference as part of the prompt. Keep in mind that Rippling AI is a natural language-based interface and cannot look at videos.
5. Optionally define **Output variables**. This is helpful for creating structured information you can use in downstream steps of the automation. For example, if your prompt is analyzing a request, you can tell Rippling AI to create a boolean variable that indicates whether or not the request is urgent. To create a variable:
    - Click **Add output variable**.
    - Add the **Variable name**.
    - Select the **Variable type**, such as text, boolean, date, etc.
    - In the **Instructions for Rippling AI** field, provide a one-sentence description of the variable you want it to create. For example, “Indicate whether or not this request is urgent.”
    - Click **Apply** to save the variable.
6. If the automation was triggered from a Slack message, check the box to indicate whether you want Rippling AI to **reply in the Slack thread**. Rippling AI will post in the thread with its response. Note that you must have the Slack plugin connected for Rippling AI to be able to post a reply.
7. Click **Continue** to save the step.
8. Add any other steps you need to the automation by dragging them onto the canvas.
9. When you’re ready to publish your automation, click **Save** > **Save and publish**. To activate the automation so it goes live right away, click **Activate this automation**. The automation is published.

> **Rippling:**
> An automation needs to be both **published and activated** in order to run successfully. You can publish an automation without activating, and activate later using the "Status" toggle on the **Automation Studio** > **Automations** tab. For more information, see [Automation statuses](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/statuses.md).

### Find saved Rippling AI prompt automations

After you create an automated Rippling AI prompt, you can locate it in two places:

- In the **Automations** section of the Rippling AI chat window. Note that this list only shows automations that meet both of these criteria:
    - Include a step to prompt Rippling AI.
    - Have triggered at least once.
- In Automation Studio on the Automation tab.

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## How Slack messages sent from a Rippling AI prompt appear

If a prompt results in a Slack message being sent, it will be sent from either the Rippling AI Slack app (@RipplingAI) or the automation owner, depending on the prompt.

| Configuration | Message destination | Who the message comes from |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prompt is triggered by an incoming Slack message or reaction and **Reply in thread** is selected | As a reply in the same thread as the triggering message | @RipplingAI |
| Prompt says to send a Slack message to "me" | DM to the automation owner in the same conversation as the automation execution | @RipplingAI |
| Prompt says to send a Slack message to a channel or multiple people | Depends on the instructions in the prompt; this may be a new message in a channel, group DM, or multiple DMs | The automation owner’s Slack account, through their connected Slack plugin |

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## Automations that require human input

When an automation runs a Rippling AI prompt, there will be times when a human needs to intervene before the automation can complete. This is typically for two reasons:

1. Rippling AI needs approval before taking a write action or a plugin action that hasn't already been set to auto-approve.
2. Rippling AI needs clarification before it can proceed.

When human input is required, the automation will pause until it is received. Note that the approval is routed based on how the automation was triggered:

- If the automation was triggered from Slack, the approval request is sent to the Slack thread where the automation was invoked. Only the automation owner can approve the request.
- If the automation was not triggered from Slack, then the approval request is sent to the automation owner in the Rippling AI chat thread.’

### Review paused automations & provide approval

To see whether any automations require human intervention from within Rippling AI chat, follow these steps:

1. Open Rippling AI and select **Automations** in the top left corner of the chat history window.
2. Review the list of automations. Automations that require intervention display a red dot indicating it needs attention.
3. Click on the automation to review its execution history. Execution runs that require intervention also display a red dot indicating they need attention.
4. Click on an execution run to open the chat conversation.

Follow the prompts to answer the question or provide the approval needed. If approval is required, you can provide one-time approval by clicking **Approve**, or you can tell Rippling AI to always approve that type of action by selecting **Always approve for this automation**.

When you select the option to always approve, Rippling AI will take the action during automations without stopping to ask for your approval. You can revoke auto-approval using these steps:

1. Open **Tools** > **Automation Studio**.
2. On the **Dashboard** tab, find the automation and click the arrow at the end of the row to open its details.
3. Select the **Settings** tab > **Action approvals** sub-tab.
4. There is one row for each action type you’ve opted to automatically approve. The "Scope" column shows:
    - A chip for each automation where you’ve opted to always approve.
    - The text **Always approve** for any plugins to which you’ve given approval across all uses.
5. Revoke approval for the action:
    - To revoke approval for one automation, click the X on the chip to remove it.
    - To revoke approval for all automations, click the minus sign (-) at the end of the row.

Once approval is revoked, Rippling AI will pause and ask for your approval the next time it attempts to take the action.

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## What happens to automated prompts after a Rippling AI trial ends

After a Rippling AI trial concludes, if your company does not subscribe, automations that include a step to prompt Rippling AI will fail at that step. After a few attempts, the automation will be deactivated automatically.

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## See also

- [Get started with automations](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/get-started.md)
- [Automation permissions](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/permissions.md)
- [Filter conditions](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/filter-conditions.md)
- [Automation steps](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/steps.md)
- [Trigger an automation using a webhook](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/trigger-workflow.md)
- [Automation troubleshooting](https://developer.rippling.com/documentation/rippling-platform/developer/workflows/troubleshooting.md)