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Automate docs post beta #93

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46f8f49
Expand FAQs for Speckle Automate
jsdbroughton Oct 13, 2025
28f8bdc
Revise introduction and capabilities of Speckle Automate
jsdbroughton Oct 13, 2025
3f58ae2
Update developers/automate/frequently-asked-questions.mdx
jsdbroughton Oct 13, 2025
70c7294
Update developers/automate/frequently-asked-questions.mdx
jsdbroughton Oct 13, 2025
64c5bf0
Fix link formatting for BuildWithSpeckle collaboration
jsdbroughton Oct 13, 2025
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180 changes: 126 additions & 54 deletions developers/automate/frequently-asked-questions.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -4,60 +4,132 @@ description: Frequently asked questions about Speckle Automate
---

<section aria-label="Frequently Asked Questions">
## Access & Plans

<AccordionGroup>

<Accordion title="Automate beta was available to all plans — has this changed?">
Custom-code Automate is now available only to Enterprise plans.
Talk to us to see if you qualify.
Premade Automations remain available from the Starter plan, with some restricted to Business plans.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Are Premade Automations still available without Enterprise?">
Yes. Premade Automations are accessible from the Starter plan and above.
Some are limited to Business plans.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I build and publish my own Automations without Enterprise?">
No. Only Enterprise workspaces can build and publish custom Automations.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I run Automations on the Free or Starter plan?">
Free plan: no.
Starter plan: yes, Premade Automations only.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Is there a limit to how many Automations I can run?">
No limits at this time.
</Accordion>

</AccordionGroup>

## Setup & Operation

<AccordionGroup>

<Accordion title="Do I still need GitHub to use Automate?">
GitHub remains the default creation flow using the wizard, while other VCS platforms are also supported.
Contact us while the documentation for each platform is in progress.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Does Automate require a dedicated Speckle Server?">
Automate runs only on Speckle-hosted servers, with app.speckle.systems as the primary environment.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I self-host Automate?">
No. Automate cannot be self-hosted.
However, Speckle Servers emit webhook events you can consume in external systems.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Where does my automation code run?">
In the Automate Execution Engine.
This is a separate infrastructure isolated from the running Speckle application and data storage.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How are Automations triggered?">
Automations can be triggered manually or automatically on new model publish events.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What do I need to get started with Automate?">
An Enterprise workspace and at least one Function repository connected through GitHub or another VCS.
For non-Enterprise users, start with Premade Automations to experience Automate workflows.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What happens to Automations I created during beta?">
Your code remains in the GitHub repository you used during beta.
Automations may stop running if they rely on Enterprise-only features.
</Accordion>

</AccordionGroup>

---

## Development & Sharing

<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="How much does Speckle Automate cost? Is it included in enterprise plans?">
- Automate compute usage is **free during the public beta**, allowing you to explore its capabilities at no cost.
- **Private Functions** can only be authored and executed within **Workspaces**, a paid feature included in Speckle's subscription plans.
- Automate is **fully functional during the free trial periods** of the Standard Plan, enabling testing before committing to a subscription.
- We're still finalising future pricing and welcome feedback from beta testers to shape our plans.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Is Speckle Automate faster than desktop workflows?">
- **It depends on your perspective.** Automate may not always run faster for individual tasks, but it excels in the bigger picture:
- **Reduced learning curve**: Instead of training every team member on specific software, reusable Automate Functions make workflows accessible to everyone.
- **Hardware independence**: Automate uses cloud infrastructure, freeing local machines for other tasks.
- **Continuous automation**: Automations trigger automatically on new model uploads, eliminating manual steps and enabling results to be ready while you focus on other work.
- By streamlining collaboration and task automation, Automate can significantly reduce overall workflow time and effort.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="What programming languages and SDKs are supported by Speckle Automate?">
- **Fully supported SDKs:** Python and C#.
- **Under development:** JavaScript/TypeScript and Jupyter Notebooks.
- Any language or software executable via **command-line instructions** can run in Automate, though using Speckle SDKs is recommended for seamless data interaction.
- For technical flexibility, Automate supports extending functionality with custom libraries, such as C++ or Rust, though support may vary.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Is Speckle Automate part of the Speckle Server? How do I install or access it?">
- Automate is a **separate service** relying on an available Speckle Server.
- While in beta, Automate is not open-source or self-installable. We are working to integrate Automate more tightly into the Speckle web application.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="What do I need to get started with Speckle Automate?">
Just a mindset that **automation is the future**!
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="How does Speckle Automate compare to Hypar, Viktor, or ShapeDiver?">
- **Purpose**: Automate automates complex, time-consuming tasks triggered on new model uploads, not real-time parametric modelling like Hypar or ShapeDiver.
- **Integration**: Automate builds on Speckle's Connectors, enabling seamless data exchange with tools like SketchUp, Rhino, Blender, and PowerBI.
- **Flexibility**: Automate supports any language or software while retaining Speckle's collaborative and open-source ethos.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Who can create Functions in Speckle Automate?">
- Function creation is currently **limited to within Workspaces** during this phase.
- Public Functions are those **authored or curated by Speckle** and made available for general use.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="How do Automations work on personal vs workspace projects?">
- For **personal projects**, Automations are fully configurable by the automation author.
- For **workspace projects**, Automations are configurable by project owners.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Who can view automation results in Speckle Automate?">
- **Any project viewer** can see results directly in the Speckle web application.
- **Workspace admins and project owners** can access the full history of prior automation runs.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Where can I get help or support for Speckle Automate?">
- Visit our [**Community Forum**](https://speckle.community/invites/Fbk5j1wbRW) to get assistance or share feedback about Automate.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="How would clash detection work in Speckle Automate?">
- While a **public function for clash detection** is not yet available, here's how it could theoretically operate:
- Automate would run clash detection **in the background**, analysing multiple models from various tools (e.g., Blender, Revit, SketchUp) without manual intervention. Results would be viewable directly in the web application, shared via links, or embedded in platforms like SharePoint or Notion.
- Results could also be retrieved into other tools via Speckle Connectors (e.g., PowerBI or Excel).
- Automate's API would enable integration with external workflows, allowing custom reporting and visualisation.
- This functionality would save time by automating repetitive tasks and simplifying collaboration across teams and platforms.
*Note: Clash detection is a theoretical use case until a public function is available.*

<Accordion title="What programming languages and SDKs are supported by Automate?">
Automate can run any command-line executable.
Speckle provides SDKs for C# and Python to simplify interaction with model data.
You can bring your own code stack, though support is limited.
Promising use cases may qualify for [#BuildWithSpeckle collaboration](https://speckle.systems/build-with-speckle/). Learn more or apply via the [BuildWithSpeckle page](https://speckle.systems/build-with-speckle/).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How do I share Functions or Automations with my team?">
When you publish a Function to your workspace, all project owners can deploy it as an Automation.
Results are visible to project Editors and Owners.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I see logs or debug failed runs?">
Yes. Logs are available within the Automate run details.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Are there usage metrics or performance analytics?">
Not yet.
</Accordion>

</AccordionGroup>
</section>

## Security & Support

<AccordionGroup>

<Accordion title="How secure is Automate when running my code?">
All configuration values are encrypted until runtime.
Results follow the same access model as Speckle data.
The execution engine is isolated from the Speckle app and vice versa.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Who can view automation results?">
Any project viewer can see results in the Speckle web app.
Workspace admins and project owners can view full run histories.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Will there be more Premade Automations?">
Yes. The catalog will expand continuously based on demand and collaboration with Enterprise clients.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I request a new Premade Automation?">
Yes. Requests are evaluated for broad user value, with Enterprise co-developments prioritized.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Where can I get help or support for Automate?">
Visit the [Community Forum](https://speckle.community/c/automate) for guidance and discussion.
</Accordion>

</AccordionGroup>

</section>

</section>
44 changes: 22 additions & 22 deletions developers/automate/introduction.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -5,25 +5,25 @@ description: Speckle Automate is a fully fledged CI/CD platform designed to run

<img width="1141" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bcbfdddc-1536-4142-bcbb-9fb5a899ceb5" />

As a software developer, you can [develop Functions](/developers/automate/create-function)
that others in your team consume in what we call [Automations](/developers/automate/create-automation).
From creating reports to running code compliance checks to wind simulations,
there is no limit to what you can do with Automate.

## Coming Soon

Our team will curate a set of **Public Functions** available to all users on
[app.speckle.systems](https://app.speckle.systems), which you can use to experience
the power of Automate.

<Note>
Speckle Automate has entered the public beta phase and is now
available on the Speckle production server: [app.speckle.systems](https://app.speckle.systems).
These docs are a work in progress and are updated regularly to reflect the latest
features and improvements.
</Note>

We are continuously improving the documentation. As Speckle Automate evolves,
there may be occasions when development temporarily outpaces the documentation.
If you have any questions, please contact us on the
[Speckle Community Forum: Automate](https://speckle.community/c/making-speckle/insiders-automate/27).
Speckle Automate is a CI/CD platform for model intelligence and data automation.
It runs your code automatically whenever a new version of a Speckle model is published,
enabling tasks such as validation, reporting, or data transformation to happen instantly.

As a developer, you can [create Functions](/developers/automate/create-function) that define what runs,
and package them as [Automations](/developers/automate/create-automation) for others in your workspace to use.

## Availability

As of **SpeckleCon 2025**, Speckle Automate is **fully released** and available to **Enterprise plans** on
[app.speckle.systems](https://app.speckle.systems).

A curated library of **Premade Automations** is available from the **Starter plan** and above, letting any user experience Automate without writing code.
Some advanced Premade Automations are reserved for **Business** or **Enterprise** plans.

## Capabilities

- Run custom code automatically when a model updates
- Generate reports or perform data checks without manual effort
- Deploy reusable workflows across multiple projects
- Integrate with GitHub or other version control systems
- Review detailed logs and results directly within Speckle