---
key: use-the-automation-center
title: Use the Automation Center
audience: staff
section: automation
routes: ["/lifecycle-automation"]
permissions: ["lifecycle_automation.view"]
features: ["lifecycle_automation.core"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Open the Automation Center to see how many automations are running, what is waiting for approval, and where to go to turn automations on, review messages or read results.
keywords: [automatic follow-up, automated messages, reminders, auto text, auto email, workflow, automation home]
related: [start-an-automation-with-guided-setup, turn-an-automation-on-or-off, review-an-automation-approval, review-account-automation]
---

In the sidebar, open **Automation**, then **Overview**. The page address is `/lifecycle-automation`. The page heading reads **Automation Center**. It is the front door to everything Nova does automatically: reminders, follow-ups, review requests and the approvals they sometimes need.

## Before you start

- Your role needs permission to view automation. Without it the page says **Automation Center is unavailable**; ask your admin.
- The row of tabs under the heading (**Overview**, **Automations**, **Approvals**, **Messages**, **Advanced Rules**, **Analytics**, **Settings**) is the same on every automation page, so you can move between them without going back to the sidebar.

## Steps

1. Read the four counters at the top: **Visible automations**, **Pending approvals**, **Profiles** and **Delivered**. **Pending approvals** is the one to watch: a number there means an automated message is waiting for a person to say yes.
2. To switch an automation on or off, open **Automations**. See [[turn-an-automation-on-or-off]].
3. To deal with a waiting approval, open **Approvals**. See [[review-an-automation-approval]].
4. To start a new automation from a ready-made starter, press **Guided setup** at the top right. See [[start-an-automation-with-guided-setup]].
5. To work on one area of the business, scroll to **Domain automation hubs** and open the card you need, such as **Work Orders**, **Invoices** or **Quotes**. Each hub shows the automations for that kind of record and lets you pause them for a single customer or record.

## What you see

- **Recommended automation starters** lists the starters Nova ships with, such as **Work order reminders**, **Post-service reviews** and **Payment reminders**. Each card shows its trigger, its flow and the kind of message it sends. **Guided setup** on a card opens guided setup with that starter already chosen.
- **Automation surfaces** holds the same links as the tab row, with a one-line description of each.
- **Subsystem state** is a health readout for Nova staff. A status chip that reads healthy is all you need from it.
- **Domain automation hubs** links to the per-area pages: **Accounts**, **Work Orders**, **Work**, **Assets**, **Checklists**, **Invoices**, **Bookings & Activities**, **Lodging**, **Rentals** and **Quotes**.

## If something looks different

- **Guided setup** is missing: your role can view automation but not create it. Ask your admin for the permission to manage automation definitions.
- The counters show zero everywhere: nothing has been turned on yet. Open **Automations** and turn on the defaults you want.
- You want a plain on/off list without the extra detail: the **Automations** page has a **Simple view** button that opens **Customer Messages** (in **Settings**, under **Communications**).

[[route:/lifecycle-automation|Open the Automation Center]]