nb automation

nb automation manages scheduled automation rules. Automations are agent tasks that run on a cron schedule, executing a prompt with optional tool access and skill matching.

Usage

nb automation <action> [name] [flags]

Actions

Action	Description
`list`	List all automations with status
`status <name>`	Show automation details and run history
`run <name>`	Trigger an immediate run
`pause <name>`	Disable an automation
`resume <name>`	Re-enable an automation

Listing automations

Show all configured automations with their current state:

nb automation list

NAME                          ENABLED  SCHEDULE                    SOURCE  LAST RUN   NEXT RUN
daily-summary                 yes      0 9 * * *                   config  completed  2026-04-15T09:00:00Z
weekly-report                 no       0 8 * * 1                   config  -          -

2 automation(s)

Pass --json for machine-readable output.

Checking status

View details about a specific automation, including its configuration and recent run history:

nb automation status daily-summary

Name:         daily-summary
ID:           auto_abc123
Description:  Generate a daily activity summary
Enabled:      yes
Schedule:     0 9 * * *
Source:       config
Run count:    47
Errors:       0 consecutive
Last run:     2026-04-14T09:00:03Z
Next run:     2026-04-15T09:00:00Z
Model:        claude-sonnet-4-6
Prompt:       Summarize yesterday's workspace activity and highlight anything that needs...

Recent runs:
  ID          STATUS     STARTED                    ITERS  TOOLS
  run_a1b2c3  completed  2026-04-14T09:00:03Z       3      5
  run_d4e5f6  completed  2026-04-13T09:00:02Z       2      3

Triggering a run

Execute an automation immediately, outside its normal schedule:

nb automation run daily-summary

Run run_x7y8z9: completed
  Started:    2026-04-14T15:30:01Z
  Completed:  2026-04-14T15:30:12Z
  Iterations: 3
  Tool calls: 5
  Result:     Here is the daily summary for April 14...

The run uses the automation’s configured model, skill, and tool access. It does not affect the next scheduled run.

Pausing and resuming

Disable an automation to stop it from running on schedule:

nb automation pause daily-summary

Paused "daily-summary".

Re-enable it:

nb automation resume daily-summary

Resumed "daily-summary".

JSON output

All subcommands support --json for structured output:

nb automation list --json
nb automation status daily-summary --json
nb automation run daily-summary --json

nb status — workspace overview including automation count
nb reload — reload config to pick up new automation definitions