# Create Your First Automation

Follow this guide to build an automation that writes a message to the application log whenever a content item is published.

## Prerequisites

* Umbraco Automate is installed and the database is configured.
* An administrator user (workspace creation and connection management are admin-only).
* Access to the **Automate** section in the backoffice.
* At least one publishable content item.

## Build a publish-triggered automation

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Step 1: Create a Workspace

The first time you open the **Automate** section, the dashboard shows a welcome panel because no workspaces exist yet.

1. Click **Create Workspace** on the welcome panel.
2. Enter a name, for example `Editorial`.
3. On the **Settings** tab, pick a **Service Account** and at least one **User Group**.
4. Click **Save**.

A workspace groups automations together and controls which user groups and connections have access.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 2: Create the Automation

1. In the tree, expand your new workspace.
2. Right-click the workspace and select **Create automation**.
3. Enter a name, for example `Log on publish`, and click **Create**.

<figure><img src="/files/lxvOFWtFT9NphflOuXzD" alt="The create automation modal with a name field."><figcaption><p>Creating a new automation.</p></figcaption></figure>

The new automation opens on the visual canvas with an empty trigger placeholder.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 3: Configure the Trigger

1. Click the trigger placeholder.
2. In the picker, select **Content Published**.
3. Leave the content types field blank to match all content types.
4. Click **Submit**.

<figure><img src="/files/oquihJPjS0g9Q71rYDKV" alt="The trigger picker showing categories of available triggers."><figcaption><p>Picking a trigger from the catalogue.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 4: Add an Action

1. Click the **+** button below the trigger.
2. In the picker, select **Log Message**.
3. Set the message to `Content "${ trigger.contentName }" was published.`
4. Click **Submit**.

The `${ trigger.contentName }` placeholder is a binding. The binding is replaced at runtime with the name of the published content item.

<figure><img src="/files/cY9V9MqoaSke2I9U1F49" alt="The Log Message action settings dialog."><figcaption><p>Configuring the Log Message action with a binding.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 5: Publish the Automation

Automations only react to events when they are published. Draft automations do not run.

Click **Save and Publish** in the workspace toolbar.

<figure><img src="/files/FttDm5QebAKrjoACAKrK" alt="The save and publish split button at the top of the automation workspace."><figcaption><p>Publishing the automation.</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Step 6: Trigger the Automation

1. Open the **Content** section.
2. Publish any content item.
3. Return to the **Automate** section and open the automation.
4. Switch to the **Runs** tab to see the run record.
5. Click on the **Log Message** step to inspect the resolved message and output data for the run.

{% hint style="success" %}
Your automation is working when the run appears in the **Runs** tab and the **Log Message** step shows the resolved message.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Next Steps

Read **Core Concepts** to understand workspaces, bindings, and connections.

{% content-ref url="/pages/YBqHvqxhNjTvWT1VRYUK" %}
[Core Concepts](/umbraco-automate/concepts/concepts.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

Then explore **Add-ons** to add triggers and actions for Slack, Forms, Commerce, and more.

{% content-ref url="/pages/xjMQMYQWwzTwL58PuJb6" %}
[Overview](/umbraco-automate/add-ons/add-ons.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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