# Automations > Available on: Mac, Windows > Tier: Pro Exclusive Schedule a prompt once or on a repeating schedule and let Raycast AI run it for you, delivering the result to a chat so it's waiting when you need it. Automations run an AI prompt for you on a schedule. Write the prompt once, choose when it runs and where the answer lands, and Raycast AI does the rest. Wake up to a plan for the week every Monday, or get a summary of your unread messages each evening. Each run is a normal AI Chat message, so it can use your AI Extensions, MCP servers, and Skills just like you would. ## Get Started 1. Open **Settings → AI → Automations**. 2. Click **Plus icon Create Automation** and choose ** Create Manually**. 3. Give it a name and icon, pick the AI model, and choose whether to run in a ** New Chat** or pick an existing chat to continue. 4. Write the prompt. Type `@` to mention an AI Extension, MCP server, or Skill, just like in AI Chat. 5. Pick a [schedule](#schedules): **Once**, **Hourly**, or **Daily**. 6. Click **Save Automation**. You can also search **Create Automation** in Root Search to open the same form, or **Manage Automations** to jump to the list. > [!TIP] > Prefer to describe it in plain language? Choose ** Create with AI** instead, or type `@automations` in any chat and ask. Raycast AI drafts the schedule, destination, and prompt, then asks you to confirm before it's saved. ### Examples Not sure where to start? The **Browse Examples** library on the Automations settings page give you ready-made starting points, such as keeping your meeting memory up to date or reviewing your projects. Pick one and Raycast opens AI Chat with the setup ready for you to adjust. ## Schedules Automations run on your local device time. Pick whichever pattern fits: - **Once**: Set a date and time. The automation runs at that moment and is removed from your list afterwards. - **Hourly**: Runs **Every** 1 to 24 hours. Use the **Days** chips to limit it to certain days of the week. - **Daily**: Runs **At** a time you choose, on the **Days** you tick. Pick just Monday for a weekly automation, or Monday to Friday for weekdays. If an automation was created with a schedule that doesn't fit these patterns, for example one Raycast AI set up from a more complex request, the form shows a **Custom** option with the underlying cron expression instead. ## Where Results Go Every run is delivered as a message in AI Chat, marked **Automated by** the automation's name so you can tell it apart from your own messages. - ** New Chat** creates a fresh chat for each run, titled after the automation. Good for reports you want to keep separate. - **An existing chat** adds each run to the same conversation, so the model has the history of previous runs as context. Good for anything cumulative, like tracking a project over time. If the target chat is later deleted, the next run starts a new chat and the automation switches to it. If the target chat is archived, runs are skipped until you unarchive it. ## How Runs Work Raycast checks for due automations every minute while it's running, so your Mac or PC needs to be awake with Raycast open for a run to happen on time. Runs use the target chat's model unless the automation sets its own, and follow the chat's normal permission settings for tools. If a tool needs your approval or the model asks a question, the run pauses and waits for you, the same as any other chat. > [!TIP] > Turn on **Prevent Sleep During AI Runs** in **Settings → AI → Chat** to keep your computer awake while a run is in progress, so long automations finish. A few things Raycast handles for you: - **Missed runs**: If Raycast wasn't running at the scheduled time, the automation runs once at the next launch, however long ago it was due. Several missed occurrences fold into that single run, and the automation then carries on from its next scheduled time. - **Busy chats**: If the target chat is already generating a response, the automation waits until the chat is idle and then runs. Occurrences that come due while it waits fold into that one run, so you never get a backlog. - **No chained automations**: An automation can't create or change other automations while it runs. > [!NOTE] > Automations live on the device where you created them and don't sync through Cloud Sync. They run on that device only, and each device holds up to 20 automations. ### Notifications Turn on **Background Notifications** in **Settings → AI** to get a system notification when an automation finishes, needs your approval to run a tool, or is waiting on an answer from you. Notifications aren't shown if you're already looking at that chat. ## Manage Automations **Settings → AI → Automations** lists every automation with its schedule. Hover the Clock icon next to an automation's name to see its next run, or how long it has been overdue. Click **Actions menu** on an automation to: - ** Edit Automation**: Change the name, prompt, schedule, destination, or model. - ** Run Automation Now**: Trigger it immediately and open the chat it runs in. This is the quickest way to test a new prompt. If the chat is busy, the request is kept, even across a restart, and runs as soon as the chat is idle. - ** Disable Automation** / ** Enable Automation**: Pause it without losing the setup. Disabled automations appear dimmed with no next run. - ** Delete Automation**: Remove it for good. Raycast asks you to confirm. You can do the same from a chat by asking the `@automations` AI Extension to list, update, or delete your automations. ## Credits Each run uses the model it's set to, and is billed like any other message. Raycast AI models use your [AI credits](https://manual.raycast.com/ai/usage-limits), while models from [Bring Your Own Subscription](https://manual.raycast.com/ai/bring-your-own-subscription), [Bring Your Own Key](https://manual.raycast.com/ai/bring-your-own-key), [Custom Providers](https://manual.raycast.com/ai/custom-providers), or [Local Models](https://manual.raycast.com/ai/local-models) follow that provider's usage instead. Any tools the prompt uses count too, so a long-running automation with several tool calls uses more than a short one. ## FAQ ### How do I run something weekly or only on weekdays? Choose **Daily**, set the time, and tick only the days you want under **Days**. One day gives you a weekly automation; Monday to Friday gives you weekdays. ### What happens if my computer is asleep or Raycast isn't running? The run waits until Raycast is next running, then runs once, however late it is. If several occurrences were missed in the meantime, they fold into that single run, and the automation carries on from its next scheduled time. ### Can an automation use my AI Extensions and MCP servers? Yes. Mention them in the prompt with `@` and they're available to the run. Tools that need approval pause the run until you approve them, so for fully hands-off automations, set those tools to run without confirmation in **Settings → AI → Permissions** or in the target chat's settings. ### Which model does an automation use? It depends on where it runs. An automation that starts a **New Chat** uses the **Model** and **Reasoning Effort** set on the automation. An automation that continues an existing chat always uses that chat's current model and reasoning effort, so the form doesn't offer a model for it. ### Why don't I see my automations on my other computer? Automations aren't synced. They're stored on, and run from, the device where you created them. Create them on whichever machine is most often on at the scheduled time. ## Troubleshooting ### An automation shows as Overdue Raycast hasn't been able to run it yet, usually because the app wasn't running or the target chat was busy. It runs as soon as Raycast is open and the chat is idle, however late that is. To run it straight away, choose **Run Automation Now**. ### A run didn't happen and nothing shows as overdue Check that the target chat isn't archived, since runs are skipped while it is. If several occurrences were missed while Raycast was closed or the chat was busy, they fold into one run rather than running one after another. If the automation was set to run **Once**, it's removed after it runs, so check the chat it was pointed at. ### Run Automation Now doesn't start straight away If the target chat is busy, Raycast keeps the request and starts the run as soon as the chat is idle, even if you restart Raycast in between. Clicking again doesn't queue a second run. If the chat is archived, unarchive it and try again, or edit the automation to run in a **New Chat** instead. ### Still having issues? If none of the above resolves it, gather the following and send it to us via the [Send Feedback](raycast://extensions/raycast/raycast/send-feedback) command so we can investigate (see [Contact Support](https://manual.raycast.com/contact-support) for more ways to get in touch): 1. **Your OS version** and **Raycast version** (found in **Settings → About**). 2. The **automation's schedule** and **destination**, and the time you expected it to run. 3. Whether Raycast was **running** at that time, and whether the target chat was busy or archived. 4. **Your Raycast logs**: use the built-in **Copy Raycast Logs** command to copy your latest log files to the clipboard, or **Reveal Raycast Logs** to open your log folder. --- ## Need Help? Contact Raycast Support if you have any questions or would like help with Automations. Use the **Send Feedback** command directly in Raycast to report bugs and billing issues, log feature requests, or any other queries you would like to speak to us about. You can view all Raycast Support contact options at https://manual.raycast.com/contact-support