Automation Tasks
Automation Tasks let you build reusable multi-step workflows for operations such as script execution, runbooks, service actions, certificate deployment, and DevOps pipeline triggers. This guide focuses on how tasks behave in the current product UI, what each configuration option means, and how to avoid common mistakes.
Where to Work with Tasks
1. Open Operations > Automation.
2. Use the Tasks tab to create and manage general tasks.
3. Select a task to open the task configuration page with Task, Steps, and History tabs.
Task Configuration Tabs
The task configuration page has three main tabs:
Task (Info Tab):
Configure task metadata (name/description) and review task-level details. Type is informational here and controls behavior across task configuration.
Steps:
Add, configure, and manage the steps that make up your automation workflow. This is where you build the actual logic of your task.
History:
View execution history with run status and details. History refreshes as runs complete and is the first place to troubleshoot failed runs.
Task Properties
Every automation task has the following core properties:
Name:
A unique, descriptive name for the task. This name is used throughout the interface to identify the task.
Description:
Optional detailed description of the task's purpose and functionality. This helps other operators understand what the task does.
Type:
General for standalone workflows, or Certificate for tasks linked to certificate templates. Task type controls which step types are available.
Created On:
Timestamp when the task was first created.
Last Modified On:
Timestamp of the most recent modification to the task configuration.
Task Types
General Tasks
General tasks are created from the Automation Tasks list and are used for standard operator automation. They support all general-compatible step types.
Certificate Tasks
Certificate tasks are linked to certificate templates and designed for certificate deployment/renewal workflows. They can use certificate-specific system variables and certificate-specific step types.
Certificate tasks provide additional step options that are not available to general tasks:
• Certificate Install - Deploy the renewed certificate to target machines
• Azure Key Vault - Update certificates in Azure Key Vault
Supported Step Categories
The available step types are filtered by task type. In current behavior:
Available for General and Certificate Tasks
• Runbook
• Run Command
• PowerShell Script
• Bash Script
• Windows Service Action
• Execute DevOps Pipeline
• Azure Resource Action
• TOPdesk Incident
• TOPdesk Change
• Active Directory Action
• SCOM Maintenance Mode
• Windows DNS
• Simply.com DNS
• Azure DNS
• Amazon Route 53 DNS
• Cisco Umbrella
• Copy Files
• Zip / Unzip
Certificate-Only Step Types
• Azure Application Gateway
• Certificate Install
• Azure Key Vault (certificate deployment)
• Citrix ADC / NetScaler Certificate
• Application Proxy Certificate
• Application Certificate
• Azure Certificate Deployment
Variables and Step Output
Automation tasks are most useful when later steps can reuse information created earlier in the same run. Use variables for values such as a selected server name, a created TOPdesk incident number, an Active Directory sAMAccountName, or a certificate thumbprint.
• Use {{ VariableName }} in supported fields to insert a variable value at runtime.
• The variable picker shows linked custom parameters, system variables, and expected output from earlier steps where AZExecute can predict the output name.
• Scripts can create variables dynamically by writing ::azx-set-var:Name=Value to output. Later steps reference those values with {{ Name }}.
• Put variable-producing steps before the steps that consume those values. Avoid parallel execution when one step depends on another step's output.
Module Dependencies
Automation tasks do not embed PowerShell module packages directly. If a PowerShell step depends on a module, assign the module to the target agent or agent group before the task is run.
• Use pinned module versions when a task has been tested against a specific dependency version.
• Use latest-version assignments only when the task should automatically follow module updates.
• Review module sync health before troubleshooting script code when an import fails.
Managing Task Steps
Steps are the building blocks of automation tasks. Each step performs a specific action, and steps execute in sequence according to their execution order.
Adding Steps
Click the "Add Step" button on the Steps tab to open the step creation dialog. Select a step type and configure its settings, then click "Add Step" to save it to your task.
Reordering Steps
Use the up and down arrow buttons on each step to change its position in the execution order. Reordering only updates in-memory state until you click Save Step Order.
Editing Steps
Expand any step to view and modify its configuration. Each step type has different configuration options. After making changes, click "Save Step" to persist them.
A "Unsaved changes" indicator appears next to steps that have been modified but not saved.
Enabling/Disabling Steps
You can temporarily disable a step without deleting it. Disabled steps are skipped during task execution. Click the "Disable" or "Enable" button on any step to toggle its state.
Removing Steps
Click the "Remove" button on any step to delete it from the task. This action cannot be undone. The execution order of remaining steps will automatically adjust.
Step Groups
Step groups make larger tasks easier to read and safer to run. Use groups as execution stages instead of treating a long task as one flat list.
Group header: Shows the group name, number of steps in the group, and group execution settings.
Run with previous group: Starts this group in the same execution stage as the group above it. Use it only when the groups are independent.
Sequential group: Leave Run with previous group disabled when this group needs the previous group to finish first.
Step-level parallel: Still applies to individual steps. It is separate from group-level parallel execution.
Step Execution Settings
Each step has execution settings that control how that step behaves inside its group:
Execute in Parallel:
When enabled, this individual step can run in parallel with compatible steps in the same execution stage. Use this only for independent operations.
Stop on Failure:
Enabled by default. When enabled, a failure in this step stops the task. When disabled, later steps can continue.
Parameter Validation Alerts
A validation alert is shown when enabled steps contain mandatory parameters that have no direct value/default and are not linked as task parameters.
An alert banner appears at the top of the configuration page showing:
• The number of affected steps with missing required links
• Missing parameter names per step
• A quick Create & Link action for each missing parameter
Linking parameters allows you to prompt users for input when executing the task, making it reusable across different scenarios. Learn more in the Custom Parameters documentation.
Approval Flow
Approval flow lets a task create a pending run instead of starting workflow steps immediately. Use it when execution should be reviewed before it changes systems or touches production resources.
• Required approvers must approve before the run starts.
• Optional approvers can approve, but their approval is not required to start execution.
• Any configured approver rejection, required or optional, rejects the run.
• Tenant admins can see all pending approvals and can approve or reject as an override.
Execution and Troubleshooting
You can execute tasks from task actions and then review outcomes in the History tab.
• Use history to verify whether failure happened at task level or a specific step.
• Check step execution settings first when behavior differs from expectation (especially Stop on Failure and Parallel).
• If a step keeps failing after edits, confirm the step was saved (no unsaved changes indicator).
• If execution path seems wrong, re-check step order and make sure Save Step Order was applied.
Deleting Tasks
To delete an automation task, navigate to the Automation Tasks list, find the task you want to delete, and click the "Delete" button in the options column.
