# Check your automation runs

> Once a rule is live, InfraNest records every time it runs — so you can confirm it's working and see exactly what each action did.

Source: https://infranest.io/docs/automation-run-history
Last updated: 2026-09-19

---

Learn how to check whether your automations are working, see what each run actually did, and where to look when something goes wrong. This article is for anyone using **Automations** in InfraNest.

## Overview

- Every time a rule runs, InfraNest keeps a record of it so you can confirm it worked as expected.
- You can try out a rule before saving it, run a saved rule on demand, or dig into the full run history to see each step's outcome.
- Rules that fail repeatedly are flagged automatically, so problems don't go unnoticed.

## Preview a rule before saving

1. While building your rule, look for the **Preview** button.
2. Select it to see what the rule *would* do, using a real recent example from your account.
3. Review the **Dry-run result** — this is a safe check that doesn't actually perform any actions.
4. Adjust your rule's **Conditions** or **Actions** if the result isn't what you expected, then preview again.

> [!TIP]
> Use **Preview** every time you change a condition or action — it's the fastest way to catch mistakes before the rule goes live.

## Test a saved rule

1. Open the saved rule you want to check from **All automations**.
2. Select **Test run**.
3. If you want to try it with different data, choose **Test with a custom payload** and enter your own **Trigger payload**.
4. Review the outcome. If something goes wrong, you'll see **Test run failed** along with the reason.

## Check run history

1. Open the rule you want to check.
2. Go to the **Runs** section (also shown as **Runs · 30d**) to see its recent activity.
3. Select any run to see its **Actions** listed as steps, in the order they happened.
4. Check each step's status — it will show as succeeded, failed, or skipped — along with its **Output** or error message.

<!-- screenshot: automation-run-history -->

<!-- docs-screenshots:start:automation-run-history -->

![Check your automation runs](/media/302740cf-9598-4942-8416-7c6ba418664b)

<!-- docs-screenshots:end:automation-run-history -->

5. If a step didn't behave as expected, use this view to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong.

> [!NOTE]
> The **All automations** list also shows how many times each rule has run, so you can spot inactive or overly busy rules at a glance.

## Guardrails

- **Cooldown** — if your rule has a cooldown set, it won't run again for the same domain, monitor, or item until the wait time passes. This stops a burst of events about one thing from triggering the rule repeatedly. Other domains and monitors aren't affected.
- Rules that keep failing are marked **Auto-disabled after repeated failures** (shown as **Switched off after repeated failures** in the list), so you can fix the issue or turn the rule off yourself.
- Every run is also recorded in your **Audit Log**, giving you a complete history outside of the automation itself.

## Troubleshooting

- **A run failed** — open the run in **Runs** and check the failed step's error message to see what went wrong.
- **A rule isn't running at all** — check whether it's marked **Paused** or **Auto-disabled after repeated failures**, and confirm its **Conditions** actually match the event you expect.
- **You're not sure what a rule would do** — use **Preview** (for unsaved changes) or **Test run** (for saved rules) instead of waiting for a real event.