# Why an automation was switched off

> InfraNest switches a rule off when running it again would only fail again. The rule tells you which of the two reasons applied, and both are fixable.

Source: https://infranest.io/docs/automation-switched-off
Last updated: 2026-09-19

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This article explains why InfraNest sometimes turns off an automation on its own, and how to get it running again. It's for anyone who manages automations and sees a rule marked as switched off.

## Overview

- InfraNest automatically switches off a rule when running it again would only fail again — this stops it from failing silently over and over.
- There are two reasons this happens: the connected account is missing a permission, or the rule failed several times in a row.
- Both reasons are shown right on the rule, and both are fixable.

## Fix a rule stopped for a missing permission

Some actions — like **Set Cloudflare development mode** or **Purge Cloudflare cache** — ask another service to make a change on your behalf. That service only allows it if the account you connected was given the right permission. If it wasn't, the service refuses, and InfraNest switches the rule off the first time this happens and sends you a notification.

The banner on the rule names the exact permission needed — for example **Zone Settings:Edit** — spelled the way the provider spells it, so you know exactly what to look for.

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1. Go to **Integrations** and open the account the rule uses.
2. Reconnect the account, granting the permission named in the banner. Reconnecting is necessary here — an existing connection can't be widened, so refreshing or re-testing it won't add the missing permission.
3. Go back to the automation and switch it on again.

> [!NOTE]
> This especially affects accounts connected before 1 August 2026. The Cloudflare actions were added on that date, so connections made earlier were never asked for the two permissions they need.

## Fix a rule switched off after repeated failures

If a rule failed five times in a row, InfraNest labels it **Switched off after repeated failures**. This usually means something the rule depends on has changed — a server that no longer exists, a webhook address that no longer answers, or a value that's no longer valid.

1. Open the rule and check its recent **Runs** to see which step failed and what the error said.
2. Correct whatever caused the failure (for example, update the value, fix the address, or point the step at a resource that still exists).
3. Switch the rule back on.

## Tips

> [!TIP]
> If you marked a step **Continue to the next step** under **If it fails**, that step will never switch the rule off — the run continues past it, and you can still see the error in the run history for that step.

## Troubleshooting

- **The rule switched off again right after I turned it back on:** you likely turned it on without fixing the underlying cause. Re-check the banner or the failed run's error before switching it back on.
- **I want a record of when and why this happened:** every automatic switch-off is recorded in your **Audit Log**.