> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.smaq.io/documentation/features/automations.md).

# Automations

An **automation** is a scheduled (or on-demand) job that runs in the background. SMAQ pulls fresh data, runs the analysis, and emails the result to whoever you specify. The output is also saved as a **snapshot** you can view in the app.

You configure an automation once (type, schedule, recipients, type-specific settings) and SMAQ runs it on the frequency you chose — or whenever you click **Run**.

> **\[Screenshot needed]** Automations list page showing 6–8 automations of different types, each with status, last run timestamp, and Run/Edit buttons.

### What's available

SMAQ ships 28 automation types. The big ones are documented individually below; everything else is summarized in the [Automation reference](/documentation/features/automations/reference.md).

#### Briefs

* [**Daily Brief**](/documentation/features/automations/daily-brief.md) — morning digest covering ads, products, landing pages.
* **Weekly Brief** — same content, weekly cadence.

#### Dashboard summaries

* [**Dashboard Summary**](/documentation/features/automations/dashboard-summary.md) — AI summary of a chosen dashboard's charts, on a schedule.

#### Alerts

* [**Metrics Alert**](/documentation/features/automations/metrics-alert.md) — threshold and change-based alerts on any metric.
* [**Multi-Metrics Alert**](/documentation/features/automations/multi-metrics-alert.md) — alert when several conditions hit at once.
* **Anomaly Digest** — statistical outlier detection across your key metrics.
* **Budget Pacing Alert** — over/under-pacing against monthly budgets.

#### Creative & competitor intelligence

See [Creative & Competitor Intelligence](/documentation/features/creative-intelligence.md) for the full section. Automations:

* **Competitor Ads Monitor (Meta)**
* **Google Competitor Ads Monitor**
* **Ad Fatigue Detector**
* **Audience Decay Monitor**
* **Instagram Viral Post Monitor**

#### Paid search intelligence

* **Campaign Performance Check** — weekly campaign-level performance digest.
* **Quality Score Monitor** — surfaces low-QS keywords.
* **Impression Share Monitor** — alerts on lost impression share.
* **Search Term Analysis** — see [Search Term Analysis](/documentation/features/search-term-analysis.md).
* **Keyword Exploration** — surfaces new keyword opportunities.

#### Analytics & SEO

* **SEO Performance Monitor** — ranking drops, impression changes via GSC.
* **Traffic Analysis** — GA4 sessions, channels, landing pages, conversions WoW.
* **Day/Hour Analysis** — best-performing day-of-week + hour-of-day for bid optimization.
* **Cross-Channel Attribution** — compares metrics across platforms.
* **Landing Page Check** — page load monitoring on landing pages.
* **Ecommerce Product Opportunity** — GA4 product-level opportunities (also in Daily Brief).

#### Strategy & ideation

* **Campaign Brainstorm** — AI-generated campaign ideas from your performance history.
* **Google Trend Tracking** — trend interest for configured keywords.
* **Conversion Value Advisor** — recommended conversion value settings based on deal value + LTV.
* **Media Plan Intelligence** — agentic media plan optimization (see [Media Plan Intelligence](/documentation/features/media-plans/intelligence.md)).

### Creating an automation

> **\[Screen video needed]** End-to-end automation setup: click Create, pick type, fill config, set schedule, add recipients, save, then Run. Use Daily Brief as the example. \~75 seconds.

1. Click **Automations** in the side menu.
2. Click **Create automation**.
3. Pick the **Type** from the dropdown.
4. Fill in the type-specific config — different types have different fields.
5. Set the **Schedule** — frequency (Daily, Weekly, Monthly), day of week (if weekly), time, timezone.
6. Add **Recipients** — type each email and press Enter.
7. Click **Save**.

Click **Run** on the new automation card to test immediately. You don't have to wait for the schedule.

### Automation outputs

Every run produces an output that's saved as a **snapshot**. View snapshots by clicking the automation in the list, then the **Snapshots** tab.

* Snapshots persist forever (or until you delete them).
* The email recipients receive the same content as the snapshot.
* Click any snapshot to view it in-app — useful when the email got lost.

> **\[Screenshot needed]** Automation detail page showing the Snapshots tab with the last 5 runs listed.

### Logs vs Snapshots

* **Logs** — every run with timestamp and status (Running, Completed, Failed). Useful for troubleshooting.
* **Snapshots** — the actual content of each successful run. The deliverable.

### Tier gating

Not all 28 automations are available on every tier:

* **Starter** — Alert automations (Budget Pacing, Anomaly Digest, Quality Score, Landing Page Check) + Hero lite versions of Search Term Analysis and Ad Fatigue Detector (capped weekly, narrow scope).
* **Growth** — Full SMB automation suite (briefs, campaign performance, SEO monitor, full search term analysis).
* **Scale** — Adds the heavy agentic automations (Media Plan Intelligence, full Ad Fatigue, Competitor Ads Monitor).
* **Agency** — All the above plus agency-exclusive agents.

See [Tiers explained](broken://pages/HOOsaBYkwAu0cfNo2Xy2) for the full per-tier breakdown.

### What's next

* [Daily Brief](/documentation/features/automations/daily-brief.md) — most users start here.
* [Dashboard Summary](/documentation/features/automations/dashboard-summary.md).
* [Metrics Alert](/documentation/features/automations/metrics-alert.md).
* [Automation reference](/documentation/features/automations/reference.md) — all 28 types in one table.