> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.encoreos.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choosing an Automation Tool

> Which Encore OS automation tool fits your task — automations, workflows, approvals, wizards, or scheduled jobs — in plain language.

Encore OS ships several ways to automate work. They overlap just enough to be confusing, so start with the question you're actually trying to answer.

## Quick answer

| You want to…                                                                                 | Use                   | Where                                                             |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Do something automatically when an event happens ("when a form is submitted, send an email") | **Automation**        | [Automations & Rules](/fw/automations)                            |
| Run a multi-step process with branching, conditions, or several systems involved             | **Workflow**          | [Workflow Builder](/fw/workflows)                                 |
| Route something to people for sign-off, in order                                             | **Approval chain**    | [Approval Chains](/fw/approval-chains)                            |
| Collect data from a person across several screens                                            | **Form wizard**       | [Wizard Templates](/fw/wizard-templates)                          |
| Walk staff through a guided business process (onboarding, fiscal-year setup)                 | **Module wizard**     | The module's own setup wizard (e.g. HR onboarding, Finance close) |
| Run something on a schedule (nightly, monthly)                                               | **Workflow schedule** | [Workflow Schedules](/fw/workflow-schedules)                      |

## How to decide

<Steps>
  <Step title="Is a person filling something in?">
    If the automation is really *data capture* — a person answering questions across
    multiple screens — you want a **form wizard**, not a workflow. If the person is
    being *guided through a process* that touches real module records (hiring an
    employee, closing the books), use that module's **wizard**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Is it one trigger and one or two actions?">
    "When X happens, do Y" is an **automation**: form submitted → send email,
    record created → assign a task. Automations are the simplest tool and the
    right default. If you find yourself wanting branches, waits, or more than a
    few actions, step up to a workflow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Does anyone need to approve anything?">
    A linear sign-off sequence ("submitter → manager → director") is an
    **approval chain** — don't rebuild approvals inside a workflow. Conditional
    routing ("over \$10k adds a VP step") is configured with
    [approval routing rules](/fw/approval-routing-rules).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Everything else is a workflow.">
    Multi-step, conditional, long-running, or cross-module logic belongs in the
    **Workflow Builder** — including anything that should run on a schedule
    (attach a [workflow schedule](/fw/workflow-schedules)).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Rules of thumb

* **Start with the simplest tool that works.** An automation you can read at a glance beats a workflow with two nodes.
* **Reuse before building.** Check the [template marketplace](/fw/template-marketplace) and [workflow examples](/fw/workflow-examples) first; most common patterns already exist.
* **Approvals are their own thing.** If the word "sign-off" appears in your requirement, reach for approval chains before anything else.
* **Watch what you built.** Workflow and automation runs surface in [Workflow Analytics](/fw/workflow-analytics) and the [Automations](/fw/automations) run history; failures land in the dead-letter queue your admin can replay.

<Note>
  Building these yourself requires Forms & Workflow permissions for your role.
  Developers comparing the underlying engines should use the decision guides in
  the Engineering tab instead (Workflow / Wizard / Template Selection).
</Note>