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Automation Wizard

The Automation Wizard guides you through creating a new PowerShell automation script in five steps.

Overview

Automations are PowerShell scripts that run on devices via ScreenConnect or IoTHub agent integrations. They are used as steps within Workflows to execute tasks on remote machines.

The wizard replaces the previous single-page form with a guided experience that includes AI-powered script analysis.

Steps

Step 1: Basics

Enter the automation name, an optional description, and select the target type:

  • Cloud Service — runs against cloud APIs
  • Windows Workstation — runs on a Windows desktop
  • Windows Server — runs on a Windows server

Step 2: Script

Write or paste your PowerShell script into the CodeMirror editor with syntax highlighting.

Two parameter detection options are available:

  • Quick Parse — instant client-side regex detection for simple param() blocks
  • AI Smart Parse — sends the script to Azure OpenAI for full analysis, detecting parameter types, ValidateSet options, ValidateRange, descriptions, and output properties

Step 3: Parameters & Outputs

Parameters

The parameters table shows detected or manually added parameters:

Column Description
Parameter Name The PowerShell variable name
Data Type String, Bool, or Int
Required Whether the parameter is mandatory
Default Value Optional default value
Validation AI-detected validation rules (ValidateSet, ValidateRange, ValidatePattern)

You can add parameters manually using the form below the table.

Outputs

Define what properties the script outputs. These can be referenced by subsequent workflow steps.

AI Smart Parse detects outputs from Write-Output, return statements, hashtable constructions, and logical outputs like success/failure status.

Tip

Even scripts that only use Write-Host can have useful logical outputs. The AI will suggest outputs like Success, Message, and ExitCode based on error handling patterns.

Step 4: Tags

Select tags to categorise the automation. Tags are shown as clickable pills — click to select, click again to deselect. Selected tags appear in a section above the available tags.

Step 5: Review & Submit

A summary of all previous steps with:

  • Script Preview — collapsible read-only CodeMirror view
  • AI Script Analysis — security risks, concerns, and a plain-English summary
  • Suggested Improvements — AI-detected improvements you can apply with one click

Click Submit for Review to create the automation with "Awaiting Review" status.

After Submission

Once submitted, the automation enters the approval workflow:

  1. Reviewers with the AutomationReview role are notified via email, Teams, and the in-app bell icon
  2. A reviewer can approve or reject the script from the Automation Review page
  3. The submitter is notified of the decision
  4. Approved automations become available as workflow steps

Script Output Chaining

When an automation with declared outputs is used as a workflow step, subsequent steps can reference its outputs:

  1. The execution engine wraps the script to capture declared output properties
  2. Extracted outputs are stored alongside the execution result
  3. In the workflow designer, the step parameter mapping shows the automation's outputs in the "From step" dropdown