Things run on their own in five different ways, and telling them apart is the difference between trusting the app and being surprised by it.
| How it runs | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| On a schedule | Runs periodically for your account. The AI agents work this way. |
| When a record changes | Fires the moment something is created or updated — an invoice is paid, an estimate is signed. |
| When you press a button | Not automation at all, but often mistaken for it. |
| When a client acts in a portal | Signing an estimate, paying an invoice, approving a change order. |
| On page load | Some counts and warnings are computed when you open the screen, not stored. |