Automations (beta)
Create and manage GovTribe AI automations that can start from one or more schedules, government-record changes, or workspace events, with optional email notifications.
Click Automations, or open GovTribe AI and choose Automations.
Automations let GovTribe AI run from a saved configuration instead of waiting for you to start every prompt manually. Use automations for recurring research, saved-search monitoring, government-record changes, pipeline review, pursuit follow-up, and other repeatable AI work. You can also choose whether GovTribe emails you when an automation run finishes.
Each automation has one or more start triggers. Every trigger is an independent OR condition: a schedule, record change, or workspace event can start the same saved prompt without waiting for the other triggers to happen.
Connected AI clients can also manage automations through GovTribe MCP. Use Create_Automation to create a new automation, Search_Automations to find an existing automation, and Update_Automation to change an automation.
Requirements
Automations require available credits, a project, and a prompt. If credits are not enabled or available for your account, GovTribe may send the account owner to Credits before a new automation can be created.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Credits | GovTribe requires available credits to create or update automations. |
| Project | Each automation belongs to a project. Generated conversations from the automation also belong to that project. |
| Prompt | The prompt tells GovTribe AI what to do each time the automation starts. |
| Start triggers | One or more schedules or supported events control when the automation runs. |
Projects are required because automations create ongoing work. Keeping them in a project makes the generated conversations easier to find later.
Create an automation
From Automations, choose View templates, Create via chat, or Create manually from the Create via chat menu.
View templates opens a starter library for common capture, proposal, market intelligence, and pricing automations. Choosing a template starts a GovTribe AI setup conversation for that template. Create via chat opens GovTribe AI with a setup prompt that can inspect your saved searches, pipelines, pursuits, projects, recent AI work, and buyer or vendor activity before recommending high-value automations. Create manually opens the direct automation form.
If you are using GovTribe MCP, call Create_Automation with the automation name, prompt, a non-empty start_nodes list, and GovTribe AI project name. To change an existing automation, find its current version and start-node IDs with Search_Automations, then call Update_Automation with the expected version number and the fields or start-node operations you want to change.
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Name | The automation name shown in the Automations list and search results. |
| Project | The project where the automation and generated conversations belong. |
| Prompt | The instruction GovTribe AI runs each time the automation starts. |
| Reasoning level | How much deliberate reasoning GovTribe AI uses during automation runs. Low is recommended for most automations. |
| Skill | The GovTribe AI skill used for the automation, when selected. |
| Connected tools | External connectors available to the automation when connector access is enabled and the provider is connected. Use Manage connected tools to connect or review the available tools first. |
| Run when | The first schedule or event that can start the automation. Choose + Also run when… to add more independent start triggers. |
| Schedule fields | The recurrence, day, start time, minute, timezone, or custom recurrence rule for scheduled runs. |
| Event fields | The government record, saved search, pipeline, pursuit movement, stage, or direction details for event-triggered runs. |
| Saved-search frequency | How often a saved-search trigger checks for new results: Instant, Daily, or Weekly. This is separate from the saved search's email cadence. |
| Email me | Whether GovTribe AI emails you after every run, never, or only when the completed run matches your instructions. |
The automation prompt composer is focused on the saved automation instruction. It is not the same as sending a normal conversation message.
Choose a reasoning level
Reasoning level is saved with each automation and applies whenever that automation runs, including Run now tests. Existing automations use Low, and a new automation also uses Low when you do not choose another level.
| Level | Use it when |
|---|---|
| None | The work is mechanical, such as scanning for a clearly defined condition, copying fields, or applying an explicit rule. |
| Low | The automation needs routine judgment, classification, summarization, or a straightforward fit check. This is the recommended starting point. |
| Medium | The automation must compare several signals, resolve ambiguity, or make a consequential recommendation. |
| High | The work requires difficult multi-step analysis, competing evidence, or substantial planning. Use it selectively. |
Higher reasoning can take longer and use more credits. Start with the lowest level that reliably produces the result you need, then raise it only when the automation's real runs show that more judgment is necessary.
The automation setting is independent of the underlying AI model, so its meaning stays stable as GovTribe updates models. It governs the automation run and its tool work. If you open the generated conversation and send a follow-up message yourself, that new turn uses your personalization reasoning effort instead.
From GovTribe MCP, send reasoning_level as none, low, medium, or high. Create defaults to low when the field is omitted. Update preserves the current value when the field is omitted.
Combine multiple start triggers
Configure the first Run when… row, then choose + Also run when… for each additional schedule or event. All rows run the same prompt, use the same project and skill, and follow the same completion email setting.
| Goal | Start triggers to combine |
|---|---|
| Watch one solicitation for amendments without losing a weekly review cadence | A government record changes for the opportunity OR a weekly schedule. |
| Track a likely recompete and discover a separate follow-on notice | A government record changes for the award or IDV OR a saved search that finds new related opportunities OR a schedule for broader research. |
| Watch any of five specific records | Add one A government record changes trigger for each record. |
| Review capture work after movement and on a regular cadence | Pursuit moves stages OR a daily or weekly schedule. |
The automation starts when any one configured trigger fires. It does not wait for all triggers to match, and separate triggers can create separate runs. When you choose Run now on an automation with several triggers, use Run as if to select the start condition the test should simulate.
Choose completion email settings
Automations can email you after a run finishes. Today email is the only supported delivery option for automation completion notifications. The email goes to the user who owns the automation and includes a link back to the generated automation conversation.
| Email me setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| On every run | Tells GovTribe AI to send an email after every automation run finishes. Use the optional text box to tell GovTribe AI what the email should always include. |
| When something specific happens | Tells GovTribe AI to send an email only when the completed run matches the condition you describe. Use the text box to explain what should trigger the email. |
| Never | Does not send an automation email. |
The text box can also include instructions about the email content, such as what to highlight, how to summarize the result, or what tone to use. For When something specific happens, the text box is required because it defines the condition GovTribe AI evaluates before emailing you.
From GovTribe MCP, use the flat on_completion_notify_user key with always, conditionally, or never. Use completion_notification_instructions for the condition and email-writing guidance. Do not send internal notification_node or notification_config keys from MCP. When using Update_Automation, omit both completion email fields to keep the current setting, include them to change it, or set on_completion_notify_user to never to turn completion emails off.
Use schedules
Scheduled automations can run on common recurring patterns or a custom recurrence.
| Schedule | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Hourly | The automation should check or summarize work throughout the day. |
| Daily | The automation should run once per day. |
| Weekdays | The automation should run on business days. |
| Weekly | The automation should run on a selected day each week. |
| Custom | You need a RFC 5545 RRULE recurrence pattern outside the standard schedule choices. |
Scheduled runs start at the selected time or shortly after it. Completion time can vary based on the prompt, tools, and amount of work involved.
Custom schedules use RRULE syntax. The selected timezone determines the local time for scheduled runs.
| RRULE | Schedule it creates |
|---|---|
RRULE:FREQ=DAILY;BYHOUR=8;BYMINUTE=0;BYSECOND=0 | Runs every day at 8:00 AM. |
RRULE:FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO;BYHOUR=9;BYMINUTE=30;BYSECOND=0 | Runs every Monday at 9:30 AM. |
RRULE:FREQ=MONTHLY;BYDAY=MO,TU,WE,TH,FR;BYSETPOS=1;BYHOUR=9;BYMINUTE=15;BYSECOND=0 | Runs on the first weekday of each month at 9:15 AM. |
Use event triggers
Event-triggered automations run after GovTribe records a supported government-record or workspace event.
| Trigger | What can start the automation |
|---|---|
| A government record changes | GovTribe records new activity for one selected government record. |
| Saved search gets new results | A selected saved search receives new matching results at the automation trigger's selected frequency. |
| Pipeline created or updated | A selected pipeline changes, or any accessible pipeline changes when no pipeline is selected. |
| Pursuit created or updated | A pursuit in the selected pipeline changes. |
| Pursuit moves stages | A pursuit moves between supported stages, optionally scoped by direction or stage configuration. |
GovTribe adds trigger and run context to the automation so the generated conversation can explain what started the run.
Set a saved-search trigger frequency
Every Saved search gets new results trigger requires its own Instant, Daily, or Weekly polling frequency. Instant triggers check every 15 minutes. Daily and Weekly triggers check on their corresponding cadence.
When you first select a saved search while creating an automation, GovTribe copies an existing Instant, Daily, or Weekly saved-search frequency. If no supported frequency is available, the builder starts with Daily. This is a one-time default that you can change before saving; it is not a continuing link between the two settings.
Later changes to the saved search's email frequency do not change the automation trigger, and turning saved-search email off does not disable the automation. The automation's completion email setting is also separate from both frequencies.
A new or retargeted saved-search trigger begins listening when you save it. A paused, broken, or otherwise inactive automation has no pending saved-search check. When the automation becomes active, GovTribe schedules the next check from that time using the trigger's frequency.
Resuming an automation also restarts listening from the resume time, so results from before that point are not replayed. Editing an active automation preserves saved-search progress when the target stays the same, then schedules the next check from the time you save the new version.
Monitor a government record
Choose A government record changes, select a Record type, and then search for the exact Government record to monitor. A new or retargeted trigger begins listening when you save that change. Resuming the automation restarts listening from the resume time, so earlier activity is not replayed.
You can monitor one record from any of these families with each trigger:
- Federal Contract Award
- Federal Contract IDV
- Federal Contract Opportunity
- Federal Contract Vehicle Opportunity
- Federal Grant Opportunity
- Federal Grant Award
- Federal Forecast
- State/Local Contract Opportunity
This trigger is useful for watching an opportunity for amendment-driven deadline, description, or link changes; watching an award or IDV for modifications and lifecycle changes that affect recompete timing; or watching a grant opportunity or forecast as its details develop. GovTribe can group several newly recorded changes for the selected record into one automation run.
The trigger watches only the exact selected record. It does not automatically start when GovTribe adds a separate recompete, follow-on opportunity, related award, or other linked record. For broader follow-on discovery, add a saved-search or schedule trigger to the same automation. See Monitor pursued opportunities and follow-ons for a complete monitoring pattern.
Example automation templates
Use the template library when you want GovTribe AI to help shape the prompt, start triggers, and email behavior from a common starting point. Templates are still normal automations after setup; you can tailor the saved prompt, project, trigger scopes, and email condition before GovTribe creates anything.
| Template | Recommended trigger | Email me setting | Good fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saved-search opportunity triage | Saved search gets new results | When something specific happens | Rank new saved-search matches against your fit profile and separate pursue, partner, follow-up, and weak matches. |
| Qualify new matches and prepare outline-ready bids | Saved search gets new results | When something specific happens | Gate new saved-search matches through bid/no-bid decisions and only outline targets that meet your threshold. |
| Executive gate-review email | Pursuit created, pursuit updated, or pursuit moves to Qualification/Review | When something specific happens | Produce an executive-ready bid/no-bid recommendation without creating proposal artifacts. |
| Recurring capture monitor and pipeline report | Weekly, daily, saved search gets new results, or pipeline updated | On every run | Send a recurring delta report for a market, saved search, pipeline, recompete lane, or buyer lane. |
| Pipeline health review | Weekly schedule or pipeline/pursuit updated | On every run | Review stale pursuits, missing values, weak stage fit, linked-record gaps, and unclear next actions. |
| Pursuit stage-change briefing | Pursuit moves stages | On every run | Brief the capture team when a pursuit enters or exits a stage and call out deadline risk or missing context. |
| Recompete and follow-on monitoring | Weekly schedule or saved search gets new results | When something specific happens | Watch for likely follow-ons, incumbent clues, and timing risks that become actionable in a capture window. |
| Specific award recompete watch | Weekly or monthly schedule | When something specific happens | Monitor one award, IDV, vehicle, contract number, or GovTribe record for follow-on activity and timing changes. |
| Buyer or agency market pulse | Weekly schedule or saved search gets new results | On every run | Track material changes in a buyer lane's buying model, set-aside posture, vehicles, value bands, and live demand. |
| Partner, incumbent, and competitor watch | Weekly schedule or saved search gets new results | When something specific happens | Identify likely bidders, incumbents, competitors, and partner candidates worth capture-team action. |
| Solicitation compliance triage | Saved search gets new results, pursuit updated, or pursuit moves to Proposal/Review | When something specific happens | Extract deadlines, instructions, evaluation factors, required content, amendments, Q&A, and compliance risks. |
| Pricing evidence pulse / pressure alert | Weekly schedule, pursuit updated, or pipeline updated | When something specific happens | Watch pricing evidence for material posture changes, strong comparables, or evidence that changes price-to-win assumptions. |
Manage automation runs
Automation list and detail views can show the automation status, trigger summary, project, next run while active, last run, run history, and current notification setting. Generated conversations can be opened from their run history when available.
For MCP-managed automations, use Search_Automations before editing so you can confirm the automation ID, version number, ordered start_nodes, state, and recent run history. Update_Automation is a version-gated patch: include the current expected_version_number, then send only the automation fields or start_node_changes operations you want to apply.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Run now | Starts the automation manually. For multiple start triggers, choose which condition the test should simulate. |
| Pause | Stops future automatic runs and removes any pending saved-search check without deleting the automation. |
| Resume | Turns a paused automation back on and schedules saved-search checks from the resume time. |
| Retry | Runs a failed automation attempt again when retry is available. |
| Edit | Updates the automation configuration. |
| Delete | Removes the automation after confirmation. |
Automation status shows whether an automation is active, paused, broken, scheduled to run soon, complete, failed, or otherwise unable to run. If an automation is missing a project or marked broken, review it before expecting configured triggers to start new runs.
Related articles
- Create a conversation: Start the project conversations that automations can work alongside.
- Choose a skill: Choose the right skill for an automation prompt.
- Create automation MCP tool: Create automations through GovTribe MCP.
- Update automation MCP tool: Change existing automations through GovTribe MCP.
- Search automations MCP tool: Find automations and recent runs before updating them.
- Automation data type: Review fields returned for automation records.
- Reasoning level attribute: Review the stable values accepted by automation APIs and MCP tools.
- Monitor pursued opportunities and follow-ons: Combine exact-record changes with saved searches and schedules for broader follow-on discovery.
- Manage connected tools: Connect official tools, control chat tool selection, and request a custom connector.
- GovCon workflows with GovTribe AI: Use detailed workflow guidance and copyable prompt examples.
- Settings and personalization: Manage settings that can influence AI responses.
- Saved searches: Create saved searches that can trigger automations.