---
title: "Understanding Automations"
slug: "understanding-allspice-automations"
updated: 2026-10-22T21:03:48Z
published: 2026-10-22T21:03:48Z
canonical: "learn.allspice.io/understanding-allspice-automations"
---

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

# Understanding Automations

## Intro

Allspice Automations is easy to understand, but since it's software that runs in the background, a lot of Actions is invisible and abstract at first. Once you map your existing understanding of automation to Automations framework, you'll be customizing your own workflows to match your current design flow.

## Automations in a nutshell

### [Workflows](/v1/docs/allspice-actions-workflows)

**Workflow** files contain everything needed to setup, define, and run your Automations. Allspice will set up and run any YAML file in the workflows folder `.allspice/workflows/*.yml`.

### [Triggers](/v1/docs/triggers)

**Triggers** load `your-workflow-file.yml` and start a **Runner**. Allspice automatically sets up **Triggers** from your workflow file that listen for events like push, release, or a design review update.

### [Runners](/v1/docs/runners-minutes-and-other-definitions)

**Runners** load your **Workflows**, host the software container, run the workflow files, save/load artifacts, control the sequence of **Jobs** and **Steps**, and clean up the software container. The runner has a web interface that lets users view runs and examine the jobs, steps, and artifacts.

### [Jobs](/v1/docs/allspice-actions-jobs-steps)

**Jobs** run in parallel by default, or in a specific sequence, with control flow. **Jobs** run **Steps**.

### [Steps](/v1/docs/allspice-actions-jobs-steps)

**Steps** are the individual commands to set up the environment, load dependencies, run add-ons, execute scripts, and run individual shell commands. Steps are where the automation in Automations is happening.

### [Artifacts](/v1/docs/how-to-share-artifact-files-between-jobs)

**Artifacts** are files that can be saved or loaded. This is where you would save report data, or generated fab files. Artifacts can be used for inter-job/step communication and for global pass/fail evaluation.

## Cleanup

Cleanup is automatic. The runner will close all files and then wipe and close the software container so that each run is independent. To learn more about any element, click the section heading.