What is the Automation module for?
This module shows everything the app does without being asked. It is not a server, so it only works while open. It performs a catch-up pass at startup and checks every five minutes if any switched-on job is due. A daily job will not run twice just because you checked twice.
How do I review a bank notification?
- Open To approve and find the row showing the amount, cash direction, counterparty, bank and suggested category.
- If the amount, date and category are right, press Approve once.
- To correct them first, press Edit, change the amount, date or category, then press Approve transaction.
- Dismiss anything that is not a real business transaction. Detecting or dismissing a transaction creates no cash entry.
- Only an Admin or Accountant can approve.
How do I handle the approval queue?
- Open the To approve tab and read the small line under each card.
- For a held budget or payment posting, review the debit and credit preview.
- Press Approve to let it go ahead, or Dismiss to say no.
- Check the Activity tab afterwards to see the status marked Done, Dismissed or Failed.
How do I switch an automation on or off?
- Open the Automations tab and find the job row.
- Flip the switch to change the setting immediately.
- Note that Recurring invoices and Online payment reconciliation are on from the beginning.
- If you turn on Email to bills, choose the watched folder and press Scan now.
How do I run due jobs immediately?
- Press Run now at the top right.
- This runs every switched-on job whose interval has already elapsed.
- Watch the To approve and Activity tabs for results.
- Use this after switching a job on to see what it does.
Why did a job not run?
- Check the Automations tab to confirm the job switch is on.
- Confirm the app was open, as nothing runs while Orbit is closed.
- Check the interval, as a daily job will not run again if it already ran today.
- Check the Activity tab for a row marked Failed with an error message.
What this does to your books
Detecting a bank notification posts nothing. Approving it creates exactly one cash transaction. For cash-in, debit Cash & Bank (1000) and credit the selected category account. For cash-out, debit the selected category account and credit Cash & Bank (1000). Switching a job on or off posts nothing. Online payment reconciliation is the one job that posts on its own: when it finds an online payment link has been paid, it debits Cash & Bank (1000) and credits Trade Debtors (1100).