Getting started
Have your agent work while you’re away
Your agent does not stop when you leave the conversation. Give it something to keep moving, and it can check in, do the work, and come back when there is something worth your attention.
Things to try
Ask your agent in plain language. For example:
Keep an eye on my customer emails and let me know when someone needs a decision from me.
Follow up on the launch plan we made today. Flag anything that is blocked or needs my input.
Every Friday afternoon, summarize the week’s customer feedback and send me the three most important themes.
Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, remind me to review the proposal and give me a short briefing first.
Two ways Otto keeps working
For open-ended work, your agent uses its heartbeat. This wakes the agent up periodically so it can continue something that does not have an exact schedule: keep an eye on a situation, follow up on an open question, or notice when something meaningfully changes.
For work that should happen at a specific time, day, or interval, your agent uses an automation. An automation can run once or repeat on a schedule.
You do not need to decide which one to use. Tell your agent what you want to happen, and it chooses the right approach.
Review automations before they begin
When your agent wants to create an automation, it shows you a proposal in the app. Review it and approve it when it matches what you asked for. The agent is generally good at choosing the schedule, output, and other settings, so you can usually approve the proposal as-is.
Automations have more settings when you need them: scheduling, where results appear, notifications, app access, permissions, and limits. Learn about those in Automations when you want more control.
Otto still checks with you when it matters
Working while you are away does not remove your control. Your agent follows the same approval settings and asks when it needs permission for an action. It can notify you when it has a result, needs a decision, or is blocked.