Safety and control

See what Otto did in the run log

The Run log gives you a device-wide history of automation runs, including runs that are still in progress, finished successfully, found no change, or stopped with an issue. Open a run to see its timeline and, when available, the conversation transcript behind the work.

Use the log to confirm that a task ran, understand what happened before you change its instructions or access, and investigate a result without guessing. It is separate from Usage, which explains model and agent spending.

Before you begin

  • Otto must be online to load current automation runs. If it is offline, bring it online before looking for a newly started run.
  • To inspect the work behind a run, you need access to the Otto and the agent that ran it. The log does not grant app access or bypass an approval.
  • A run may remain in the log after its automation is deleted. Its history is still useful, but controls for editing that automation are no longer shown.

Open the device-wide run log

  1. Open the navigation menu. On desktop, use the sidebar; on a phone, open the menu from the chat or another page.
  2. Select Automations.
  3. Under History, select Run log. The subtitle is Every run, across all automations.
  4. Select a run to open Run details.

The log is grouped by day. Each row shows the automation name, time, duration when available, and a status badge when the run needs attention. Otto may also show system activity such as a Heartbeat, Dreaming, or System migration run.

Find a particular run

  • Use Search to search automation names and run summaries.
  • Select Issues to show runs that need attention.
  • Use the agent filter to narrow the device-wide log to one agent.
  • Select Load more to fetch older runs. If a search has not found a match in the runs currently loaded, select Search older runs.
  • Pull down to refresh on a phone, or use the refresh behavior provided by your platform.

Filters apply to the runs already loaded. A search can therefore offer Search older runs before it can say that there are no matches.

Read Run details

Run details shows:

  • the automation name and its schedule, when the automation still exists;
  • an Overview timeline with when the run was Triggered and its final state, or Running… while it is still active;
  • the result explanation, such as a completed, no-change, or failed outcome;
  • the run time and status; and
  • the run's transcript when that transcript is available.

For an automation that still exists, the sheet may also offer Edit automation (or a more specific action such as retrying or fixing the workflow) and See all runs of name. Editing changes the automation, not that past run. Read the destination before retrying a run that may have sent a message, changed a record, or otherwise affected another app; an error can be reported after an external action has already reached its destination.

Open one automation's history

To focus on a single automation instead of the device-wide log:

  1. Open Automations and select the automation.
  2. Open its runs/history view.
  3. Review the filtered log for that automation.

The automation-scoped view keeps its subject as the automation rather than showing an agent filter. If it has never run, Otto says that its runs will appear after the first run. The device-wide Run log remains the place to review every automation together.

What to do with what you find

  • Running… — wait for the current attempt. Do not start a duplicate just because it has not finished.
  • Done or another successful result — read the transcript or result to confirm that it used the expected sources and delivered the work where you intended.
  • No change — the run completed without finding a meaningful update. Check the transcript and the task's stopping condition before making it run more often.
  • An issue or failed result — open Run details, read the timeline and error, then make the smallest fix. Reconnect an app if its account needs attention, adjust access only when the blocked action really requires it, revise unclear instructions, or check limits and approvals.
  • Needs approval — review the requested action and decide in the approval request. The run log helps you locate the attempt; it does not approve the action for you.

After changing an automation, use its Run now action when you need an immediate test. Then return to the new run and confirm its status, result, destination, and activity. See Read and recover failed runs for a step-by-step recovery process.

If the log is empty or will not load

  1. Confirm that the correct Otto is selected and online.
  2. Refresh the log. Newly started runs may still be Running…, and older history is loaded in pages.
  3. Check the automation's own page if you expected a run from one specific task.
  4. If Otto cannot load activity, retry after restoring the connection. Do not assume the automation never ran until you have checked its destination or conversation as well.
  5. If a run failed during an external change, inspect the target app before using Run now again so you do not create a duplicate.

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