Automation Rules
Automation rules let HoneyDone take small, defined actions on your behalf — automatically, but always transparently and always undoable.
What automation rules can do
Every rule pairs a trigger with one action. HoneyDone supports three types of actions:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto-start a routine | Starts a routine execution automatically when the trigger fires, spawning the routine's tasks |
| Expire stale shopping items | Marks shopping list items that have been sitting untouched for a set number of days as "skipped" |
| Batch errands | Creates an advisory note when enough errand tasks for the same location have accumulated |
Automation rules can never complete tasks. Only you can mark a task done. Automation handles the routine maintenance of your household's lists, not the actual work.
Triggers
| Trigger | When it fires |
|---|---|
| Schedule | At a specific time on a recurring schedule (e.g., every Sunday at 6am) |
| Task event | When a task is created, updated, or completed |
Schedule triggers use standard cron expressions. If you're not familiar with cron syntax, common options like "every day at 8am" or "every Sunday" are available as presets when you create a rule.
Creating a rule
- Go to Automation and click New rule.
- Choose a trigger type and configure it (e.g., set a schedule or choose which task event to watch).
- Choose one of the three allowed actions and configure it.
- Give the rule a name and save.
The rule activates immediately. You can disable or delete it at any time.
The automation log
Every action taken by an automation rule is recorded in the Automation Log. Each entry shows:
- What happened
- Which item was affected
- When it happened
You can review the full log at Assistant → Automation Log.
Undoing an automated action
Every automated action can be undone. From the Automation Log, click Undo next to any entry to reverse the action:
- Auto-started routine: the undo records that the auto-start was reversed. Tasks already spawned from the routine are not automatically deleted (since you may have already worked on them), but the execution is marked as manually undone.
- Expired shopping item: the item's status is restored to "needed."
- Errand batch advisory: advisory entries are informational only — there's nothing to reverse.
Undoing is itself logged, so there's always a complete record of what happened.
Tips
- Use a weekly schedule rule to auto-start your regular cleaning or reset routine every Sunday morning so it's ready to check off.
- Use an expiry rule for grocery lists that accumulate stale items — set a generous window (60–90 days) so you only clean up things that are truly forgotten.
- Check the Automation Log occasionally to confirm rules are firing as expected.