Launch your first automation safely

Before anything in Spacebrain contacts real customers, run through four simple steps: plan it, test it on yourself, launch to a small group, then review and improve. This guide walks you through that routine with a worked example. It's for whoever builds or approves automations, AI agents, email campaigns, forms and pages.

Use the same routine again whenever you make a big change, such as a new audience, a new sender, new AI instructions or a new schedule.

Before you begin

• A test contact: yourself, with an email address or phone number you can check. Label it clearly, for example Test – Maya (internal).
• The right workspace: check the name at the top of the left sidebar.
• Any account the automation needs is connected, such as your email in Inbox → Email accounts or a phone number in Chat & Voice → Phone Numbers.
• Permission to contact the people you'll eventually send to, and the opt-out wording your region requires.
• A second person who can pause things if you're not around.

Step 1: Plan it

Write down, in one or two sentences, what should happen. Be specific.

• Too vague: "Send a follow-up."
• Clear: "When someone fills in the quote form, create a task for Priya to call them within one business day."

Then answer these questions:

Step 2: Test it on yourself

1. Build the automation, agent, form or page.
2. If there's a preview or dry run, use it first. For automations, select Run dry test to see which path your contact would take without changing anything.
3. Run it once for real, using only your test contact.
4. Wait a minute, then check that the result is there (see the table below). Don't run it again until you've checked. A slow result isn't always a failed one, and running twice can create duplicates.
5. Also try one thing that should not work, such as a contact with no email address, or someone who has opted out. Make sure nothing is sent.

Where to check the result

You're ready to move on when the result appears once, in the right place, for the right person, and nothing unexpected happened.

Previews are different from real tests. A form preview only shows how it looks. Some tests create real records, messages, calls or even payments, so read what a test button does before you select it.

Step 3: Launch to a small group

Don't jump from one test to your whole audience.

1. Choose a small group first, such as today's new leads or 10–20 contacts.
2. Note the start time and who's watching.
3. Decide in advance when you'll pause, for example after two errors, one complaint, or any message sent to the wrong person.
4. Switch it on. For automations, select Publish. For forms, select Publish.
5. Keep the results page open (for example Automations → Runs or the Inbox) while the first few go through.

How to pause quickly

• Automations: open the automation and select Pause.
• Forms: open the form and select Unpublish.
• Email automations: pause the automation from Email → Automations.
• AI agents: remove the agent from the phone number or chat widget it's connected to.

Make sure the person watching knows how to do this without asking the builder.

Step 4: Review and improve

After the small group has gone through, compare what happened with your plan. Ask these questions in order and stop at the first "no":

1. Did the right people or records start the automation?
2. Did Spacebrain do each step once?
3. Did the connected app (email provider, calendar, phone) accept it?
4. Did the customer or teammate get what they needed?
5. Were errors, opt-outs, complaints and credit use within your limits?

Fix the first thing that went wrong, and only that. Changing several things at once makes it hard to tell what worked. Then test again on yourself (Step 2) before you widen the audience.

Early numbers can mislead. With only a few contacts, one result swings the percentage a lot, and some reports take time to update. Look at the actual records as well as the charts. See reports and analytics.

Worked example: follow up with every new lead

Sam wants every new website lead to get a call from Priya.

1. Plan: "When a lead is created, create a task called Review new lead, assigned to Priya, due in one day."
2. Build: In Automations → All Automations, Sam selects New Automation, then Describe with Orbit, and types the sentence above. Orbit prepares a plan. Sam reviews it and selects Save draft. (Orbit AI uses credits.)
3. Test: Sam selects Run dry test, then publishes and adds a test lead named Test – Sam (internal). In Automations → Runs, the run shows as complete. In Tasks, Priya has one task linked to the test lead.
4. Check for surprises: Sam confirms the test lead received no email or text (this version only creates a task) and that exactly one task was created.
5. Launch: They leave it running for one day and check every run.
6. Improve: Priya asks for the lead's phone number in the task title. Sam changes only that, tests once more, and leaves it running.

Want a ready-made version? See the lead follow-up automation recipe.

If something goes wrong

For a step-by-step checklist, see the troubleshooting guide.

FAQ

Do I need to do all four steps for small changes?

For small wording fixes, a quick test on yourself is usually enough. Repeat all four steps when you change who receives it, which account sends it, the AI's instructions, the schedule or anything involving payments.

Is it safe to test with real customers?

No. Always test with yourself or a teammate who has agreed to receive test messages.

What if my plan doesn't include the feature I want to test?

You'll see an upgrade message, such as Upgrade required or Upgrade to activate. Plans differ in what they include and how many automations can be active at once. Check Settings → Billing for your plan's limits.

Next step

Pick the guide for your role in Quick starts by role.