Desktop Automation Overview
Desktop Automation is an add-on for Alteryx Designer that lets an individual user schedule Designer workflows to run automatically on their computer.
Desktop Automation is built into Designer. It doesn’t require a separate application or installation. Your organization purchases Desktop Automation on a per-user basis, and an Alteryx One administrator assigns Desktop Automation access to the users who need it.
Requirements
To use Desktop Automation:
Your organization must have purchased Desktop Automation seats.
You must have the required Designer access for your Alteryx One edition.
A Workspace Admin must assign you the Desktop Automation User role when you use the Alteryx One licensing model.
You must activate Desktop Automation using a supported activation method for your Designer version and licensing model.
For administrator steps, go to Assign Desktop Automation Access.
For Alteryx One activation and setup, go to Activate Desktop Automation with Alteryx One.
If you use license key activation with Designer version 2025.2 or earlier, go to Activate Desktop Automation with License Keys.
When to Use Desktop Automation
Use Desktop Automation when you want to schedule Designer workflows to run locally on a single user’s computer.
Desktop Automation is appropriate when:
The workflow should run in the same desktop environment where it was created or configured.
A single user owns and manages the schedule.
The computer can remain powered on and awake when the workflow is scheduled to run.
Desktop Automation Compared with Other Scheduling Options
Need | Recommended Option |
|---|---|
Schedule workflows on a single user’s computer | Desktop Automation |
Run and schedule workflows in a managed Alteryx One environment | Workspace Execution |
Run and schedule workflows in a self-managed server environment | Alteryx Server |
How Desktop Automation Works
Desktop Automation uses AlteryxService on the user’s computer to run scheduled workflows.
A scheduled workflow can run from its original file location or through the local Scheduler database, depending on how the schedule is configured.
The computer must be running and awake when a scheduled workflow is due to run.
Schedule and Manage Workflows
After Desktop Automation is activated:
Use Schedule Workflow to create local schedules.
Use View Schedules to review workflows, schedules, queued jobs, and results.
For more information, go to: