arbazkhan971 Automate -- Task Automation & Workflow Orchestration
Activate When
- User invokes
/godmode:automate - User says "automate this", "create a cron job", "set up a webhook"
- User says "write a Makefile", "create GitHub Action", "schedule this task"
- Project lacks automation for common tasks (lint, test, build, deploy)
Workflow
Step 1: Discover Context
Detect existing: task runner (Make, Task, Justfile, npm scripts), CI/CD (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI), scheduler (crontab, k8s CronJob), scripts.
Step 2: Classify Type
| Type | Best For | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Cron/Schedule | Nightly builds, cleanup, reports | crontab, k8s CronJob, GH Actions schedule |
| Event/Webhook | Deploy on push, notifications | GitHub Actions on:, webhooks |
| Task Runner | Build, test, lint, dev setup | Make, Task, Justfile, npm scripts |
| Script | Data processing, migration | Bash, Python, Node.js |
| CI/CD | Test on PR, deploy on merge | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI |
Step 3: Cron Jobs
Format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week.
Every cron script: set -euo pipefail, lock file, logging,
failure notification, cleanup trap.
# Validate cron syntax and test scripts
crontab -l
bash -n scripts/my-cron.sh
make ci-test
IF job runtime > 80% of interval: increase interval or optimize. WHEN job fails > 3 times consecutively: alert and disable.
Step 4: Webhooks
Verify signature (HMAC-SHA256). Route by event type. Return 200 within 5 seconds.
Step 5: GitHub Actions
Pin action versions (@v4). Set permissions. Set timeout. Release automation, PR automation, scheduled tasks.
Step 6: Makefile/Taskfile
Targets: help, setup, dev, lint, format, typecheck, test, build, deploy-staging, deploy-production (with confirmation), clean, ci-lint, ci-test, ci-build.
Step 7: Script Template
Every script: set -euo pipefail, logging, --help, --dry-run, --verbose, prerequisites check, main function.
Step 8: Report
AUTOMATION REPORT:
Task: <description> | Type: <cron | webhook | workflow | script>
Trigger: <schedule | event | manual> | Error handling: <present>
# Validate Makefile and list targets
make -n ci-test
crontab -l
bash -n scripts/*.sh
# Validate automation scripts and Makefile targets
make -n ci-test
crontab -l
bash -n scripts/*.sh
# Validate automation scripts
crontab -l
git status
make -n test
Key Behaviors
- Detect before generating. Add to existing Makefile, don't create competing files.
- Error handling is mandatory. Log, notify, exit non-zero.
- Lock files prevent overlap. No concurrent duplicate execution.
- Idempotency required. Safe to run twice.
- Dry-run for destructive ops.
--dry-runis non-negotiable. - Secrets injected, never hardcoded.
- Logging required. Start, actions, completion.
- Timeouts prevent runaway jobs.
Flags & Options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| (none) | Interactive workflow |
--cron <expr> |
Scheduled job |
--webhook <event> |
Webhook handler |
--workflow <name> |
GitHub Actions workflow |
--script <name> |
Standalone script |
--makefile |
Generate/update Makefile |
--hook <git-hook> |
Git hook |
--audit |
Audit existing automation |
HARD RULES
Never ask to continue. Loop autonomously until all automation artifacts pass dry-run and have error handling.
- NEVER automate without error handling.
- NEVER hardcode secrets.
- EVERY scheduled job MUST have a lock file.
- EVERY script MUST support --dry-run.
- EVERY task MUST log start/actions/completion.
- EVERY CI workflow MUST have a timeout.
- EVERY scheduled GH Actions MUST have workflow_dispatch.
- NEVER duplicate existing automation.
- NEVER schedule at midnight UTC.
Output Format
AUTOMATION RESULT:
Type: <cron | webhook | workflow | script> | Trigger: <schedule | event | manual>
Error handling: present | Dry-run: supported | Timeout: set
Auto-Detection
1. ls Makefile Taskfile.yml justfile Rakefile build.gradle
2. ls .github/workflows/*.yml .gitlab-ci.yml
3. ls package.json pyproject.toml go.mod
4. ls scripts/ bin/ tools/
Platform Fallback
Run sequentially: scripts, then CI workflows, then scheduler configuration.
TSV Logging
Append to .godmode/automate-results.tsv:
timestamp task type trigger frequency file error_handling timeout status
One row per automation artifact. Never overwrite previous rows.
Error Recovery
| Failure | Action |
|---|---|
| Task runner not detected | Check for ALL known runners before creating new. If none exist, ask user preference: Make, Task, or npm scripts. |
| Cron syntax invalid | Validate with crontab.guru. Common mistake: */5 means every 5 minutes, not the 5th minute. |
| GitHub Actions workflow fails | Check runner OS, secrets exist in repo settings, actions versions pinned (@v4 not @latest), timeout set. |
| Script fails in CI but works locally | Check PATH, working directory, missing deps in lockfile, env vars not set in CI. Add env dump in debug mode. |
Quality Targets
- Target: <10s for task runner cold start
- Target: >95% automation success rate over 30 days
- Webhook response: <5s acknowledgment
- Cron job max runtime: <80% of schedule interval
Success Criteria
- Automation script runs with
--dry-runwithout side effects. - Error handling present:
set -euo pipefail(bash) or try/catch with meaningful messages. - Logging captures start time, actions taken, completion status.
- Concurrency guard exists for scheduled jobs (lock file or flock).
Keep/Discard Discipline
After EACH automation artifact:
KEEP if: dry-run passes AND error handling present AND logging captures start/actions/completion
DISCARD if: no error handling OR secrets hardcoded OR no dry-run support for destructive ops
On discard: revert. Fix error handling before retrying.
Stop Conditions
STOP when ALL of:
- Script runs with --dry-run without side effects
- Error handling present with meaningful messages
- Logging captures start, actions, and completion
- Concurrency guard exists for scheduled jobs