Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bricks.tools/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Automations are end-to-end tests that run directly on devices via BRICKS Foundation. Use them to simulate user interactions, verify application behavior, and perform visual regression testing.

Automation types

BRICKS supports three types of automations:
TypeDescription
LaunchRuns automatically when the application starts on a device
AnytimeTriggered manually or via the CLI at any time
CronRuns on a schedule at specified intervals

Launch automations on bind

When you bind an application to a device, you can select a Launch type automation to run automatically each time the application starts. This is useful for self-check routines, data initialization, or automated setup that should happen on every launch.

Open the automations panel

  • From the device — Open the system menu and tap Automations
  • From BRICKS CLI — Send the action to a device group:
bricks group dispatch <group-id> test-panel-open

Run automations from the CLI

Use the BRICKS CLI to trigger automations programmatically:
# Start an automation
bricks app trigger <app-id> <test-id> --play

# Stop a running automation
bricks app trigger <app-id> <test-id> --stop

# Set up automation to run at launch
bricks app trigger <app-id> <test-id> --setup-at-launch

# Target a specific device group
bricks app trigger <app-id> <test-id> --play -g <group-id>

Simulation actions

Automations can simulate user interactions on the device:
  • Brick press — Simulate tapping a brick
  • Key events — Simulate keyboard input
  • HTTP requests — Send requests and validate responses

Assertions

Automations include 6+ assertion types for validating application state:
  • Verify data values match expected results
  • Check generator output
  • Validate canvas state
  • Visual regression — Capture screenshots and compare against baseline images

Define automations in code

When using bricks-ctor, automations are defined in the automation-tests/ directory of your project:
my-app/
├── automation-tests/    # E2E test definitions
├── app.ts
├── subspaces/
└── ...
See the bricks-ctor built-in skill for detailed reference on automation types, simulation actions, and assertion patterns.

Next steps

Debug panel

Inspect runtime state on the device.

Application management

Manage application versions and deployment.