An AI automation preflight is the last check before a workflow moves from manual review into unattended operation. It confirms the sources, inputs, output shape, private-data boundary, review path, and rollback artifact are clear enough for a scheduled run.
This page is for one launch decision: run, narrow, or stop. A preflight is not a broad policy exercise. It is a compact record that proves the workflow has the evidence it needs and gives the operator a safe way to pause or recover when the evidence is missing.
When To Use It
Use it before scheduling a report, content update, source check, template workflow, or client-facing automation.
Use the checklist when the workflow affects public content, client deliverables, spreadsheet reports, buying decisions, source-backed recommendations, or reusable templates. Skip it only for throwaway private notes that will not be published, delivered, reused, or used as evidence for another decision.
The output should be a short go/no-go note that names the input, source evidence, review rule, rollback path, and stop conditions. If the operator cannot name those pieces, the workflow is not ready for unattended operation.
Preflight Questions
Answer these before the automation runs:
- What exact input will the workflow read?
- Which sources support the claims, calculations, or recommendations?
- What output should be produced, and what output should be rejected?
- Which private values, credentials, or customer details must never appear in the output?
- What is the smallest sample that proves the workflow still behaves correctly?
- Which published page, template, runbook, or client promise would be affected if the workflow fails?
- What manual fallback keeps the work useful if the automation stops?
If any answer is missing, keep the workflow in review. Do not repair weak evidence by adding more words. Repair it by narrowing the workflow, improving the source packet, or moving the task back to manual delivery.
Preflight Decision Table
Use a simple decision table:
| Signal | Go | Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Sources | Every required source is reachable and relevant. | A cited source is missing, unrelated, or too vague. |
| Output | The result matches the expected format and source evidence. | The result invents a claim, metric, quote, price, or recommendation. |
| Privacy | Inputs exclude secrets and unnecessary personal data. | The workflow asks for a token, password, private ID, or customer-only detail. |
| Review | A reviewer can check the output quickly. | Review would require rewriting most of the result. |
| Rollback | The last safe version or manual fallback is named. | Nobody can say what to restore if the run fails. |
The stop side is the important side. A safe unattended workflow needs clear rejection rules, not only a list of ideal conditions.
Preflight Log Template
Copy this preflight note into the workflow log:
Workflow:
Date:
Input location:
Required sources:
Expected output:
Private values excluded:
Sample checked:
Go signals present:
Stop signals checked:
Manual fallback:
Rollback artifact:
Decision:
Next review date:Keep the note short enough to complete during a routine daily run. If the preflight note becomes long, the workflow may be trying to cover too many jobs at once.
Related Operator Stack Pages
- Keep operating steps in the AI automation runbook template.
- Define acceptance checks with the AI automation acceptance criteria checklist.
- Record source evidence in the AI workflow source log template.
- Prepare recovery with the AI automation rollback plan template.
- Track repeated failures in the AI automation exception log template.