Back up your automation settings, not just your data

People are careful about backing up their files but forget that automation settings — the steps, the conditions, the connections between tools — deserve the same care. If a workflow gets deleted or corrupted by mistake, you want a copy to fall back on.

This matters because rebuilding an automation from memory is slower and less accurate than most people expect. You forget the exact condition that handled an edge case, or the reason a delay was set the way it was, and the rebuilt version quietly does something slightly different from the original. A saved copy of the setup avoids that guesswork entirely and gets you back to working order fast. I export a copy of my most important automation before I touch anything else about it, a habit I picked up after learning the hard way that rebuilding one from memory never comes out quite the same.

Most automation tools let you export or duplicate a workflow. Do that regularly, especially before making a big change.

Try this today: export or duplicate a copy of your most important automation before you change anything else about it.