19.1 UiPath Assistant: Automations, Reminders, Widgets & Configuration

19.1 UiPath Assistant: Automations, Reminders, Widgets & Configuration

Core Concept: UiPath Assistant is the desktop client through which people run attended automations. The exam description lists Assistant widgets, configuration, Marketplace, and schedules (reminders). Developers need to know what users see and how administrators control it.

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The Assistant Interface

The Pause button can be disabled for a process in Studio's process settings. A running process can show custom progress messages with the Report Status activity.

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Reminders: Scheduling Attended Automations

Attended robots do not use Orchestrator time triggers, so Assistant offers reminders:

• A reminder sets a time or recurring period at which the user is notified to start an automation.
• Automations with reminders are listed on the Reminders tab.
• A notification appears just before the automation is due. The user's approval is required to start it: they can start it, snooze it for 10 minutes, or dismiss it.

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Configuring an Automation

Selecting an automation shows its details panel, where the user can configure it before running:

• Inputs: values for the automation's input arguments, with mandatory fields marked by an asterisk. Automations without input arguments have no Inputs section.
• Connections: for automations that use Integration Service connectors, the user can select or create the connections they need; Assistant also offers a Connections area and can open connection management in the browser.

Designing attended automations with clear, typed input arguments and descriptions makes this panel self-explanatory for users.

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Widgets

Widgets extend Assistant with extra tabs:

• Deployment is governed by Automation Ops policies for Assistant.
• Widgets come from the Official feed or from the tenant's Orchestrator library feed, where custom widgets are uploaded as packages.
• The Apps and Marketplace widgets are examples of UiPath-provided widgets.

The Marketplace widget

• Lets users browse ready-to-go automations published on UiPath Marketplace.
• Selecting Install adds the automation to the user's Personal Workspace in Orchestrator, so the Personal Workspace must be enabled for the user.
• Offline users can browse but must sign in to install.
• When an automation is installed, Install changes to View, and Update appears when a new version is published.
• Configurable parameters of installed automations can be edited in the details panel.

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Governance with Automation Ops Policies

Administrators use Assistant policies in Automation Ops to control, for example:

• which widgets are deployed,
• which features and settings users can change,
• and default behaviors such as startup options.

Policies apply per user or group, so different teams can get different Assistant setups.

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Robot Session (Picture in Picture) from Assistant

Processes can run in a Robot session (previously Picture in Picture) so that the automation works in an isolated session or desktop while the user keeps working. Whether a process starts there by default depends on the PiP options set in Studio's Project Settings; the next section covers the details.

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Designing Attended Automations for Assistant

• Name and describe the process clearly; users pick it from a list.
• Use input arguments with clear names, types, and defaults so the Inputs panel is easy to fill in.
• Report progress with Report Status during long steps, and decide in Studio whether users may pause the process.
• Plan connections: if the automation uses Integration Service connectors, tell users which connection to select or create.
• Decide on PiP: test the process in a Robot session and set the PiP options before publishing.

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Worked Example: A Month-End Helper

An accounts team uses three attended automations:

1. Download statements runs every last working day. Each accountant sets a monthly reminder, and approves the run when the notification appears.
2. Reconcile account asks for an account number and period in its Inputs and uses the user's Outlook connection to email the result.
3. Post adjustments runs in a Robot session, so the accountant can keep working in Excel while it types into the ERP.

The team lead adds a custom widget with month-end instructions through an Automation Ops policy.

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Common Traps

• Reminders notify; they do not start attended automations without the user's approval.
• The Marketplace widget installs into the Personal Workspace.
• Widgets are deployed through Automation Ops policies, not by copying files to user machines.