# Quickstart for Automation Engineers

## What this is

This quickstart is the fastest path to a production-ready first Protege for an engineer owning internal automation inside a company.

## When to use it

Use this path if you care about safe rollout, least privilege, observability, and operational clarity from the start.

## What you need first

* A Hookshot workspace
* Permission to connect apps and manage Proteges
* Access to the source system and destination system for your workflow
* A workflow with a clear source, scope, and expected outcome

{% hint style="info" %}
**Engineer note:** Keep the first rollout scoped to one team, project, repo, channel, or equivalent boundary. Narrow scope is the easiest control for reducing blast radius.
{% endhint %}

## Steps

### 1. Define the operating boundary

Write these down before you build:

* Source system
* Exact trigger condition
* Output destination
* Allowed actions
* Owner of the automation
* Fast rollback method

### 2. Connect integrations with least privilege

1. Open **Integrations**.
2. Connect only the apps required for the workflow.
3. Review **Trigger Access** for what can start the Protege.
4. Review **Tool Access** for what the Protege can do.
5. Prefer the smallest connection scope that still satisfies the workflow.

### 3. Create the Protege with explicit constraints

Your description should include:

* What starts it
* What it decides
* What it produces
* What it must never do
* The narrowest practical project, repo, channel, or team scope

### 4. Resolve readiness blockers before enabling

Confirm:

* Connection health is good
* Trigger source is live and mapped correctly
* Tool access matches the expected actions
* No blocker remains in setup

### 5. Run a controlled test

Use a known-safe live event or schedule window. Then validate:

* Event Feed receives the event
* The intended Protege is associated with it
* Audit shows the corresponding run
* The outcome is correct and limited to the intended scope

### 6. Prepare rollback

Before broad rollout, document:

* How to disable the Protege
* Which integration might need repair if behavior changes
* Which team should review future changes

## How to verify

### You’re done when...

* The integration scope is as narrow as practical
* Trigger Access and Tool Access both match the workflow
* Event Feed shows the expected event path
* Audit confirms the run and result
* You can explain how to pause the Protege if needed

## Common failures

* Connections are valid but overscoped
* Trigger source is connected to the wrong workspace or resource
* Event Feed shows an event but the Protege is `unevaluated` or `skipped`
* Audit shows a run, but the output is broader than intended

## Next step

* [Safe rollout](/event-feed/safe-rollout.md)
* [Security and permissions](/workspace-settings/security-and-permissions.md)
* [Troubleshooting](/event-feed/troubleshooting.md)


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