Make automation traces accessible to everyone

[nielsrowinbik]

Problem statement

The automation traces view is technically powerful but has poor UX, particularly for non-technical users who struggle to extract meaning from it. At the same time, the community has built remarkable third-party integrations that render automations as interactive visual flows, demonstrating strong user appetite for a better experience.

Scope & Boundaries

In scope

• Redesign of the traces view with a cleaner, more readable layout (timeline, step-by-step result, pass/fail indicators)
• Exploration of a visual flow representation of an automation's execution path, grounded in existing traces data

Not in scope

• Replacing the YAML back-end
• Introducing a full node-based editor

Foreseen solution

A redesigned traces panel that presents the execution path visually: nodes for triggers, conditions, and actions, highlighted to show which path was taken and why each step passed or failed. Much like we have currently, but more visually appealing and with the details more integrated. If possible, it would be great to show live progress of a running automation, too.

The underlying data already exists (with the possible exception of the live view); this is primarily a frontend/UX effort.

Community signals

• Repeated feedback that traces are only useful to power users (source needed)

Risks & open questions

• How far do we go toward a "flow editor" without committing to that paradigm?

Appetite

Large — ~2 cycles. Frontend-heavy, but the underlying data model is already (mostly) there.

Execution issues

No response

Decision log

Date	Decision	Outcome