feat(automation): make a successful fire visible

Every logger call in the automation module was a failure path, so a working automation and a misconfigured one looked identical: nothing happened either way, as far as the user could see. Two channels, because they answer different questions. A new AUTOMATION log origin says what happened and when. A coalesced socket message feeds a "last fired" column in the panel, which answers whether an automation is alive at all: one that stays blank while its neighbours tick is the clearest sign that a filter or a trigger is wrong. Flood control is the whole difficulty here. onClock fires every second and the logger queue holds 100 entries, so per-fire logging on a continuous lifecycle would evict everything else within two minutes. Those cycles log a single notice per load explaining the silence and nothing after; the rest dedupe inside a one second window so a rapid reload does not spam. The socket message still goes out for continuous cycles, throttled to once a second, because the panel needs it to show the automation is running. Log.tsx carried six copies of the same twelve line button. Adding a seventh origin was the moment to collapse them, so the next one is free. The client log store was also unbounded while the server queue is capped; it now holds 500 entries. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01LpbLJVVT26tzWkduck1M9H
2026-08-11 10:23:54 +00:00 · 2026-08-08 11:06:11 +00:00
parent f1bf8e8bee
commit 5ea3845f0d
12 changed files with 337 additions and 109 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import type { TimerLifeCycle } from 'ontime-types';
+import { useStore } from 'zustand';
+import { createStore } from 'zustand/vanilla';
+
+type FiredRecord = { at: number; cycle: TimerLifeCycle };
+
+type AutomationFiredStore = {
+  fired: Record<string, FiredRecord>;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Tracks when each automation last ran.
+ * Ephemeral by design: this is runtime feedback for the settings panel, not project data,
+ * and it is fed by a socket message the server already coalesces to once a second per automation
+ */
+const automationFired = createStore<AutomationFiredStore>(() => ({
+  fired: {},
+}));
+
+export const useAutomationFired = () => useStore(automationFired);
+
+export const addAutomationFired = (automationId: string, cycle: TimerLifeCycle) =>
+  automationFired.setState((state) => ({
+    fired: { ...state.fired, [automationId]: { at: Date.now(), cycle } },
+  }));
@@ -17,9 +17,15 @@ const logger = createStore<LogStore>(() => ({

 export const useLogData = () => useStore(logger);

+/**
+ * The server queue is capped at 100 entries, the client's was not.
+ * A long show with chatty automations would otherwise grow this forever.
+ */
+const maxLogEntries = 500;
+
 export const addLog = (log: Log) =>
  logger.setState((state) => ({
-    logs: [log, ...state.logs],
+    logs: [log, ...state.logs].slice(0, maxLogEntries),
  }));

 export const clearLogs = () => logger.setState({ logs: [] });
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import {
  setClients,
 } from '../stores/clientStore';
 import { addDialog } from '../stores/dialogStore';
+import { addAutomationFired } from '../stores/automationFired';
 import { addLog } from '../stores/logger';
 import { patchRuntime, patchRuntimeProperty } from '../stores/runtime';

@@ -173,6 +174,10 @@ export const connectSocket = () => {
          addLog(payload as Log);
          break;
        }
+        case MessageTag.AutomationFired: {
+          addAutomationFired(payload.automationId, payload.cycle);
+          break;
+        }
        case MessageTag.RuntimeData: {
          patchRuntime(payload);
          updateDevTools(payload);
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { preventEscape } from '../../../../common/utils/keyEvent';
 import { isOnlyNumbers } from '../../../../common/utils/regex';
 import { isOntimeCloud } from '../../../../externals';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+import useAppSettingsNavigation from '../../useAppSettingsNavigation';

 const oscApiDocsUrl = 'https://docs.getontime.no/api/protocols/osc/';

@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ export default function AutomationSettingsForm({
  oscInputState,
  isLoading,
 }: AutomationSettingsProps) {
+  const { setLocation } = useAppSettingsNavigation();
  const {
    handleSubmit,
    reset,
@@ -97,7 +99,12 @@ export default function AutomationSettingsForm({
            <span>- An automation is what to send: OSC and HTTP messages, or an action inside Ontime.</span>
            <span>- A trigger is when to send it. Triggers for a single event live in the event editor.</span>
            <span>- OSC Input tells Ontime to listen to messages on the specific port.</span>
-            <ExternalLink href={oscApiDocsUrl}>See the docs</ExternalLink>
+            <Info.Footer>
+              <ExternalLink href={oscApiDocsUrl}>See the docs</ExternalLink>
+              <Button variant='ghosted' size='small' onClick={() => setLocation('network__log')}>
+                Automations report to the event log
+              </Button>
+            </Info.Footer>
          </Info>
        </Panel.Section>

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
 .muted {
  color: $muted-gray;
 }
+
+.lastFired {
+  font-size: $aux-text-size;
+  color: $green-400;
+}
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Automation, AutomationDTO, NormalisedAutomation, Trigger } from 'ontime-types';
-import { Fragment, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { Fragment, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoAdd, IoPencil, IoSparklesOutline, IoTrash } from 'react-icons/io5';

 import { deleteAutomation } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
 import Tag from '../../../../common/components/tag/Tag';
 import { getLifecycleLabel } from '../../../../common/constants/timerLifecycle';
 import useAutomationSettings from '../../../../common/hooks-query/useAutomationSettings';
+import { useAutomationFired } from '../../../../common/stores/automationFired';
 import { summariseOutputs } from '../../../../common/utils/automationOutputs';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
 import AutomationForm from './AutomationForm';
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
  };

  const lifecyclesByAutomation = useMemo(() => groupTriggersByAutomation(triggers), [triggers]);
+  const { fired } = useAutomationFired();

  const arrayAutomations = Object.keys(automations);

@@ -105,10 +107,11 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
          <Panel.Table>
            <thead>
              <tr>
-                <th style={{ width: '35%' }}>Title</th>
-                <th style={{ width: '25%' }}>Runs on</th>
-                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Filter rule</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '30%' }}>Title</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '22%' }}>Runs on</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '13%' }}>Filter rule</th>
                <th style={{ width: '15%' }}>Sends</th>
+                <th style={{ width: '12%' }}>Last fired</th>
                <th />
              </tr>
            </thead>
@@ -164,6 +167,9 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
                          ))
                        )}
                      </Panel.InlineElements>
+                      <td>
+                        <LastFired at={fired[automationId]?.at} />
+                      </td>
                      <Panel.InlineElements align='end' relation='inner' as='td'>
                        <IconButton
                          variant='ghosted-white'
@@ -186,7 +192,7 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
              })}
              {deleteError && (
                <tr>
-                  <td colSpan={5}>
+                  <td colSpan={6}>
                    <Panel.Error>{deleteError}</Panel.Error>
                  </td>
                </tr>
@@ -198,3 +204,41 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
    </Panel.Section>
  );
 }
+
+/**
+ * Shows how long ago an automation last ran.
+ * An automation that never ticks while its neighbours do is the clearest signal
+ * that something upstream of it, a filter or a trigger, is wrong
+ */
+function LastFired({ at }: { at?: number }) {
+  const [, setTick] = useState(0);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (at === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const interval = setInterval(() => setTick((value) => value + 1), 1000);
+    return () => clearInterval(interval);
+  }, [at]);
+
+  if (at === undefined) {
+    return <span className={style.muted}>—</span>;
+  }
+
+  return <span className={style.lastFired}>{formatElapsed(Date.now() - at)}</span>;
+}
+
+function formatElapsed(elapsed: number): string {
+  const seconds = Math.max(0, Math.floor(elapsed / 1000));
+  if (seconds < 5) {
+    return 'just now';
+  }
+  if (seconds < 60) {
+    return `${seconds}s ago`;
+  }
+  const minutes = Math.floor(seconds / 60);
+  if (minutes < 60) {
+    return `${minutes}m ago`;
+  }
+  return `${Math.floor(minutes / 60)}h ago`;
+}
@@ -9,118 +9,50 @@ import * as Panel from '../app-settings/panel-utils/PanelUtils';

 import style from './Log.module.scss';

+const origins = Object.values(LogOrigin);
+
+type OriginFilters = Record<LogOrigin, boolean>;
+
+const allEnabled = Object.fromEntries(origins.map((origin) => [origin, true])) as OriginFilters;
+
 export default function Log() {
  const { logs: logData } = useLogData();
  const isExtracted = window.location.pathname.includes('/log');

-  const [showClient, setShowClient] = useState(true);
-  const [showServer, setShowServer] = useState(true);
-  const [showRx, setShowRx] = useState(true);
-  const [showTx, setShowTx] = useState(true);
-  const [showPlayback, setShowPlayback] = useState(true);
-  const [showUser, setShowUser] = useState(true);
+  const [filters, setFilters] = useState<OriginFilters>(allEnabled);

-  const matchers: LogOrigin[] = [];
-  if (showUser) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.User);
-  }
-  if (showClient) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.Client);
-  }
-  if (showServer) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.Server);
-  }
-  if (showRx) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.Rx);
-  }
-  if (showTx) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.Tx);
-  }
-  if (showPlayback) {
-    matchers.push(LogOrigin.Playback);
-  }
+  const filteredData = logData.filter((entry) => filters[entry.origin as LogOrigin]);

-  const filteredData = logData.filter((entry) => matchers.some((match) => entry.origin === match));
+  const toggleOrigin = useCallback((origin: LogOrigin) => {
+    setFilters((prev) => ({ ...prev, [origin]: !prev[origin] }));
+  }, []);

-  const disableOthers = useCallback((toEnable: LogOrigin) => {
-    setShowUser(toEnable === LogOrigin.User);
-    setShowClient(toEnable === LogOrigin.Client);
-    setShowServer(toEnable === LogOrigin.Server);
-    setShowRx(toEnable === LogOrigin.Rx);
-    setShowTx(toEnable === LogOrigin.Tx);
-    setShowPlayback(toEnable === LogOrigin.Playback);
+  /** middle click solos an origin */
+  const soloOrigin = useCallback((toEnable: LogOrigin) => {
+    setFilters(Object.fromEntries(origins.map((origin) => [origin, origin === toEnable])) as OriginFilters);
  }, []);

  return (
    <div className={cx([style.container, isExtracted && style.extracted])}>
      <Panel.InlineElements className={style.buttonBar}>
        <span className={style.filterLabel}>Filter by</span>
-        <Button
-          variant={showUser ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showUser}
-          aria-label={`${showUser ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.User} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowUser((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.User)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.User}
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={showClient ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showClient}
-          aria-label={`${showClient ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.Client} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowClient((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.Client)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.Client}
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={showServer ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showServer}
-          aria-label={`${showServer ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.Server} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowServer((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.Server)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.Server}
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={showPlayback ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showPlayback}
-          aria-label={`${showPlayback ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.Playback} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowPlayback((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.Playback)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.Playback}
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={showRx ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showRx}
-          aria-label={`${showRx ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.Rx} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowRx((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.Rx)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.Rx}
-        </Button>
-        <Button
-          variant={showTx ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
-          size='small'
-          aria-pressed={showTx}
-          aria-label={`${showTx ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${LogOrigin.Tx} events`}
-          onClick={() => setShowTx((s) => !s)}
-          onAuxClick={() => disableOthers(LogOrigin.Tx)}
-          onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
-        >
-          {LogOrigin.Tx}
-        </Button>
+        {origins.map((origin) => {
+          const isEnabled = filters[origin];
+          return (
+            <Button
+              key={origin}
+              variant={isEnabled ? 'primary' : 'subtle'}
+              size='small'
+              aria-pressed={isEnabled}
+              aria-label={`${isEnabled ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} ${origin} events`}
+              onClick={() => toggleOrigin(origin)}
+              onAuxClick={() => soloOrigin(origin)}
+              onContextMenu={(e) => e.preventDefault()}
+            >
+              {origin}
+            </Button>
+          );
+        })}
        <Button variant='subtle-destructive' size='small' onClick={clearLogs} className={style.apart}>
          <IoClose /> Clear
        </Button>
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import { PlayableEvent, TimerLifeCycle } from 'ontime-types';

+import { socket } from '../../../adapters/WebsocketAdapter.js';
+import { logger } from '../../../classes/Logger.js';
 import { makeRuntimeStoreData } from '../../../stores/__mocks__/runtimeStore.mocks.js';
 import { RuntimeState } from '../../../stores/runtimeState.js';
 import { makeOntimeEvent } from '../../rundown/__mocks__/rundown.mocks.js';
 import { addAutomation, addTrigger, deleteAllTriggers } from '../automation.dao.js';
-import { testConditions, triggerAutomations } from '../automation.service.js';
+import { resetAutomationLogState, testConditions, triggerAutomations } from '../automation.service.js';
 import * as httpClient from '../clients/http.client.js';
 import * as oscClient from '../clients/osc.client.js';
 import { makeHTTPAction, makeOSCAction } from './testUtils.js';
@@ -644,3 +646,99 @@ describe('testConditions()', () => {
    });
  });
 });
+
+/**
+ * A successful fire used to be invisible. Making it visible is only useful if the log
+ * stays readable: onClock fires every second and the logger queue holds 100 entries.
+ */
+describe('automation reporting', () => {
+  let logSpy = vi.spyOn(logger, 'info');
+  let socketSpy = vi.spyOn(socket, 'sendAsJson');
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(oscClient, 'emitOSC').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    logSpy = vi.spyOn(logger, 'info').mockImplementation(() => {});
+    socketSpy = vi.spyOn(socket, 'sendAsJson').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+    await deleteAllTriggers();
+    resetAutomationLogState();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  async function bind(title: string, cycle: TimerLifeCycle) {
+    const automation = await addAutomation({
+      title,
+      filterRule: 'all',
+      filters: [],
+      outputs: [makeOSCAction()],
+    });
+    await addTrigger({ title, trigger: cycle, automationId: automation.id });
+    return automation;
+  }
+
+  it('logs once per automation that fires, not once per output', async () => {
+    await bind('reporting-finish', TimerLifeCycle.onFinish);
+    logSpy.mockClear();
+
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onFinish);
+
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(logSpy.mock.calls[0][1]).toContain('reporting-finish');
+  });
+
+  it('never logs per fire on a continuous lifecycle, and explains itself once', async () => {
+    await bind('reporting-clock', TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    logSpy.mockClear();
+
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(logSpy.mock.calls[0][1]).toContain('suppressed');
+  });
+
+  it('shows the suppression notice again after a reload', async () => {
+    await bind('reporting-clock', TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    logSpy.mockClear();
+
+    // onLoad bookends a run and resets the reporting state
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onLoad);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+
+    expect(logSpy.mock.calls.some(([, message]) => String(message).includes('suppressed'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('collapses repeats of the same automation and cycle inside the throttle window', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    await bind('reporting-danger', TimerLifeCycle.onDanger);
+    logSpy.mockClear();
+
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onDanger);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onDanger);
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1001);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onDanger);
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('reports a fire to the clients at most once a second, including on continuous lifecycles', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    await bind('reporting-clock', TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    socketSpy.mockClear();
+
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    expect(socketSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1001);
+    triggerAutomations(TimerLifeCycle.onClock);
+    expect(socketSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import {
+  type Automation,
  type AutomationFilter,
  type AutomationOutput,
  type FilterRule,
  LogOrigin,
+  MessageTag,
  RuntimeStore,
  TimerLifeCycle,
  isHTTPOutput,
@@ -11,19 +13,54 @@ import {
 } from 'ontime-types';
 import { getPropertyFromPath } from 'ontime-utils';

+import { socket } from '../../adapters/WebsocketAdapter.js';
 import { logger } from '../../classes/Logger.js';
 import { isOntimeCloud } from '../../setup/environment.js';
 import { eventStore } from '../../stores/EventStore.js';
 import { getAutomationTriggers, getAutomations, getAutomationsEnabled } from './automation.dao.js';
-import { isContained, isEquivalent, isGreaterThan, isLessThan } from './automation.utils.js';
+import { isContained, isEquivalent, isGreaterThan, isLessThan, summariseOutputs } from './automation.utils.js';
 import { emitHTTP } from './clients/http.client.js';
 import { toOntimeAction } from './clients/ontime.client.js';
 import { emitOSC } from './clients/osc.client.js';

+/**
+ * Lifecycles that fire continuously while the timer runs.
+ * The logger queue holds 100 entries, so logging every onClock fire would evict
+ * everything else within two minutes and make the log useless.
+ */
+const continuousCycles: TimerLifeCycle[] = [TimerLifeCycle.onClock, TimerLifeCycle.onUpdate];
+
+/** floor between two reports about the same automation, in milliseconds */
+const reportThrottleMs = 1000;
+
+/** automations we have already warned about being bound to a continuous lifecycle */
+const suppressionNotices = new Set<string>();
+/** last time we logged a given automation + cycle pair */
+const lastLoggedAt = new Map<string, number>();
+/** last time we told the clients about a given automation */
+const lastReportedAt = new Map<string, number>();
+
+/**
+ * Clears the per-load logging state.
+ * Called when the runtime loads or stops so the suppression notice is shown again
+ * for the next show rather than once per server lifetime
+ */
+export function resetAutomationLogState() {
+  suppressionNotices.clear();
+  lastLoggedAt.clear();
+  lastReportedAt.clear();
+}
+
 /**
 * Exposes a method for triggering actions based on a TimerLifeCycle event
 */
 export function triggerAutomations(cycle: TimerLifeCycle) {
+  // a load or a stop bookends a run: start reporting from scratch so the next show
+  // gets its own suppression notice rather than inheriting one from the last
+  if (cycle === TimerLifeCycle.onLoad || cycle === TimerLifeCycle.onStop) {
+    resetAutomationLogState();
+  }
+
  if (!getAutomationsEnabled()) {
    return;
  }
@@ -63,10 +100,48 @@ export function triggerAutomations(cycle: TimerLifeCycle) {
    const shouldSend = testConditions(automation.filters, automation.filterRule, store);
    if (shouldSend) {
      send(automation.outputs, store);
+      reportFired(trigger.automationId, automation, cycle);
    }
  });
 }

+/**
+ * Makes a successful automation visible, which it previously was not:
+ * the log answers what happened, the socket message answers whether an automation is alive
+ */
+function reportFired(automationId: string, automation: Automation, cycle: TimerLifeCycle) {
+  const now = Date.now();
+
+  // the panel shows a last fired time, so continuous lifecycles still report, but at most once a second
+  const lastReported = lastReportedAt.get(automationId);
+  if (lastReported === undefined || now - lastReported >= reportThrottleMs) {
+    lastReportedAt.set(automationId, now);
+    socket.sendAsJson(MessageTag.AutomationFired, { automationId, cycle });
+  }
+
+  if (continuousCycles.includes(cycle)) {
+    // one notice per load is enough to explain why the log goes quiet from here
+    if (!suppressionNotices.has(automationId)) {
+      suppressionNotices.add(automationId);
+      logger.info(
+        LogOrigin.Automation,
+        `${automation.title} is bound to ${cycle} and fires continuously, per-fire logging suppressed`,
+      );
+    }
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // a rapid reload can fire the same automation on the same cycle several times over
+  const logKey = `${automationId}:${cycle}`;
+  const lastLogged = lastLoggedAt.get(logKey);
+  if (lastLogged !== undefined && now - lastLogged < reportThrottleMs) {
+    return;
+  }
+  lastLoggedAt.set(logKey, now);
+
+  logger.info(LogOrigin.Automation, `${automation.title} fired on ${cycle} → ${summariseOutputs(automation.outputs)}`);
+}
+
 /**
 * Exposes a method for bypassing the condition check and testing the sending of an output
 */
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {
+  AutomationOutput,
  EntryId,
  FilterRule,
  MaybeNumber,
@@ -25,6 +26,23 @@ export function isOntimeActionAction(value: string): value is OntimeAction['acti
  return ontimeActionKeyValues.includes(value);
 }

+/**
+ * Describes what an automation sends, for the log line of a successful fire
+ * @example 'OSC ×2, HTTP'
+ */
+export function summariseOutputs(outputs: AutomationOutput[]): string {
+  const labels: Record<AutomationOutput['type'], string> = { osc: 'OSC', http: 'HTTP', ontime: 'Ontime action' };
+  const counts = new Map<AutomationOutput['type'], number>();
+
+  for (const output of outputs) {
+    counts.set(output.type, (counts.get(output.type) ?? 0) + 1);
+  }
+
+  return Array.from(counts.entries())
+    .map(([type, count]) => (count > 1 ? `${labels[type]} ×${count}` : labels[type]))
+    .join(', ');
+}
+
 function toOscValue(argString: string): OscArgInput {
  const argAsNum = Number(argString);
  // NOTE: number like: 1 2.0 33333
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { Client } from '../../definitions/Clients.type.js';
+import type { TimerLifeCycle } from '../../definitions/core/TimerLifecycle.type.js';
 import type { Log } from '../../definitions/runtime/Logger.type.js';
 import type { RuntimeStore } from '../../definitions/runtime/RuntimeStore.type.js';
 import type { MaybeNumber } from '../../utils/utils.type.js';
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ export enum MessageTag {
  Log = 'log',
  RuntimeData = 'runtime-data',
  Refetch = 'refetch',
+  AutomationFired = 'automation-fired',
 }

 // CLIENT TO SERVER
@@ -36,6 +38,15 @@ type ListClientPacket = {
 };
 type RuntimePacket = { tag: MessageTag.RuntimeData; payload: Partial<RuntimeStore> };

+/**
+ * Reports that an automation ran, so clients can show it is alive.
+ * Coalesced server side: high frequency lifecycles do not send one of these per fire.
+ */
+type AutomationFiredPacket = {
+  tag: MessageTag.AutomationFired;
+  payload: { automationId: string; cycle: TimerLifeCycle };
+};
+
 type RefetchPacket = {
  tag: MessageTag.Refetch;
  payload: {
@@ -58,4 +69,5 @@ export type WsPacketToClient =
  | LogPacket
  | ListClientPacket
  | RuntimePacket
-  | RefetchPacket;
+  | RefetchPacket
+  | AutomationFiredPacket;
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export type LogMessage = {
 };

 export enum LogOrigin {
+  Automation = 'AUTOMATION',
  Client = 'CLIENT',
  Playback = 'PLAYBACK',
  Rx = 'RX',