> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ona.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manual triggers

> Run Automations on demand

Manual triggers run when you explicitly start them. Use them for one-time migrations, testing Automations before scheduling, or changes that need human judgment on timing.

They are the safest way to develop a new Automation because you control exactly when it starts and can review the results before making it recurring or event-driven.

## When to use manual triggers

Manual triggers are a good fit for:

* trying a new Automation on a small set of targets
* maintenance work you want to supervise closely
* one-off repository sweeps
* workflows that should only run after a human decision

## Configuration

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/gitpod-13c83c2b/xk3kxfJmgKP2B21t/images/automations/edit-trigger-manual.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=xk3kxfJmgKP2B21t&q=85&s=783237f3bcd3d2ffffbb99fe238e0df6" alt="Manual trigger configuration" width="1332" height="1222" data-path="images/automations/edit-trigger-manual.png" />

### Runs on

#### Projects (recommended)

Select one or more [projects](/ona/projects/overview). The Automation runs on all repositories within them. Best for repetitive tasks on known repositories.

#### Repositories

Use a search query to filter repositories. Best for large-scale migrations across many targets.

| Query       | Matches                                     |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `backend`   | Repositories with "backend" in name         |
| `frontend-` | Repositories starting with "frontend-"      |
| `myorg/`    | All repositories under "myorg" organization |

Partial matches work across owner and repository names.

**Search syntax:** [GitHub](https://docs.github.com/en/search-github/searching-on-github/searching-for-repositories) | [GitLab](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/search/)

## Choosing projects vs repository queries

* **Projects** are best when you already know the exact repositories and want them to use project-level configuration.
* **Repository queries** are best when you want to sweep a broader set of repositories without manually listing them.

If the workflow depends on project-specific configuration and access, prefer projects.

## Running

1. Navigate to **Automations**
2. Click your Automation
3. Click **Run**

The Automation creates actions for the selected targets, which you can then monitor from the execution view.

## Review after the run

After a manual run, check:

* which targets were selected
* whether the right repositories were included
* whether the actions produced the expected pull requests, comments, or reports

If the run looks good, the next step is often to convert the same workflow into a [time-based trigger](/ona/automations/triggers/timebased) or a [pull request trigger](/ona/automations/triggers/pullrequest).

## Next steps

* [Run an Automation](/ona/automations/running-automations)
* [Pull request triggers](/ona/automations/triggers/pullrequest)
* [Time-based triggers](/ona/automations/triggers/timebased)