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Custom RoutinesManual Configuration

Manual Configuration

Manual configuration gives you a form-based editor for building routines. Use it when you want full control over every setting, or when importing an existing configuration.

Getting started

  1. Go to Routines in Town
  2. Click the Create button
  3. You’ll see the blank template form

Configuration sections

Basic information

FieldRequiredDescription
NameYesA display name that helps you identify the routine
DescriptionNoA brief explanation of what the routine does

Choose a clear, descriptive name — something like “Bill Tracker” or “Weekly Newsletter Digest.”

Default mode

Choose how much autonomy your routine has:

ModeWhat it means
Approval-requiredActions that make changes (like sending emails or archiving) wait for your approval
AutonomousAll actions run automatically without asking
Read-onlyThe routine can read and analyze, but can’t make any changes

Start with approval-required for new routines that send emails or make changes. Move to autonomous after you’ve reviewed a few runs and confirmed the behavior is correct.

Triggers

Triggers determine when your routine runs. Click Add Trigger to add one or more:

Manual — The routine only runs when you click “Run.”

Schedule — Runs on a recurring schedule. You set the time, days, and timezone. Common options include:

  • Every day at a specific time
  • Weekdays only at a specific time
  • Weekly on a specific day

Incoming email — Runs every time a new email arrives. You can optionally limit this to a specific Gmail account.

Email to assistant — Runs when you send or forward an email to yourname@town.com.

Calendar events — Runs when a meeting starts, ends, or changes. Useful for sending prep notes or follow-up summaries.

Voice recording — Runs when a voice recording is transcribed. Great for processing meeting notes or voice memos.

Slack mention — Runs when someone @mentions your assistant in Slack.

Tools

Select which tools your routine can use. Tools are grouped by what they do:

Email — Read, search, label, archive, draft, and send emails

Calendar — View schedule, create meetings, edit or delete events

Research — Search the web, run calculations

Documents — Create and edit documents, manage your content library

Integrations — GitHub, Slack, Linear, Notion, HubSpot, Dropbox, and Asana tools (available when those apps are connected)

Only enable the tools your routine actually needs. Fewer tools helps your assistant stay focused and reduces unnecessary actions.

Custom integrations (MCP)

If you have custom integrations configured via MCP servers, you can enable them here. This gives your routine access to tools from those external services.

See Custom Integrations for details.

Routine instructions

The instructions tell your assistant what to do when the routine runs. Write them in plain language:

  • What the routine’s goal is
  • How to handle different situations
  • What the output should look like
  • What to avoid

Tips for writing good instructions:

  • Be specific and detailed
  • Include examples of expected behavior
  • Define edge cases and how to handle them
  • Specify output formats (especially for summaries and reports)
  • List any exceptions or things to skip

See Prompts for a detailed guide on writing effective instructions.

Importing a configuration

If you have an existing routine configuration (for example, one shared by a colleague), you can import it:

  1. Click Import Config in the header
  2. Paste the configuration
  3. The form will populate with the imported settings
  4. Make any adjustments
  5. Click Create Routine

This is useful for:

  • Duplicating routines between accounts
  • Sharing routines with teammates
  • Restoring from a backup
  • Customizing a stock routine’s settings

Creating the routine

Once you’ve filled in all required fields:

  1. Review your configuration
  2. Click Create Routine
  3. The routine will be created and enabled

You’ll be redirected to the routine detail page.

After creation

On the routine detail page, you can:

  • Run the routine manually
  • Edit the configuration
  • View Runs to see what happened
  • Test with a dry run
  • Enable/Disable the routine
  • Export the configuration
  • Delete the routine

Example: Bill tracker

Here’s an example of how you might set up a bill tracking routine:

Name: Bill Tracker

Description: Watches for bills and invoices, extracts amounts and due dates

Mode: Autonomous

Triggers: Incoming email (all accounts)

Tools: Read Email, Search Emails, Add Label, Send Email to User

Instructions:

You are a bill tracking workflow. When a new email arrives:

1. Analyze if it's a bill, invoice, or payment due notice
2. If it is:
   - Extract the vendor name, amount, and due date
   - Add the label "bills"
   - Log the extracted information
3. If not a bill, do nothing

Only process emails that are clearly bills or invoices. Marketing emails
about "payment methods" or "billing updates" are NOT bills.

Do NOT archive emails — only label them.
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