You can save a method you trust as a Skill, then have a Routine run it for you. The Routine follows the Skill every time it runs and emails you the written result, so a weekly commercial brief or a monthly KPI review arrives without you starting a conversation.
This article covers:
How a Routine runs a Skill
Preparing a Skill so it runs without you
Asking for the sections you need
Testing before you schedule
What happens when a Skill changes or is deleted
How a Routine runs a Skill
In the Routine's Instructions, type a forward slash followed by the Skill's identifier, then add anything the Skill needs to know. For example:
Run /weekly-commercial-brief for Flagship Austin by Flyr, using the current stay month.
Each time the Routine runs, it follows the Skill and emails the result. You can use the Skill in a scheduled Routine or in a conditional Routine that runs when a condition is met.
You can use a Skill that you created or a Skill that someone has shared with you. The Routine runs with your data permissions, the same as any other Routine.
To find a Skill's identifier, open it on the Skills page. The identifier is one of the Skill's four fields.
Prepare the Skill to run on its own
A Routine runs with nobody present to answer questions, so the Skill needs everything it requires before it starts.
If the Skill asks for a property or a date range, put the answer in the Routine's Instructions. Name the property exactly as it appears in Insights, for example Flagship Austin by Flyr.
If the Skill asks several questions, answer each one in the Instructions.
If you want the Routine to behave a little differently from the Skill, add a short line after the identifier, such as "present every analysis as a table".
If the Skill does not suit a Routine as it is, you have three options:
Adjust the Skill so it needs no input.
Create a second version of the Skill for scheduled use, with the questions already answered.
Write a new set of Routine instructions based on the Skill that answers every question it asks and describes the one result you want.
If a Skill asks for a detail that your Routine does not provide, the Routine's email tells you which detail is missing.
Ask for the sections you need
A Skill's output section describes what you would like to see. For a Routine, state the sections that must always appear in the Routine's own Instructions, and say what to write when a section has no data. For example:
Run /monthly-kpi-review for Flagship Austin by Flyr for the previous full month. Always include these sections: Headline KPIs, Segment, Rate plans, Booking curve, Forecast accuracy, and Management summary. If a section has no data, keep its heading and write "No data returned for this section." Do not suggest contacting support.
This keeps every email in the same shape from one run to the next. For more wording you can copy, see Routine Examples and Templates in Insights.
Test before you schedule
Before you rely on the Routine, use Run now from the Routine's menu and read the email. Run it more than once and compare the results. The figures should agree. If sections or wording differ, tighten the Instructions and test again. If a result looks wrong, see Troubleshooting Your Routines.
Check that:
the Routine used the property and dates you intended;
every section you asked for is present;
the written conclusions are supported by the figures shown.
When the Skill changes
A Routine follows the Skill as it is today, not as it was when you created the Routine.
If the Skill is edited, the Routine uses the new version the next time it runs. If someone has shared a Skill with you, their edits change your Routine too.
If the Skill is deleted or its identifier changes, the Routine's email says that it cannot find the Skill. Restore the Skill with the same identifier, or edit the Routine to use the new one.
Review your Routines whenever you or a teammate edit a Skill they use.
Example
A revenue manager wants a weekly commercial brief to arrive every Monday at 8:00 AM.
Create a Skill named Weekly Commercial Brief that covers current OTB, pace against the same time last year, segment and channel movement, recent pickup, and the forward view.
Create a Routine named Weekly Commercial Brief — Flagship Austin by Flyr.
In Instructions, write: "Run /weekly-commercial-brief for Flagship Austin by Flyr, using the current stay month. Keep these sections: Current position, Segment and channel drivers, Recent pickup, Forward view. If a section has no data, say so."
Under Trigger, choose On a schedule, set Monday at 8:00 AM, and add the recipients.
Use Run now, read the email, and adjust the Instructions before the first scheduled run.
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