Automations

Automations export Apple Health data to destinations you configure. Automatic runs depend on Apple’s health-data access and background limits.

Create or edit an automation

1. On iPhone, open Export → Automated. On iPad, open Automations in the sidebar.
2. Select New Automation, or open an existing automation.
3. Enter an automation name, choose a destination, and complete its setup using the guide below.
4. Choose the data and export settings you need, turn on Enabled, and select Update to save.

You can return to an unfinished automation to continue setting it up.

Available Automation Types

Destination	What it does
REST API	Sends exports to an HTTP endpoint
Home Assistant	Publishes health metrics as entity states
MQTT	Publishes JSON to a broker topic
Dropbox	Saves export files to Dropbox
Google Drive	Saves files, with optional CSV-to-Sheets conversion
iCloud Drive	Saves export files to iCloud Drive
Calendar	Creates or updates calendar events
Email	Sends exports as email attachments

Limitations

• Health Data Access: Apps are not allowed to access health data while iPhone is locked. Automations will only run during periods when your device is unlocked. This is a limitation imposed by Apple which cannot be circumvented. More information
• Background Processing: iOS limits background processing to preserve battery life. Automations rely on Background App Refresh and may not run immediately if:
  • Background App Refresh is disabled for the app
  • The device is in Low Power Mode
  • The device has been inactive for extended periods
  • System resources are constrained
  • Multiple apps are competing for background execution time

Scheduling

iOS does not guarantee background runs at a specified time. To trigger an automation at a chosen time, see Schedule An Automation Using Shortcuts. Your device must be unlocked when the action reads health data.

Sync Frequency

Choose a number and a time unit, such as Every 15 Minutes, to set the desired background sync cadence. This does not guarantee that the app will open or run at that interval. iOS determines when background execution is available.

Opening the app

Automations and Sync to Mac run while Health Auto Export stays open.

Manual triggers

You can start a run using:

• Automations widget: Tap the cloud button on the Home Screen widget. See Automations Widget.
• Shortcuts: Use Run Automation to trigger a configured automation. See Shortcuts setup.
• In the app: Under Export Existing Data, select Manual Upload, set the Start and End dates, then select Begin Export. Use this to export historical data when starting an automation, cover dates missed by automatic syncing, or check your setup.

Schedule Reminders

Each automation can optionally remind you to unlock your device and open Health Auto Export. Turn on Enable Reminders, then set Reminder Frequency to Hourly, Every Day, or Selected Days. Hourly reminders use Minute of the Hour; daily and selected-day reminders use Reminder Time. A reminder does not mean the automation ran, and it may still appear after a successful background sync.

• Reminder changes take effect after the automation is saved. The editor shows Next Reminder After Saving.
• Tapping the reminder opens the automation.
• Open & Sync is an action on the notification. It opens the app and runs that automation immediately. The automation must be enabled.
• If the automation was deleted, disabled, is already running, or cannot run with your current access, the app returns to the Automations screen.
• Notification permission is required to use reminders. Notification Access shows the current status. If notifications are denied, use Open Notification Settings.

Common export settings

Data selection

Select a Data Type, then choose the health metrics, workout types, or symptoms to include. Available data types and formats depend on the destination. See Supported Data for coverage.

For health metrics, each automation has its own source preferences.

For workouts, Include Workout Metrics adds selected readings such as heart rate or steps. Include Route Data includes available routes in workout data. See the Workouts format reference for field availability and workout time grouping.

Export format and version

• JSON preserves structured data for integrations.
• CSV is suited to spreadsheets.
• Markdown creates readable notes and tables.

Home Assistant and MQTT use JSON; Calendar creates events instead of files. Google Sheets conversion applies only to Google Drive CSV exports.

Use Version 2 for the current export structure, or Version 1 when an existing workflow requires it. See JSON and Markdown for format details.

Date range

Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, and Calendar organize data by Day, Week, Month, or Year. Each selected period includes readings through its end, including the final second.

REST API, MQTT, and Email offer:

Selection	Included period
Default	The previous day and today up to the run time
Since Last Sync	Since the previous sync up to the run time
Today	Today up to the run time
Yesterday	The previous day
Previous 7 Days	The previous seven full days

Home Assistant offers Default, Today, and Yesterday.

Summarize Data and Time Grouping

For JSON health-metric exports, Summarize Data combines readings into the selected Time Grouping. Turn it off for individual readings where available. CSV automation exports use summarized data. Available time groups depend on the destination and date range.

For metric-specific averages, totals, and daily summaries, see Health Metrics.

Run notifications

Notify on Cache Update reports that data was prepared; Notify When Run reports a successful destination action. These are separate from Schedule Reminders, which prompt you to open the app.

Check automation status

Open View Activity Logs in the automation to review runs. While automations are running, select Stop on the Export or Automations screen and confirm if you want to cancel the run.

Performance

Large date ranges, many selected metrics, detailed workout routes, and minute- or second-level readings can take longer and exceed the time or resources available for a background run.

• Select only the data you need.
• Use a shorter date range or coarser time grouping for smaller exports.
• Split large exports across automations when appropriate.
• For large REST payloads, consider Batch Requests.

Backing Up & Restoring Your Automations

Health Auto Export can back up your automation settings to iCloud Drive so you can restore them on a new device or after reinstalling the app. This is separate from the health data your automations export.

• Where backups live: Your automation settings are saved as JSON files in iCloud Drive, in the Auto Export/Automations folder (visible in the Files app).
• When backups happen: Each time you save an automation (tapping Update, or leaving the edit screen), that automation is backed up automatically.
• Turning it on or off: Open an automation list and go to Automation Settings, then use Back up to iCloud Drive. It is on by default. If you turn it off, you'll be asked whether to delete the existing backup files from iCloud Drive — your automations stay on your device either way.

Restoring

If you open Automations and have no automations yet but backups are available in iCloud Drive, a Restore from iCloud Drive button appears. Tapping it brings your automations back.

A few things to know after restoring:

• Reconnect your accounts: For your privacy, sign-in tokens for services like Dropbox and Google Drive are not included in backups. After restoring, reconnect those services in each automation.
• Re-enable automations: Restored automations start disabled so nothing runs unexpectedly with out-of-date settings. Review each one and enable it when you're ready.
• Partial restores: If some automations can't be restored (for example a file isn't downloaded yet, the encryption key isn't available yet, or it was created by a newer version of the app), the rest are still restored and you'll see which ones were skipped.

Note: Request headers and credentials you typed into an automation (such as an MQTT password) are encrypted in iCloud Drive backup files. Restore on a new device requires iCloud Keychain so the app can decrypt them.

Activity Logs

Open an automation and select View Activity Logs. Expand a run to review its events.

• Warnings flag a potential issue, such as slow data retrieval; they do not confirm that the whole run succeeded.
• Errors identify failed steps, such as reading data, authentication, or uploading.
• Clear removes that automation’s activity history.
• Share exports app-wide diagnostics for support. See App Event Logs.

Slow queries in Activity Logs

If a run reports slow health-data queries, select fewer metrics, shorten the date range, or turn on Summarize Data and use a coarser Time Grouping.

Automation Widget

Add an Automations Widget to check status or trigger an enabled automation from the Home Screen. iOS controls background refresh opportunities.

Getting Help

Check Activity Logs and the destination’s troubleshooting section first. If you still need help, see Getting Help.