Service accounts for automations

Using service accounts to run automations

Service accounts run automations independently of individual users. Commits, PRs, and comments appear under the service account identity, clearly separating automation work from human work.

For creating and managing service accounts, see Service accounts.

When to use

Scenario	Use
PR triggers, scheduled jobs, shared ownership	Service account
Personal workflows, one-time tasks, testing	Your user account

Configuration

1. In Run as, select the service account
2. Ensure Git authentication is configured
3. Save the automation

Selecting a service account

Requirements

• Service account created with Git authentication
• PAT with required scopes (repo, read:user, user:email, workflow for GitHub)
• Access to target repositories

GitLab: If your organization requires verified emails for commits, GitLab service accounts won’t work. Use a PAT from a dedicated real GitLab user with a verified company email. See GitLab limitations.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Check
Authentication errors	PAT valid? Correct scopes?
Service account not in dropdown	Permissions to view? Account created?
Permission denied on repo	PAT has repo access? Write scopes?

See Service accounts troubleshooting for more.