---
title: Move through states
description: Guides you through advancing your automation request from creation to publication, including options to defer or reject requests that no longer meet your criteria.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/move-through-states.html
release: australia
product: Automation Center
classification: automation-center
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-06-25"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Working with automations, Use, Automation Center, Workflow Data Fabric]
---

# Move through states

Guides you through advancing your automation request from creation to publication, including options to defer or reject requests that no longer meet your criteria.

**The automation request lifecycle consists of:**

-   **Draft** — Initial creation
-   **Planned** — Ready for development work
-   **In progress** — Active development underway
-   **Published** — Ready for execution
-   **Deferred** — Paused temporarily
-   **Rejected** — No longer being pursued

In this section, you will:

-   [Move an automation request to the Planned state](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/move-automation-request-to-planned.md)
-   [Move an automation request to the In progress state](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/move-automationrequest-to-inprogress.md)
-   [Defer an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/defer-an-automation-request.md)
-   [Reject an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/reject-automation-request.md)
-   [Publish an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/publish-automation-request.md)

-   **[Move an automation request to the Planned state](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/move-automation-request-to-planned.md)**  
After creating an automation request, move it to the **Planned** state before you work on it or create associated automation tasks or resources.
-   **[Move an automation request to the In progress state](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/move-automationrequest-to-inprogress.md)**  
As you begin the development for the automation request, move it to the **In progress** state. This state notifies anyone using Automation Center that the work for the automation is in progress.
-   **[Defer an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/defer-an-automation-request.md)**  
Defer an automation request from Automation Center if the priority of the request has changed and it is not urgent anymore.
-   **[Reject an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/reject-automation-request.md)**  
Reject an automation request from Automation Center if it's a duplicate of an existing automation or if it doesn’t meet the required criteria.
-   **[Publish an automation request](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/publish-automation-request.md)**  
Publish an automation request from Automation Center to make the request ready for execution.

**Parent Topic:**[Working with automations](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/integrate-applications/automation-center/automations.md)