Overview
Before diving deeper into Granite, it helps to understand these key concepts:
HITL
Human-in-the-Loop - You approve actions as they happen
RPA
Robotic Process Automation - Scripted desktop automation
Processes
Reusable automation definitions
Drivers
Windows machines that run automations
Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)
HITL is Granite’s core differentiator. Instead of blindly trusting automation, you stay in control.
How It Works
HITL Actions
| Action | When to Use |
|---|
| Approve | The action looks correct |
| Modify | The action is close but needs adjustment |
| Skip | Skip this step, continue with the next |
| Cancel | Stop the entire execution |
HITL Sensitivity
You can configure which actions require approval:
- All actions - Maximum oversight, approve everything
- Sensitive only - Approve clicks, file operations, etc.
- None - Full automation, no pauses (use with caution)
Disabling HITL means the agent will execute without asking. Only do this for well-tested, low-risk automations.
Processes
A Process is a reusable automation definition. Think of it as a template.
Process Components
Process:
- Name: "Generate Sales Report"
- Description: "Open Excel, load template, update data, save as PDF"
- Type: AI Agent or RPA Script
- Parameters: (optional inputs like date, filename)
Process vs. Agent Run
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Process | The definition (what to do) |
| Agent Run | A single execution (doing it once) |
Process States
- Draft - Being edited, not ready to run
- Ready - Can be executed
- Archived - No longer active
RPA (Robotic Process Automation)
RPA is scripted automation where you define exact steps in code.
Why Use RPA?
- Repeatability - Same steps every time
- Reliability - Less AI interpretation, more control
- Speed - No AI decision-making overhead
RPA in Granite
Granite uses Robocorp under the hood:
from robocorp.tasks import task
from robocorp import browser
@task
def generate_report():
browser.goto("https://app.example.com")
browser.fill("input#username", "admin")
browser.click("button#login")
# ... more steps
When to Use RPA vs. AI Agent
| Use Case | Recommendation |
|---|
| Well-defined, repeatable tasks | RPA Script |
| Variable or exploratory tasks | AI Agent |
| High-volume, unattended | RPA Script |
| One-off or ad-hoc tasks | AI Agent |
Start with AI Agent to figure out the steps, then convert to RPA Script for production use.
Drivers
A Driver is a Windows machine that executes automations.
Driver Types
Cloud (GCP)
Local (Hyper-V)
- Managed by Granite
- Auto-scaling
- Pay-per-use
- Ideal for production
- Run on your own hardware
- Full control
- Free (your infrastructure)
- Ideal for development
Driver Lifecycle
Driver Requirements
- Windows 10/11 (Pro or Enterprise)
- Python 3.12 (not 3.13+)
- Network access to Granite API
- RDP enabled (for remote management)
Organizations
An Organization is a workspace for your team.
Organization Features
- Isolated data - Your processes, runs, and keys are private
- Team access - Invite members with role-based permissions
- API namespace - Unique slug for your endpoints
Roles
| Role | Create Processes | Run Automations | Manage Members | API Keys |
|---|
| Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Member | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Viewer | No | View only | No | No |
API Endpoints
You can expose any automation as a public API endpoint.
How It Works
- Create a Process
- Generate an API Endpoint for it
- Get an API Key
- Call it from anywhere
curl -X POST "https://api.getgranite.ai/api/your-org/run-report" \
-H "X-Granite-API-Key: your-key" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"date": "2024-01-15"}'
Authentication
API endpoints require an API Key in the X-Granite-API-Key header.
Keep your API keys secret. They grant full access to run automations on your behalf.
Analytics
Granite tracks everything about your automations:
Metrics Available
- Executions over time - Volume trends
- Success rate - How often things work
- Failure breakdown - What goes wrong
- Duration distribution - How long things take
- Top automations - Most-used processes
- Endpoint usage - API call volume
You can customize which metrics appear on your analytics dashboard.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Agent | The AI that interprets tasks and executes actions |
| Agent Run | A single execution of a process |
| Driver | Windows machine running automations |
| Endpoint | Public API trigger for an automation |
| HITL | Human-in-the-Loop approval workflow |
| MIG | Managed Instance Group (GCP VMs) |
| Process | Reusable automation definition |
| RPA | Robotic Process Automation |
| Stytch | Authentication provider (magic links + OAuth) |
Next Steps
