Overview

As you begin your journey with Appian RPA, we understand that there's a lot to explore and learn. Rest assured, we're here to support you every step of the way. From setting up your first robotic task to advanced automation strategies, the guidance in this documentation is designed to help you navigate and master this powerful tool. Let's get started!

Key initial tasks

For new users starting with Appian RPA, getting started involves the following key initial tasks.

• Identify RPA users and their roles: Determine who your administrators, developers, and operations managers are in your organization. Administrators responsible for controlling access and privileges should also understand user settings.
• Learn Appian RPA terms: Review the Glossary to become familiar with Appian RPA terms and concepts.
• Learn about key components: Use the navigation on the left side of this page to explore and learn about key components of Appian RPA.
• Become familiar with the screens and capabilities: Spend time exploring the Appian RPA console, the Operations Console, and Appian Designer to understand their various capabilities.
• Access the Operations Console: This is where you manage and configure robots.
• Access the Appian Designer: This is where you manage and configure your robotic tasks and robot pools.
• Start with basic tutorials: Academy Online provides tutorials and courses to help you begin creating and configuring robotic tasks.

Installation and configuration

In Appian RPA, when you create a robot, you need to install the agent on your local host machine. This is the only installation step required on your part. Everything else, is conveniently handled through Appian RPA on your Appian cloud site. This approach simplifies the process, ensuring you can focus on creating and deploying robotic tasks without worrying about additional installations. With the agents in place on your host machines, you're set to leverage the full capabilities of Appian RPA.

Although Appian RPA is currently available only for Appian Cloud sites, we understand that you may be interested in using its capabilities in your self-managed environment. See the Appian RPA Hybrid Configuration page for detailed information about how a hybrid configuration for Appian RPA works, how to set it up, and how to use robotic tasks in your applications.

Essential core steps for getting started

Setting up and using Appian RPA involves a series of essential core steps that are important for success. The following table provides these steps in a logical sequence. Keep in mind that each step involves multiple detailed tasks.

Step	Action
1	Identify RPA users and their roles. Administrators responsible for controlling access and privileges should also understand user settings.
2	Verify your host machines meet the system requirements and are properly configured.
3	Use the Operations console to create robots and install agents on host machines.
4	Use Appian Designer to create robot pools.
5	Use Appian Designer to create and configure robotic tasks.
6	Execute the robotic task from a process model or interface.