Setting Up the Self-Service Automation Portal in AAP 2.6

Introduction

One of the biggest challenges in enterprise automation is scaling beyond the initial automation team. The new self-service automation portal in AAP 2.6 addresses this by providing a simplified interface for domain subject matter experts to run pre-approved automation without Ansible experience.

The Problem: Automation Bottlenecks

Many organizations face a common pattern:

• A small team of Ansible experts builds automation

• Other teams need to consume that automation

• Requests pile up, creating bottlenecks

• Custom portals or integrations are built (and maintained) to bridge the gap

The self-service portal eliminates this bottleneck entirely.

How the Portal Works

For Platform Admins

As a platform administrator, you can:

1. Define automation use cases — Select which job templates are available through the portal

2. Set access permissions — Control who can see and run specific automations

3. Sync existing content — Your existing automation content is automatically available

4. Maintain governance — Full audit trail and compliance controls

For Domain Experts

As a domain subject matter expert (e.g., network engineer, database admin), you get:

1. Guided forms — Step-by-step forms automatically generated from job templates

2. Point-and-click execution — No command line or Ansible knowledge required

3. Real-time status — Watch automation progress and results

4. Relevant content only — See only the automations relevant to your role

Setting Up the Portal

Step 1: Enable the Portal

The self-service portal is included in AAP 2.6. Enable it through the platform settings:

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Step 2: Publish Job Templates

Select which job templates should be available in the portal:

• Choose templates that are well-tested and production-ready

• Add clear descriptions and labels

• Configure required survey variables

Step 3: Configure Access

Use the platform gateway's RBAC to control access:

• Create portal-specific roles

• Assign users to appropriate automation categories

• Set up approval workflows if needed

Best Practices

• Start small — Begin with 5-10 well-documented automations

• Clear naming — Use descriptive names that non-Ansible users understand

• Survey design — Keep survey variables simple with helpful descriptions and defaults

• Feedback loop — Collect user feedback to improve the portal experience

Conclusion

The self-service portal transforms AAP from an expert tool into an enterprise automation platform. By empowering domain experts to consume automation directly, organizations can dramatically increase their automation adoption and ROI.

For more Ansible tutorials and guides, explore the [complete article collection](/articles) on Ansible Pilot.