Worklets™: What are they and how to use them

What are Worklets™? 

Worklets™ empower IT professionals to create, automate, and enforce any custom task on endpoints. Based on PowerShell and BASH scripting, Worklets™ are reusable units of work that can be applied across Windows, Linux, and macOS devices irrespective of location or domain membership. From distributing custom software and enforcing unique policies, to setting specific desired state configs - if you can script it, you can turn it into a Worklet.

And while the applications for Worklets™ are essentially limitless, they are particularly useful for simplifying endpoint management at scale by:

1. Applying configurations to devices that don’t connect to the corporate network or VPN. 
2. Removing the hassle of establishing permissions to the endpoint
3. Automating the remediation of new vulnerabilities that aren’t patchable

What are the different types of Worklets™? 

1. Worklets™ Created by the Community 

These are the Worklets™ submitted by other Automox customers, community members, and peers. They may have created them for their own use cases, but felt they would be valuable for others as well!  You can review and copy these Community Worklets™ to use in the Automox Console after logging in.  

2. Worklets™ Created by Automox 

These are Worklets™ created by the Automox team and made available for our Automox customers to use. These are browsable in the Worklet Catalog on automox.com and accessible via the Automox Console after logging in. 

How do I use Community Worklets™? 

Copy over the code blocks by hand. Look through the documentation or description to see if any variables need configuration for your environment. Do a test scan and test remediation to make sure it’s working. Keep an eye on it over time to ensure the activity logs continue to show success.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind: 

• Automox does not validate user-generated Community Worklets™ - so write and test your code on a local machine first.
• When migrating code over to a Worklet, you might need to adjust for running as System instead of as the logged-in user.
• Check the results of your remediation code in the Activity Log report.
• Test your code out on different versions of each OS. There may be changes in locations for settings or registry entries from one version to another.
• Search for code online that might already do what you need, with a little tweaking.

How do I find more Worklets™? 

You can find peer, community-created Worklets™ here, in the Automox Community! If you’re looking for something specific, use the Search Bar to narrow down results from anywhere in the Automox Community. 

If you are an Automox customer, you can find official Automox Worklets™ (vetted and approved) once logged into the Automox Console under the Manage drop down in the menu. Curious how you can request a specific Worklet be made? Read on to the next section. 

Want access to those official Automox Worklets™, but not a customer yet? Get a free trial here! Please note that Worklets™ are available to customers who have purchased Standard or Complete packages. 

Can I share my own Community Worklets™? How?

Here are the steps you should follow, followed by best practices:

1. Go to the Automox Community Worklets™ page. 
2. Go to the New Post button at the top right of the Community page. 
3. Once you get to the New Post page, choose the Conversation option and you can add your Worklet below. 
4. Create a detailed title for your Worklet. For example, “Worklet: Install SentinelOne Agent (Linux).” Include a description of what your Worklet is and how it works. Call out any variables that need to be changed for other user environments. 
5. When you want to insert your code, go to the formatting options at the top of the text box and choose Code. Then add separate code boxes for both your evaluation and remediation codes.

Some important things to keep in mind:

• Do not include any API keys or credentials in your code.
• All keys, credentials or other secrets should be placed in the operating system’s credential manager.  Your worklet should point to the credential manager.
• Feel free to upload your code to a repository such as GitHub® and then link to that from your Worklet post.

How can I request a Worklet™ to be made? 

Our Worklets™ team is constantly creating new Worklets™ that our community and our customers need to save time and be more efficient. While we don’t have a formal process for requesting a specific Worklet at the moment, there are some ways to let us know you’re looking for something specific: 

• If you’re an Automox customer, mention it to your Customer Success Manager! 
• Feel free to create an idea post in the Community Worklets™ category in the community 
  • Something like “I’m looking for a Worklet that …” 
• Upvote on other posts requesting specific Worklets™ 
  • If there is a request that many of our community members have upvoted and commented on, we’re more likely to see it and try to create it! 

Are Community Worklets™ reviewed and vetted by Automox? 

Community Worklets™ (submitted by other community members and customers) are not vetted by Automox. This means that each user is responsible for the code they choose to use and/or share. 

However, Automox employees who are very familiar with Worklets™ may scan through and informally review code snippets that other community members have posted every so often. If they see something unsafe or incorrect, they may intervene to help. 

Please note that Worklets™ in the Automox Console or linked in the Automox Worklet Catalog are formally created and reviewed by Automox. 

How can I be sure Community Worklets™ are safe to use? 

Since Community Worklets™ aren’t generally vetted and reviewed by Automox, you have to use your discretion when implementing a Community Worklet. Some guidelines to help you see if a Community Worklet is safe to use: 

• Have others successfully said they’ve used this Worklet? 
• Is this Worklet featured on the Community page? 
• Has an Automox employee shared their experience with this Worklet? 

What if I have an issue with a Community Worklet? 

If you have an issue with a Community Worklet, we recommend dropping a comment to the original poster (OP) to let them know and see if there is an easy fix. We want our users to work together to create amazing Worklets™ that are safe, easy to use, and valuable! 

If you come across a potentially dangerous or unsafe Worklet, please comment and mention a moderator and/or send an email to community@automox.com with what you know. 

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