An Azure Automation Account is:
A managed scheduler + execution engine in Azure that runs scripts (runbooks) on a schedule or on demand, without you managing servers.
Think of it as:
- Azure’s cloud cron + PowerShell/Python runner
- With identity, permissions, and logging built in
It is not a VM
It is not a container
It is not always running
It only consumes resources when a job runs.
What do people actually use it for?
Common real-world uses (exactly like yours):
- Take Azure Files snapshots
- Run database backups
- Clean up old storage
- Rotate secrets
- Call Azure APIs on a schedule
- Maintenance jobs
- Compliance tasks
For your case:
- WordPress file snapshots
- MariaDB backups
- Cleanup jobs
Perfect fit.
Does an Azure Automation Account have cost?
✅ Short answer
Yes, but usually close to zero for normal use.
💰 What you pay for (actual pricing model)
You are billed for job runtime minutes.
- First 500 job-minutes per month → FREE
- After that → very small per-minute charge
What counts as a “job minute”?
Only the time when:
- A runbook is actually running
Idle time costs nothing.
Your usage (realistic)
Let’s say:
- Snapshot job runs once/day (20 seconds)
- DB backup job runs once/day (30 seconds)
Monthly usage:
- ~1 minute/day
- ~30 minutes/month
👉 Well within the free tier
You will likely pay $0/month.
Things that do NOT cost money
- Automation Account existence
- Runbooks sitting idle
- Schedules
- Managed Identity
- Variables / credentials
Can I use ONE Automation Account with multiple services?
✅ Yes — and that is the best practice
An Automation Account is meant to be shared.
You should think of it as:
“My automation control plane”
Example (recommended structure)
One Automation Account
aa-wpaca-backup
Multiple runbooks inside it
snapshot-wpcontent
backup-mariadb
cleanup-old-snapshots
cleanup-old-db-dumps
notify-on-failure
Each runbook can:
- Target different services
- Run on different schedules
- Use the same Managed Identity
- Share access to Key Vault, Storage, etc.
Why using ONE Automation Account is better
| Benefit | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Lower cost | Shared free minutes |
| Simpler security | One managed identity |
| Easier management | One place for automation |
| Cleaner audits | One activity log |
| Scales cleanly | Add runbooks anytime |
This is how Azure architects design it.
Is it safe to use with many services?
Yes — because:
- Each runbook is isolated
- Permissions are enforced by Azure RBAC
- Failures don’t affect other runbooks
- Jobs don’t run concurrently unless scheduled to
When would cost become noticeable?
Only if:
- You run jobs hundreds of times per day
- Jobs run for many minutes/hours
- You stream very verbose logs to Log Analytics
Your backup jobs are tiny.
Comparison (why this beats other options)
| Option | Cost | Control | Fit for ACA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Backup Vault | Higher | Medium | ❌ |
| WordPress plugins | $0 | Low | ⚠️ |
| VM cron jobs | VM cost | High | ❌ |
| Automation Account | Near-zero | High | ✅ Best |
Bottom line (clear answer)
✔ Azure Automation Account = cloud scheduler + script runner
✔ Yes, it has cost — but you’ll likely pay $0
✔ Yes, you can (and should) use one account for many services
✔ It’s the right tool for your WordPress + ACA backups
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