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Robotic process automation (RPA) is software that carries out defined tasks in business or IT processes by imitating a person’s interactions with application interfaces. An RPA bot can, for example, read information, enter it into a form, or move a file between systems. “Robotic” refers to software—not a physical robot.
What does robotic process automation mean?
RPA automates specific, repeatable tasks using software scripts that interact with an application’s user interface in ways that resemble human actions. Gartner defines it as software that automates tasks in business and IT processes by emulating human interaction with an application UI (Gartner’s RPA category definition). IBM similarly describes bots as software applications that act for a user or another piece of software to run specific tasks (IBM Documentation, version 21.0.x).
A task may be recorded or programmed, then deployed to a runtime where the bot executes it. The central idea is not that a bot understands work as a person does; it follows a defined sequence of actions and rules.
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What does an RPA bot do?
An RPA bot performs routine digital actions, such as extracting data, filling out forms, or moving files. These tasks can involve transferring information or completing transactions across applications. IBM and UiPath describe examples including loan processing, compliance reporting, account reconciliation, healthcare claims, patient-data management, appointment scheduling, order processing, and inventory reconciliation (IBM’s RPA explainer; UiPath’s RPA overview).
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Those examples show where organizations use RPA; they do not mean every process in those areas is a good candidate. Work is generally a better fit when its steps are repetitive, rules-based, and sufficiently stable to describe clearly.
How do attended and unattended RPA differ?
Attended and unattended describe how a bot runs, not different definitions of RPA.
- Attended RPA: A person triggers the bot, which works alongside them. This mode suits tasks where a worker needs to initiate or oversee the automation.
- Unattended RPA: The bot runs with little or no direct human interaction, often after a scheduler or orchestrator triggers it.
Some organizations use both modes, depending on the task and where human involvement is useful. IBM documents both operating modes (IBM Documentation).
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What should you consider when evaluating RPA?
The definition explains what RPA does; choosing an approach also means checking how it will work in the organization’s applications and processes. Useful questions include:
- Execution: Does the workflow need a person to trigger the bot, unattended execution, or both?
- Application interaction: How does the software find and operate the controls it needs, and what happens when an application interface changes?
- Operations: How are bots scheduled, orchestrated, monitored, and recovered when an exception occurs?
- Governance: Do access controls, audit trails, exception handling, and management dashboards meet the organization’s needs? UiPath recommends centralized management capabilities in these areas; the right requirements depend on the deployment.
What RPA is—and is not
- It is software automation: The “robot” is a software bot, not a physical machine.
- It imitates interface actions: Its defining approach is to carry out tasks through interactions with application interfaces.
- It targets defined work: RPA is most closely associated with repetitive, rule-based tasks, rather than open-ended work that cannot be expressed as clear steps.
- It has different operating modes: Attended and unattended bots both fall under RPA.
How many RPA vendors are there?
There is no single vendor count in the available figures that represents the entire market. Gartner’s 2026 Magic Quadrant abstract, published June 24, 2026, says that edition evaluated 10 enterprise RPA vendors. Its 2024 abstract, published August 7, 2024, says that edition evaluated 13 (Gartner’s 2026 abstract; Gartner’s 2024 abstract). These are report-specific evaluation scopes, not totals of all vendors or evidence of a change in the market’s overall size.
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