The Automation Registry is the core on-chain contract that stores, funds, and coordinates execution of all registered upkeeps in Chainlink Automation. While the registrar handles onboarding new upkeeps, the registry is where they live for the rest of their lifecycle.
Responsibilities#
- Upkeep storage — maintains the list of active upkeeps, their configurations, and LINK balances.
- Node coordination — Automation nodes read the registry to discover which upkeeps to monitor and simulate.
- Execution accounting — tracks gas used per
performUpkeepcall, deducts LINK accordingly, and pays node operators. - Admin operations — exposes functions for upkeep owners to fund, pause, cancel, and reconfigure their upkeeps.
Upkeep Lifecycle (Post-Registration)#
Once an upkeep is registered through the registrar, all further interaction goes through the registry:
| Action | Registry Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | addFunds(uint256 id, uint96 amount) |
Top up LINK. Caller must approve the registry to spend LINK first. |
| Pause | pauseUpkeep(uint256 id) |
Temporarily stops execution. Only the admin can call. |
| Unpause | unpauseUpkeep(uint256 id) |
Resumes a paused upkeep. |
| Cancel | cancelUpkeep(uint256 id) |
Deregisters the upkeep. Remaining LINK is refundable after a cooldown (~50 blocks). |
| Withdraw funds | withdrawFunds(uint256 id, address to) |
Claim remaining LINK after cancellation cooldown. |
| Update gas limit | setUpkeepGasLimit(uint256 id, uint32 gasLimit) |
Change the max gas for performUpkeep. |
| Update check data | setUpkeepCheckData(uint256 id, bytes checkData) |
Change the bytes passed to checkUpkeep. |
| Transfer admin | transferUpkeepAdmin(uint256 id, address proposed) |
Initiate admin transfer (new admin must accept). |
Registry Versions#
Chainlink has shipped multiple registry versions as the protocol evolved:
| Version | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| v1.0 | Original Keepers registry. Basic conditional upkeeps. |
| v1.1 | Improved gas accounting, onchain verification. |
| v2.0 | Rebranded to Automation. Added log triggers, off-chain computation, forwarder contracts. |
| v2.1 | StreamsLookup support, improved gas overhead calculations. |
Each version deploys a new registry (and registrar) contract. v2.0 introduced forwarder contracts for stable msg.sender access control. Existing upkeeps on older registries continue working but don’t get new features. The migration functions let you move upkeeps to a newer registry.
Funding Model#
The registry holds LINK balances on behalf of each upkeep. When an Automation node executes performUpkeep:
- The registry measures actual gas used.
- It converts gas cost to LINK using the on-chain LINK/ETH price feed.
- It adds the network-specific premium (typically 20–80%).
- It deducts the total from the upkeep’s LINK balance.
If the balance reaches zero, the registry pauses the upkeep until more LINK is added.
Finding Registry Addresses#
Registry addresses are network-specific and version-specific. The canonical reference is the Supported Networks page in the Chainlink docs.