diff --git a/migrations/versions/022_add_automation_description.py b/migrations/versions/022_add_automation_description.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..edee78f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/versions/022_add_automation_description.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+"""Add automations.description: optional human-facing summary.
+
+Revision ID: 022
+Revises: 021
+Create Date: 2026-08-26
+"""
+
+from collections.abc import Sequence
+
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+from alembic import op
+
+
+revision: str = "022"
+down_revision: str = "021"
+branch_labels: str | Sequence[str] | None = None
+depends_on: str | Sequence[str] | None = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    op.add_column(
+        "automations",
+        sa.Column("description", sa.Text(), nullable=True),
+    )
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    op.drop_column("automations", "description")
diff --git a/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py b/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
index 3ac82e98..2dd429d7 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/capabilities_router.py
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@
     "presetPlugin",
     "presetPrompt",
     "repoClone",
+    # Automations carry an editable human-facing description. The UI gates
+    # the field on this rather than the manifest alone: a PATCH carrying
+    # `description` to an older service 422s the whole request.
+    "automationDescription",
 )
 
 # Tags Pydantic inserts into an error location for the trigger union.
diff --git a/openhands/automation/git_sync/loop.py b/openhands/automation/git_sync/loop.py
index d20e5884..86494ad6 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/git_sync/loop.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/git_sync/loop.py
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ async def _validate_and_resolve_fields(
         "enabled": True if fields.get("enabled") is None else bool(fields["enabled"]),
         "prompt": fields.get("prompt"),
         "preset_metadata": fields.get("preset_metadata"),
+        "description": fields.get("description"),
         "tarball_path": tarball_path,
     }
 
diff --git a/openhands/automation/git_sync/serializer.py b/openhands/automation/git_sync/serializer.py
index 6e035202..70d963cf 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/git_sync/serializer.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/git_sync/serializer.py
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ def _automation_yaml_fields(
     # already-synced automation.yaml just to add an empty list.
     if tarball_executables:
         fields["tarball_executables"] = tarball_executables
+    # Same reasoning: emitting `description: null` for automations that have
+    # none would rewrite every automation.yaml (and its content hash) on the
+    # first cycle, pushing one no-op commit per already-synced automation.
+    if automation.description is not None:
+        fields["description"] = automation.description
     return fields
 
 
diff --git a/openhands/automation/models.py b/openhands/automation/models.py
index af1e7d83..46dd5ff4 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/models.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/models.py
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ class Automation(Base):
         String(256), nullable=True
     )
 
+    # Optional human-facing description, shown wherever the automation is
+    # listed. Falls back to the prompt in the UI when absent.
+    description: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
+
     # Optional prompt (set when created via preset endpoints)
     prompt: Mapped[str | None] = mapped_column(Text, nullable=True)
 
diff --git a/openhands/automation/preset_router.py b/openhands/automation/preset_router.py
index 12d6267f..7f65562b 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/preset_router.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/preset_router.py
@@ -138,6 +138,14 @@ class CreatePromptAutomationRequest(BaseModel):
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
 
     name: str = Field(..., min_length=1, max_length=500)
+    description: str | None = Field(
+        default=None,
+        max_length=2000,
+        description=(
+            "Optional human-facing description, shown wherever the automation "
+            "is listed. Falls back to the prompt in the UI when absent."
+        ),
+    )
     prompt: str = Field(
         ...,
         min_length=1,
@@ -531,6 +539,7 @@ async def create_automation_from_prompt(
             user_id=user.user_id,
             org_id=user.org_id,
             name=body.name,
+            description=body.description,
             prompt=body.prompt,
             preset_metadata=preset_metadata,
             model=model,
@@ -618,6 +627,14 @@ class CreatePluginAutomationRequest(BaseModel):
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
 
     name: str = Field(..., min_length=1, max_length=500)
+    description: str | None = Field(
+        default=None,
+        max_length=2000,
+        description=(
+            "Optional human-facing description, shown wherever the automation "
+            "is listed. Falls back to the prompt in the UI when absent."
+        ),
+    )
     plugins: list[PluginSource] | None = Field(
         default=None,
         description="Plugin(s) to load. Mutually exclusive with 'variants'.",
@@ -961,6 +978,7 @@ async def create_automation_from_plugin(
             user_id=user.user_id,
             org_id=user.org_id,
             name=body.name,
+            description=body.description,
             prompt=body.prompt,
             preset_metadata=preset_metadata,
             model=model,
diff --git a/openhands/automation/router.py b/openhands/automation/router.py
index d6265562..49b7eea5 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/router.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/router.py
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ async def create_automation(
         user_id=user.user_id,
         org_id=user.org_id,
         name=body.name,
+        description=body.description,
         model=model,
         preset_metadata=preset_metadata,
         trigger=body.trigger.model_dump(),
diff --git a/openhands/automation/schemas.py b/openhands/automation/schemas.py
index 65e54da1..1035b2a3 100644
--- a/openhands/automation/schemas.py
+++ b/openhands/automation/schemas.py
@@ -309,6 +309,14 @@ class CreateAutomationRequest(BaseModel):
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
 
     name: str = Field(..., min_length=1, max_length=500)
+    description: str | None = Field(
+        default=None,
+        max_length=2000,
+        description=(
+            "Optional human-facing description, shown wherever the automation "
+            "is listed. Falls back to the prompt in the UI when absent."
+        ),
+    )
     model: str | None = Field(
         default=None,
         min_length=1,
@@ -387,6 +395,14 @@ class UpdateAutomationRequest(BaseModel):
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
 
     name: str | None = Field(default=None, min_length=1, max_length=500)
+    description: str | None = Field(
+        default=None,
+        max_length=2000,
+        description=(
+            "Optional human-facing description, shown wherever the automation "
+            "is listed. Falls back to the prompt in the UI when absent."
+        ),
+    )
     model: str | None = Field(
         default=None,
         min_length=1,
@@ -729,6 +745,7 @@ class AutomationResponse(BaseModel):
     model: str | None
 
     name: str
+    description: str | None
     prompt: str | None
     preset_metadata: dict | None = None
     trigger: dict
diff --git a/tests/test_capabilities_router.py b/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
index 605a3202..3bff9775 100644
--- a/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_capabilities_router.py
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ async def test_configured_deployment_advertises_event_support(
         assert "webhookDelivery" in body["features"]
         assert "kvStore" in body["features"]
         assert "customTarball" in body["features"]
+        assert "automationDescription" in body["features"]
 
     async def test_advertises_the_configured_timeout_ceiling(
         self, async_client, ready_deployment, monkeypatch
diff --git a/tests/test_git_sync.py b/tests/test_git_sync.py
index 8c6f6fe9..4ca025a8 100644
--- a/tests/test_git_sync.py
+++ b/tests/test_git_sync.py
@@ -644,6 +644,60 @@ def instrumented_read(directory):
 
         assert read_slugs == ["automation-b"]
 
+    async def test_description_round_trips_through_git(
+        self,
+        sqlite_session_factory,
+        file_store,
+        git_settings,
+        service_settings,
+        origin,
+    ):
+        """A description set via the API lands in automation.yaml (with no key
+        when absent), and a git-side edit to it imports back on the next cycle.
+        """
+        automation_id = await _create_internal_automation(
+            sqlite_session_factory, file_store
+        )
+        async with sqlite_session_factory() as session:
+            automation = await session.get(Automation, automation_id)
+            automation.description = "Weekly dependency report"
+            await mark_git_sync_dirty(session, automation)
+            await session.commit()
+
+        await run_sync_cycle(sqlite_session_factory, git_settings, service_settings)
+
+        editor_dir = origin.parent / "editor"
+        await ensure_repo(editor_dir, f"file://{origin}", "main", "", 30)
+        await pull(editor_dir, "main", "", 30)
+        yaml_path = (
+            editor_dir / "automations" / "my-first-automation" / "automation.yaml"
+        )
+        text = yaml_path.read_text()
+        assert "description: Weekly dependency report" in text
+        yaml_path.write_text(
+            text.replace(
+                "description: Weekly dependency report",
+                "description: Edited in git",
+            )
+        )
+        await commit_and_push(
+            editor_dir,
+            "automations",
+            "edit description",
+            "Human",
+            "human@example.com",
+            "main",
+            "",
+            30,
+        )
+
+        await run_sync_cycle(sqlite_session_factory, git_settings, service_settings)
+
+        async with sqlite_session_factory() as session:
+            automation = await session.get(Automation, automation_id)
+            assert automation is not None
+            assert automation.description == "Edited in git"
+
     async def test_dirty_automation_wins_over_conflicting_git_edit(
         self, sqlite_session_factory, file_store, git_settings, service_settings, origin
     ):
diff --git a/tests/test_git_sync_serializer.py b/tests/test_git_sync_serializer.py
index 9bcaab35..94499ade 100644
--- a/tests/test_git_sync_serializer.py
+++ b/tests/test_git_sync_serializer.py
@@ -134,6 +134,34 @@ def test_automation_yaml_fields(self):
         assert fields["prompt"] == "do the thing"
         assert fields["tarball_source"] == {"type": "internal", "url": None}
 
+    def test_description_omitted_when_null(self):
+        """Regression: emitting `description: null` for automations that have
+        none would rewrite every already-synced automation.yaml (and its
+        content hash) on the first cycle, pushing one no-op commit per
+        automation -- the same trap as the empty `tarball_executables` list.
+        """
+        automation = _make_automation()
+        files = serialize_automation(automation, _make_tarball({"main.py": b"x"}))
+
+        import yaml
+
+        fields = yaml.safe_load(files["automation.yaml"])
+        assert "description" not in fields
+
+    def test_description_serialized_when_set(self):
+        automation = _make_automation(description="Weekly dependency report")
+        files = serialize_automation(automation, _make_tarball({"main.py": b"x"}))
+
+        import yaml
+
+        fields = yaml.safe_load(files["automation.yaml"])
+        assert fields["description"] == "Weekly dependency report"
+
+        # Round-trips through the importer's parsed field dict.
+        deserialized = deserialize_automation(files)
+        assert deserialized is not None
+        assert deserialized.fields["description"] == "Weekly dependency report"
+
     def test_external_url_skips_tarball_dir(self):
         automation = _make_automation(tarball_path="https://example.com/x.tar.gz")
         files = serialize_automation(automation, None)
diff --git a/tests/test_router.py b/tests/test_router.py
index c9178933..f822a22e 100644
--- a/tests/test_router.py
+++ b/tests/test_router.py
@@ -222,6 +222,48 @@ async def test_create_automation_success(
         assert automation is not None
         assert automation.telemetry_distinct_id == "ph-fe-creator"
 
+    async def test_create_automation_with_description(
+        self, async_client, async_session
+    ):
+        """A supplied description is stored and echoed; omitted stays null."""
+        payload = {
+            "name": "My Test Automation",
+            "description": "Weekly dependency report",
+            "trigger": {"type": "cron", "schedule": "0 9 * * 5", "timezone": "UTC"},
+            "tarball_path": "s3://bucket/path/to/code.tar.gz",
+            "entrypoint": "uv run script.py",
+        }
+
+        response = await async_client.post("/api/automation/v1", json=payload)
+
+        assert response.status_code == 201
+        data = response.json()
+        assert data["description"] == "Weekly dependency report"
+        automation = await async_session.get(Automation, uuid.UUID(data["id"]))
+        assert automation is not None
+        assert automation.description == "Weekly dependency report"
+
+        # Omitted -> null, so undescribed automations look exactly like today's.
+        payload.pop("description")
+        response = await async_client.post("/api/automation/v1", json=payload)
+
+        assert response.status_code == 201
+        assert response.json()["description"] is None
+
+    async def test_create_automation_rejects_oversized_description(self, async_client):
+        """Description is capped at 2000 characters."""
+        payload = {
+            "name": "My Test Automation",
+            "description": "x" * 2001,
+            "trigger": {"type": "cron", "schedule": "0 9 * * 5", "timezone": "UTC"},
+            "tarball_path": "s3://bucket/path/to/code.tar.gz",
+            "entrypoint": "uv run script.py",
+        }
+
+        response = await async_client.post("/api/automation/v1", json=payload)
+
+        assert response.status_code == 422
+
     async def test_create_automation_preset_metadata_is_null(self, async_client):
         """Custom SDK automations are created without preset metadata."""
         payload = {
@@ -1053,6 +1095,38 @@ async def test_update_automation_name(self, async_client, async_session):
         assert data["name"] == "Updated Name"
         assert data["entrypoint"] == "uv run script.py"
 
+    async def test_update_automation_description(self, async_client, async_session):
+        """PATCH sets and clears the description like any other field."""
+        automation = Automation(
+            user_id=TEST_USER_ID,
+            org_id=TEST_ORG_ID,
+            name="Original Name",
+            trigger={"type": "cron", "schedule": "0 9 * * *", "timezone": "UTC"},
+            tarball_path="s3://bucket/path/to/code.tar.gz",
+            entrypoint="uv run script.py",
+        )
+        async_session.add(automation)
+        await async_session.commit()
+
+        response = await async_client.patch(
+            f"/api/automation/v1/{automation.id}",
+            json={"description": "Runs weekly"},
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json()["description"] == "Runs weekly"
+
+        # Explicit null clears it -- not a no-op.
+        response = await async_client.patch(
+            f"/api/automation/v1/{automation.id}",
+            json={"description": None},
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json()["description"] is None
+        await async_session.refresh(automation)
+        assert automation.description is None
+
     async def test_update_automation_schedule(self, async_client, async_session):
         """PATCH updates the trigger schedule."""
         automation = Automation(
diff --git a/tests/test_schemas.py b/tests/test_schemas.py
index 80d3f079..426c500e 100644
--- a/tests/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/test_schemas.py
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ def _make_automation(self, **overrides: Any) -> AutomationResponse:
             org_id=uuid.uuid4(),
             model=None,
             name="Test",
+            description=None,
             prompt=None,
             trigger={"type": "cron", "schedule": "0 9 * * 1", "timezone": "UTC"},
             tarball_path="s3://bucket/key.tar.gz",