How to run and manage automated scans
Last updated: November 3, 2026
Astra's automated scanner (DAST) tests web applications and APIs for known vulnerabilities. Scans can be started on demand or on a schedule, and each scan uses one from the target's scan quota. This article explains the scan types and links to the steps for running and managing scans.
Scan types
Choose the scan type when starting or scheduling a scan.
| Scan type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Automated Scan (Full) | An in-depth scan for 15,000+ vulnerabilities, including known CVEs, the OWASP Top 10, misconfigured headers, XSS and SQL injection. Astra advises running it at least once a week. |
| Automated Scan (Emerging Scan) | Checks for vulnerabilities from newly discovered threats, such as RegreSSHion, Polyfill, Log4Shell and Text4Shell. |
| Automated Scan (Lightning) | A high-level scan for basic security vulnerabilities in the web application. Astra recommends running it daily. |
| Automated Crawling (Web) | Explores the target to build and update its inventory. It doesn't run a security scan. |
A Full scan has two coverage options:
- Full Coverage scans the entire inventory.
- Delta Coverage scans only endpoints that are new or have changed since the last scan.
Common tasks
- Start a scan. Pick the scan type and one or more targets. Read more in How to start an automated scan.
- Schedule scans. Run the same scan automatically on up to 50 targets. Read more in How to schedule automated scans.
- Cancel or delete a scan. Stop a running scan, or remove a cancelled or failed one. Read more in How to cancel or delete a scan.
- Check the scan quota. See how many scans each target has left and what counts. Read more in How scan quota works.
Before the first scan, make sure the scanner can reach the target. Read more in How to make sure Astra's scanner can reach your application.
FAQ
Why did my scheduled scan start at 5:51 instead of 5:00?
Schedules run within a one-hour time window. The minute within that hour is assigned automatically "for optimal scan performance". Read more in How to schedule automated scans.
Can two scans run on the same target at once?
No. Only one automated scan can run on a target at a time. Starting another shows "A scan is underway, please try again once it is completed."