There are 4 orders for each of the different auto-actions, which you can combine as you wish.

Your fleet will try to attack others that match your relation with their owner according to your choices. For an attack to succeed, the attacking fleet must have combat vessels faster than the travel speed of the target. Higher scanner levels improve reaction times, though these orders are most useful at choke points, like a system entrance or a world's orbit.

Only fleets with an offensive or higher stance will heed these orders. Friends/allies are never attacked. Attacking neutrals will not attack those you are at peace with. Empire orders have no effect when not a member of an empire.

When a fleet is attacked by overwhelming forces, it may send out distress calls. You can choose from whom, if anyone, you wish to respond. If in scanner range, your fleet will set a course for the battlefield and join hostilities on the side of the victim.

Please not that answering distress calls, especially from neutrals, can have undesirable consequences, as you have know means of knowing against whom you're defending them.

A support call is issued by an aggressor finding themselves on the losing side of a conflict. They work just like distress calls, except that you will support an attacker.

The risk for diplomatic fallout is even greater when using these options.