Peptides and oligonucleotides are prepared by automated synthesizers that can be operated by non-specialists. Carbohydrates have been hard to assemble, but the increasing awareness of the biological importance of this class of complex repeating biopolymers has prompted efforts to accelerate their synthesis. This tutorial review defines the state of the art of automated solid phase oligosaccharide synthesis and identifies areas in need of further innovation. Application of the automated synthesis method to prepare a malaria vaccine candidate is briefly highlighted.