Summary.An automated colorimetric method has been described for the determination of both total and unchanged herbicide residues of the urea herbicides fluometuron, metobromuron, chlorbromuron and chlortoluron. The method is based on the well‐known Bratton‐Marshall diazotization‐coupling reaction for aromatic amines and is also applicable for other phenylureas as well as for N‐phenylcarbamate and anilide herbicides. The procedure is especially useful when large series of soil samples have to be analysed, for instance in connection with leaching experiments. Manual work and working time have been reduced with this method by up