Scheduled tasks

What it is

Scheduled tasks run a prompt on a recurring or one-off schedule. Two surfaces, same idea, different execution:

• Desktop: Cowork tasks on your Mac, triggered by the /schedule skill. Runs locally while your computer is awake.
• Web (Routines): Claude Code sessions on Anthropic’s cloud, at claude.ai/code/routines. Keeps running with your laptop closed. Can also trigger on API calls or GitHub events.

Where to find it

On desktop

• Cowork sidebar → Scheduled for the list of scheduled tasks.
• /schedule in any existing task to configure a schedule for it.

On the web

• claude.ai/code/routines — create and manage Routines from the Claude Code left nav.
• /schedule in the Claude Code CLI to create a scheduled routine conversationally. /schedule list, /schedule update, and /schedule run manage existing routines.

How to use it

Schedule a Cowork task on desktop

1. Open an existing Cowork task you want to run on a schedule.
2. Type /schedule in the composer. The schedule skill launches.
3. Step 1 — pick the task focus. The skill offers to use the current task as the template.
4. Step 2 — pick the recurrence: Daily, Weekly, or Ad-hoc.
5. Fill in the time and any other details the skill asks for.
6. The task now appears on the Scheduled page with a status chip.

Create a Routine on the web

1. Visit claude.ai/code/routines and click Create routine (or pick a template: Briefing, Email triage, PR review digest, etc.).
2. Name the routine and write the prompt Claude runs each time. The prompt input includes a model selector.
3. Select one or more GitHub repositories. Claude creates claude/-prefixed branches for its changes; enable Allow unrestricted branch pushes per repo to lift that.
4. Pick a cloud environment (network access level, env vars, setup script). A Default is provided.
5. Under Select a trigger, choose one or more of:
   • Schedule — hourly, daily, weekdays, weekly, or a custom cron (via /schedule update, minimum one-hour interval).
   • GitHub event — fires on pull-request or release events with optional filters (author, title, labels, branch, etc.). Requires the Claude GitHub App.
   • API — POST to a per-routine endpoint with a bearer token to start a session.
6. Review connectors (all your connected MCP connectors are included by default; remove any not needed).
7. Click Create. Hit Run now on the detail page to trigger an immediate run.

Pause, resume, edit, or delete

• Desktop: each tile on the Scheduled view has a pause/play control. Paused tasks show a pause icon.
• Web: on the Routine detail page, toggle Repeats to pause or resume, click the pencil icon to edit, or the delete icon to remove it (past sessions remain in your session list).

Good to know

• Desktop scheduled tasks only run while your computer is awake. A banner reminds you. Enable Keep awake if you want the Mac to stay up. Routines don’t have this constraint — they run in the cloud.
• One-off schedules work too on desktop — not just recurring. Useful for “run this at 6pm” one-time asks.
• Routines are in research preview on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans with Claude Code on the web enabled. Usage draws down the same subscription limits as interactive sessions, plus a daily cap on routine runs.
• Routines run as full Claude Code cloud sessions — no permission prompts mid-run. Scope what they can reach via repo selection, environment network access, and connectors.
• The Desktop app shows both local scheduled tasks and Routines in the same grid. New task → New local task creates a local scheduled task; New remote task creates a Routine.

What’s changed recently

• 2026-04-22 — Web coverage filled in. Scheduled tasks on the web are Routines (claude.ai/code/routines) with schedule, API, and GitHub event triggers. A banner in the Code UI notes “Your scheduled sessions are now in Routines.”
• 2026-04-18 — Desktop section verified against build 1.3109.0. Three-step /schedule flow captured.

Related

• Cowork — overview
• Dispatch