--- summary: "Overview of automation mechanisms: tasks, cron, hooks, standing orders, and Task Flow" read_when: - Deciding how to automate work with OpenClaw - Choosing between heartbeat, cron, hooks, and standing orders - Looking for the right automation entry point title: "Automation & Tasks" --- # Automation & Tasks OpenClaw runs work in the background through tasks, scheduled jobs, event hooks, and standing instructions. This page helps you choose the right mechanism and understand how they fit together. ## Quick decision guide ```mermaid flowchart TD START([What do you need?]) --> Q1{Schedule work?} START --> Q2{Track detached work?} START --> Q3{Orchestrate multi-step flows?} START --> Q4{React to lifecycle events?} START --> Q5{Give the agent persistent instructions?} Q1 -->|Yes| Q1a{Exact timing or flexible?} Q1a -->|Exact| CRON["Scheduled Tasks (Cron)"] Q1a -->|Flexible| HEARTBEAT[Heartbeat] Q2 -->|Yes| TASKS[Background Tasks] Q3 -->|Yes| FLOW[Task Flow] Q4 -->|Yes| HOOKS[Hooks] Q5 -->|Yes| SO[Standing Orders] ``` | Use case | Recommended | Why | | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Send daily report at 9 AM sharp | Scheduled Tasks (Cron) | Exact timing, isolated execution | | Remind me in 20 minutes | Scheduled Tasks (Cron) | One-shot with precise timing (`--at`) | | Run weekly deep analysis | Scheduled Tasks (Cron) | Standalone task, can use different model | | Check inbox every 30 min | Heartbeat | Batches with other checks, context-aware | | Monitor calendar for upcoming events | Heartbeat | Natural fit for periodic awareness | | Inspect status of a subagent or ACP run | Background Tasks | Tasks ledger tracks all detached work | | Audit what ran and when | Background Tasks | `openclaw tasks list` and `openclaw tasks audit` | | Multi-step research then summarize | Task Flow | Durable orchestration with revision tracking | | Run a script on session reset | Hooks | Event-driven, fires on lifecycle events | | Execute code on every tool call | Hooks | Hooks can filter by event type | | Always check compliance before replying | Standing Orders | Injected into every session automatically | ### Scheduled Tasks (Cron) vs Heartbeat | Dimension | Scheduled Tasks (Cron) | Heartbeat | | --------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Timing | Exact (cron expressions, one-shot) | Approximate (default every 30 min) | | Session context | Fresh (isolated) or shared | Full main-session context | | Task records | Always created | Never created | | Delivery | Channel, webhook, or silent | Inline in main session | | Best for | Reports, reminders, background jobs | Inbox checks, calendar, notifications | Use Scheduled Tasks (Cron) when you need precise timing or isolated execution. Use Heartbeat when the work benefits from full session context and approximate timing is fine. ## Core concepts ### Scheduled tasks (cron) Cron is the Gateway's built-in scheduler for precise timing. It persists jobs, wakes the agent at the right time, and can deliver output to a chat channel or webhook endpoint. Supports one-shot reminders, recurring expressions, and inbound webhook triggers. See [Scheduled Tasks](/automation/cron-jobs). ### Tasks The background task ledger tracks all detached work: ACP runs, subagent spawns, isolated cron executions, and CLI operations. Tasks are records, not schedulers. Use `openclaw tasks list` and `openclaw tasks audit` to inspect them. See [Background Tasks](/automation/tasks). ### Task Flow Task Flow is the flow orchestration substrate above background tasks. It manages durable multi-step flows with managed and mirrored sync modes, revision tracking, and `openclaw tasks flow list|show|cancel` for inspection. See [Task Flow](/automation/taskflow). ### Standing orders Standing orders grant the agent permanent operating authority for defined programs. They live in workspace files (typically `AGENTS.md`) and are injected into every session. Combine with cron for time-based enforcement. See [Standing Orders](/automation/standing-orders). ### Hooks Hooks are event-driven scripts triggered by agent lifecycle events (`/new`, `/reset`, `/stop`), session compaction, gateway startup, message flow, and tool calls. Hooks are automatically discovered from directories and can be managed with `openclaw hooks`. See [Hooks](/automation/hooks). ### Heartbeat Heartbeat is a periodic main-session turn (default every 30 minutes). It batches multiple checks (inbox, calendar, notifications) in one agent turn with full session context. Heartbeat turns do not create task records. Use `HEARTBEAT.md` for a small checklist, or a `tasks:` block when you want due-only periodic checks inside heartbeat itself. Empty heartbeat files skip as `empty-heartbeat-file`; due-only task mode skips as `no-tasks-due`. See [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat). ## How they work together - **Cron** handles precise schedules (daily reports, weekly reviews) and one-shot reminders. All cron executions create task records. - **Heartbeat** handles routine monitoring (inbox, calendar, notifications) in one batched turn every 30 minutes. - **Hooks** react to specific events (tool calls, session resets, compaction) with custom scripts. - **Standing orders** give the agent persistent context and authority boundaries. - **Task Flow** coordinates multi-step flows above individual tasks. - **Tasks** automatically track all detached work so you can inspect and audit it. ## Related - [Scheduled Tasks](/automation/cron-jobs) — precise scheduling and one-shot reminders - [Background Tasks](/automation/tasks) — task ledger for all detached work - [Task Flow](/automation/taskflow) — durable multi-step flow orchestration - [Hooks](/automation/hooks) — event-driven lifecycle scripts - [Standing Orders](/automation/standing-orders) — persistent agent instructions - [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat) — periodic main-session turns - [Configuration Reference](/gateway/configuration-reference) — all config keys