diff --git a/docs/automation/cron-jobs.md b/docs/automation/cron-jobs.md
index 4b756b2bd32..136f756d1d5 100644
--- a/docs/automation/cron-jobs.md
+++ b/docs/automation/cron-jobs.md
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ They must use `payload.kind = "systemEvent"`.
 This is the best fit when you want the normal heartbeat prompt + main-session context.
 See [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat).
 
-Main-session cron jobs do **not** create background task records.
+Main-session cron jobs do **not** create [background task](/automation/tasks) records.
 
 #### Isolated jobs (dedicated cron sessions)
 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ Key behaviors:
 Use isolated jobs for noisy, frequent, or "background chores" that shouldn't spam
 your main chat history.
 
-These detached runs appear in `openclaw tasks` and inherit task audit and maintenance behavior.
+These detached runs create [background task](/automation/tasks) records visible in `openclaw tasks` and subject to task audit and maintenance.
 
 ### Payload shapes (what runs)
 
diff --git a/docs/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat.md b/docs/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat.md
index ff27ee6dbdb..7c11813906f 100644
--- a/docs/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat.md
+++ b/docs/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat.md
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ Both heartbeats and cron jobs let you run tasks on a schedule. This guide helps
 
 One important distinction:
 
-- **Heartbeat** is a scheduled **main-session turn**.
-- **Cron (main)** is a scheduled **system event into the main session**.
-- **Cron (isolated)** is a scheduled **background run**.
+- **Heartbeat** is a scheduled **main-session turn** — no task record created.
+- **Cron (main)** is a scheduled **system event into the main session** — no task record created.
+- **Cron (isolated)** is a scheduled **background run** — tracked in `openclaw tasks`.
 
-Only detached background runs show up in `openclaw tasks`. Normal heartbeat runs and main-session cron reminders do not.
+Only detached background runs (isolated cron, ACP, subagents) appear in the [task ledger](/automation/tasks). Heartbeat turns and main-session cron reminders stay in session history.
 
 ## Quick Decision Guide
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Heartbeats run in the **main session** at a regular interval (default: 30 min).
 - **Context-aware**: The agent knows what you've been working on and can prioritize accordingly.
 - **Smart suppression**: If nothing needs attention, the agent replies `HEARTBEAT_OK` and no message is delivered.
 - **Natural timing**: Drifts slightly based on queue load, which is fine for most monitoring.
-- **No background task ledger**: heartbeat turns stay in main-session history instead of creating a separate task run.
+- **No task record**: heartbeat turns stay in main-session history (see [Background Tasks](/automation/tasks)).
 
 ### Heartbeat example: HEARTBEAT.md checklist
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ per-job offset in a 0-5 minute window.
 - **Immediate delivery**: Announce mode posts directly without waiting for heartbeat.
 - **No agent context needed**: Runs even if main session is idle or compacted.
 - **One-shot support**: `--at` for precise future timestamps.
-- **Task visibility for detached runs**: isolated jobs show up in `openclaw tasks`, `openclaw tasks audit`, and maintenance surfaces.
+- **Task tracking**: isolated jobs create [background task](/automation/tasks) records visible in `openclaw tasks` and `openclaw tasks audit`.
 
 ### Cron example: Daily morning briefing
 
@@ -294,4 +294,5 @@ openclaw cron add \
 
 - [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat) - full heartbeat configuration
 - [Cron jobs](/automation/cron-jobs) - full cron CLI and API reference
+- [Background Tasks](/automation/tasks) - task ledger, audit, and lifecycle
 - [System](/cli/system) - system events + heartbeat controls
diff --git a/docs/automation/tasks.md b/docs/automation/tasks.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ad8e6a0ef64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/automation/tasks.md
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+---
+summary: "Background task tracking for ACP runs, subagents, isolated cron jobs, and CLI operations"
+read_when:
+  - Inspecting background work in progress or recently completed
+  - Debugging delivery failures for detached agent runs
+  - Understanding how background runs relate to sessions, cron, and heartbeat
+title: "Background Tasks"
+---
+
+# Background Tasks
+
+Background tasks track work that runs **outside your main conversation session**: ACP runs, subagent spawns, isolated cron job executions, and CLI-initiated operations.
+
+<Note>
+Not every agent run creates a task. Heartbeat turns and main-session cron reminders stay in main-session history. Only **detached** work (isolated cron, ACP, subagents, CLI operations) appears in the task ledger.
+</Note>
+
+## Quick start
+
+```bash
+# List all tasks (newest first)
+openclaw tasks list
+
+# Show details for a specific task
+openclaw tasks show <task-id>
+
+# Cancel a running task
+openclaw tasks cancel <task-id>
+
+# Change notification policy
+openclaw tasks notify <task-id> state_changes
+
+# Run a health audit
+openclaw tasks audit
+```
+
+## What creates a task
+
+| Source | Runtime | When a task is created |
+|---|---|---|
+| ACP background runs | `acp` | Spawning a child ACP session |
+| Subagent orchestration | `subagent` | Spawning a subagent via `sessions_spawn` |
+| Isolated cron jobs | `cron` | Each execution of a `sessionTarget: "isolated"` or custom-session cron job |
+| CLI operations | `cli` | Background CLI commands that run through the gateway |
+
+**Not tracked as tasks:**
+
+- Heartbeat turns (main-session; see [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat))
+- Main-session cron reminders (`sessionTarget: "main"`; see [Cron Jobs](/automation/cron-jobs))
+- Normal interactive chat turns
+
+## Task lifecycle
+
+```
+queued ──→ running ──→ succeeded
+                   ├──→ failed
+                   ├──→ timed_out
+                   └──→ cancelled
+
+           (any active state) ──→ lost
+```
+
+| Status | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `queued` | Created, waiting to start |
+| `running` | Actively executing |
+| `succeeded` | Completed successfully |
+| `failed` | Completed with an error |
+| `timed_out` | Exceeded the configured timeout |
+| `cancelled` | Cancelled by the operator (`openclaw tasks cancel`) |
+| `lost` | Backing session disappeared (detected after a 5-minute grace period) |
+
+Tasks automatically transition from `running` to their terminal state when the associated agent run ends.
+
+## Delivery and notifications
+
+When a task finishes, OpenClaw can notify you through two mechanisms:
+
+### Direct delivery
+
+If the task has a `requesterOrigin` (channel target), the completion message is delivered directly to that channel (Telegram, Discord, Slack, etc.).
+
+### Session-queued delivery
+
+If direct delivery fails or no origin is set, the update is queued as a system event in the requester session and delivered on the next heartbeat.
+
+### Notification policies
+
+Control how much you hear about a task:
+
+| Policy | Behavior |
+|---|---|
+| `done_only` (default) | Notify only when the task reaches a terminal state |
+| `state_changes` | Notify on every state transition and progress update |
+| `silent` | No notifications at all |
+
+Change the policy for a running task:
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks notify <task-id> state_changes
+```
+
+## Inspecting tasks
+
+### List all tasks
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks list
+```
+
+Output columns: Task ID, Kind (runtime), Status, Delivery status, Run ID, Child Session, Summary.
+
+Filter by runtime or status:
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks list --runtime acp
+openclaw tasks list --status running
+openclaw tasks list --json
+```
+
+### Show task details
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks show <lookup>
+```
+
+The lookup token can be a task ID, run ID, or session key. Shows full task record including timing, delivery state, and terminal summary.
+
+### Cancel a task
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks cancel <lookup>
+```
+
+For ACP and subagent tasks, this kills the child session. The task status transitions to `cancelled`.
+
+## Task audit
+
+The audit surfaces operational issues with background tasks:
+
+```bash
+openclaw tasks audit
+openclaw tasks audit --json
+```
+
+| Finding | Severity | Condition |
+|---|---|---|
+| `stale_queued` | warn | Queued for more than 10 minutes |
+| `stale_running` | error | Running for more than 30 minutes |
+| `lost` | error | Status is `lost` (backing session gone) |
+| `delivery_failed` | warn | Delivery failed and notify policy is not `silent` |
+| `missing_cleanup` | warn | Terminal but no cleanup timestamp set |
+| `inconsistent_timestamps` | warn | Timeline violations (ended before started, etc.) |
+
+Task audit findings also appear in `openclaw status` output when issues are detected.
+
+## Task pressure (status integration)
+
+The task system reports an "at a glance" summary in `openclaw status`:
+
+```
+Tasks: 3 queued · 2 running · 1 issues
+```
+
+This includes:
+
+- **active**: count of `queued` + `running` tasks
+- **failures**: count of `failed` + `timed_out` + `lost` tasks
+- **byRuntime**: breakdown by `acp`, `subagent`, `cron`, `cli`
+
+## Storage and maintenance
+
+### Where tasks are stored
+
+Task records persist in SQLite at `$OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR/tasks/runs.sqlite`. The registry loads into memory at gateway start and syncs writes to SQLite for durability across restarts.
+
+### Automatic cleanup
+
+A maintenance sweeper runs every 60 seconds:
+
+1. **Reconciliation**: checks if active tasks' backing sessions still exist. If a session is gone for more than 5 minutes, the task is marked `lost`.
+2. **Cleanup stamping**: terminal tasks get a `cleanupAfter` timestamp set to 7 days after completion.
+3. **Pruning**: records past their `cleanupAfter` are deleted.
+
+**Retention**: terminal task records are kept for **7 days** for historical inspection, then automatically pruned.
+
+## How tasks relate to other systems
+
+### Tasks and cron
+
+- A cron job **definition** lives in `~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json`.
+- Each **execution** of an isolated cron job creates a task record.
+- Main-session cron jobs (`sessionTarget: "main"`) do **not** create task records.
+- See [Cron Jobs](/automation/cron-jobs) for scheduling and [Cron vs Heartbeat](/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat) for choosing the right mechanism.
+
+### Tasks and heartbeat
+
+- Heartbeat runs are main-session turns — they do **not** create task records.
+- When a detached task completes, it can enqueue a system event and trigger an immediate heartbeat wake so you see the result quickly.
+- See [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat) for configuration.
+
+### Tasks and sessions
+
+- A task may have an associated `childSessionKey` (the session where work happens).
+- The `requesterSessionKey` identifies who initiated the task (the parent session).
+- Sessions are conversation context; tasks are activity tracking records.
+
+### Tasks and agent runs
+
+- A task's `runId` links to the agent run executing the work.
+- Agent lifecycle events (start, end, error) automatically update task status.
+
+## Related
+
+- [Cron Jobs](/automation/cron-jobs) — scheduling background work
+- [Cron vs Heartbeat](/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat) — choosing the right mechanism
+- [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat) — periodic main-session turns
+- [CLI: Tasks](/cli/index#tasks) — CLI command reference
diff --git a/docs/docs.json b/docs/docs.json
index aa4f160cc3e..49dbca45ff7 100644
--- a/docs/docs.json
+++ b/docs/docs.json
@@ -1118,6 +1118,7 @@
                   "automation/standing-orders",
                   "automation/cron-jobs",
                   "automation/cron-vs-heartbeat",
+                  "automation/tasks",
                   "automation/troubleshooting",
                   "automation/webhook",
                   "automation/gmail-pubsub",
diff --git a/docs/gateway/heartbeat.md b/docs/gateway/heartbeat.md
index 40827db0a2a..22fedfc1b73 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/heartbeat.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/heartbeat.md
@@ -13,9 +13,8 @@ title: "Heartbeat"
 Heartbeat runs **periodic agent turns** in the main session so the model can
 surface anything that needs attention without spamming you.
 
-Heartbeat is not the background task executor. It is a scheduled main-session turn.
-Background task records are for detached work such as ACP runs, subagents, background CLI work,
-and isolated cron jobs.
+Heartbeat is a scheduled main-session turn — it does **not** create [background task](/automation/tasks) records.
+Task records are for detached work (ACP runs, subagents, isolated cron jobs).
 
 Troubleshooting: [/automation/troubleshooting](/automation/troubleshooting)
 
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ The default prompt is intentionally broad:
   occasional lightweight “anything you need?” message, but avoids night-time spam
   by using your configured local timezone (see [/concepts/timezone](/concepts/timezone)).
 
-Heartbeat can react to detached tasks, but a heartbeat run itself does not create a task record.
+Heartbeat can react to completed [background tasks](/automation/tasks), but a heartbeat run itself does not create a task record.
 
 If you want a heartbeat to do something very specific (e.g. “check Gmail PubSub
 stats” or “verify gateway health”), set `agents.defaults.heartbeat.prompt` (or
@@ -259,7 +258,7 @@ Use `accountId` to target a specific account on multi-account channels like Tele
   outbound message is sent.
 - Heartbeat-only replies do **not** keep the session alive; the last `updatedAt`
   is restored so idle expiry behaves normally.
-- Detached work can enqueue a system event and wake heartbeat when the main session should notice something quickly. That wake still does not make the heartbeat run a background task.
+- Detached [background tasks](/automation/tasks) can enqueue a system event and wake heartbeat when the main session should notice something quickly. That wake does not make the heartbeat run a background task.
 
 ## Visibility controls