openclaw/docs/automation/index.md

doc-schema-version, summary, read_when, title

doc-schema-version	summary	read_when	title
1	Overview of automation mechanisms: tasks, cron, hooks, standing orders, and Task Flow	Deciding how to automate work with OpenClaw Choosing between heartbeat, cron, hooks, and standing orders Looking for the right automation entry point	Automation

OpenClaw runs work in the background through tasks, scheduled jobs, event hooks, and standing instructions. Use this page to pick the right mechanism.

Quick decision guide

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	Plugin hooks	In-process hooks can intercept tool calls
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.

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.

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.

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.

Hooks

Internal hooks are event-driven scripts triggered by agent lifecycle events (/new, /reset, /stop), session compaction, gateway startup, and message flow. They are discovered from hook directories and managed with openclaw hooks. For in-process tool-call interception, use Plugin hooks.

See 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 and do not extend daily/idle session reset freshness. 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. Heartbeats defer while cron work is active or queued, and heartbeat.skipWhenBusy can also defer an agent while that same agent's session-keyed subagent or nested lanes are busy.

See 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 (session resets, compaction, message flow) with custom scripts. Plugin hooks cover tool calls.
• 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 — precise scheduling and one-shot reminders
• Background Tasks — task ledger for all detached work
• Task Flow — durable multi-step flow orchestration
• Hooks — event-driven lifecycle scripts
• Plugin hooks — in-process tool, prompt, message, and lifecycle hooks
• Standing Orders — persistent agent instructions
• Heartbeat — periodic main-session turns
• Configuration Reference — all config keys