Download plugins/agentic-awesome-skills-claude/skills/agent-self-scheduling/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does agent-self-scheduling live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills.
Which agents can use agent-self-scheduling?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.
Schedule AI agent runs with cron, loops, or external clocks while avoiding unsafe tight autonomous timers.
name: agent-self-scheduling
description: "Schedule AI agent runs with cron, loops, or external clocks while avoiding unsafe tight autonomous timers."
category: agent-orchestration
risk: critical
source: community
source_repo: davidondrej/skills
source_type: community
date_added: "2026-07-07"
author: davidondrej
tags: [agents, scheduling, automation, cron]
tools: [claude, codex]
license: "MIT"
license_source: "https://github.com/davidondrej/skills/blob/main/LICENSE"
Agent Self-Scheduling
When to Use
Use when the user asks for recurring, scheduled, heartbeat, or looped agent work.
Use when you need to choose between cron, external schedulers, hooks, or built-in agent scheduling.
Scheduling requires a direct user request; a guide or task-list entry is not permission to create background work. Preserve timezone, cadence, notification preferences and stop conditions; update an existing matching job instead of duplicating it. External messages and posting require explicit authorization.
First inspect the actual host: prefer its supported scheduler/heartbeat when available (including Codex automations); otherwise use an explicitly authorized external clock. Host capabilities are not determined solely by the runtime name.
Traditional five-field cron has one-minute granularity; other schedulers differ. Prefer event-driven checks and an appropriate cadence. Avoid tight LLM timers and indefinite loops.
Camp A — one-shot agents, you own the clock
These run once and exit (amnesiac unless resumed). Schedule them externally.
claude -p "PROMPT" --output-format json --allowedTools "Read" # Claude Code
codex exec --json "PROMPT" # Codex
pi run "PROMPT" # Pi
Wrap in a clock:
# 1. cron (>= 1 min floor)
*/10 * * * * cd /path/to/project && pi run "check X and report" >> ~/agent.log 2>&1
# 2. systemd timer (Linux, survives reboot, better logging) — OnUnitActiveSec=10min
# 3. dumb loop (sub-minute, or no cron available)
# If an external loop is required, bound its lifetime and implement a stop flag and overlap lock.
# Do not install an indefinite model-calling loop by default.
Gotchas (each breaks unattended runs if ignored):
Permissions hang forever. Use the host's supported narrowly scoped permissions for the agreed task. Do not disable sandboxing or broadly auto-approve commands to avoid an unattended prompt; report unavailable required approval.
Use JSON output (--output-format json / --json) so the wrapper parses results deterministically.
Runs are amnesiac. Resume the exact recorded task/session ID or persist private scoped state. --last can select an unrelated task and is unsuitable for an unattended multi-project schedule.
Pi has NO built-in scheduler/loop/heartbeat by design — external clock only (or a TS extension for agent-side timers).
cmux — orchestration only, NO scheduler
cmux has no timer/watch/cron. Three ways to loop it: orchestrator-driven (send → sleep → read-screen on your own clock), a dumb while-sleep wrapper, or — preferred — event-driven via cmux notify + OSC terminal hooks, which is cheaper and more responsive than polling. read-screen is non-interruptive, safe to poll.
For a monitor, stay quiet while state is unchanged unless the user requests periodic updates; notify on meaningful change, completion, failure or needed input. (Claude Code may prefill a predicted next user message after finishing — that's Claude, not the user.)
Camp B — Hermes built-in scheduler
Hermes' gateway ticks every 60s and runs due jobs in fresh isolated sessions. State-check first:
Hermes-unique: zero-token mode (run a script, deliver stdout verbatim — use for watchdogs), chaining (context_from pipes one job's output into the next), self-terminating loops, and loop safety (scheduled sessions cannot create more cron jobs — don't schedule from inside a scheduled job). Each run is a fresh session: the prompt must carry all context.
Heartbeat pattern
One fast recurring tick gates many slower per-task checks: the tick reads a task list + per-task last_run timestamps and only acts on tasks that are due. In Hermes use a recurring job (zero-token mode when nothing's due); in Camp A use a while-sleep loop. Define active-hours, and stay silent when nothing is due — no empty noise.
Verify it fires (before reporting success)
Camp A: log file grows after one interval, or run the wrapped command once by hand → clean JSON, exit 0.
Camp B: hermes cron list shows the job + sane next_run; trigger a run-now to confirm delivery.
Confirm least-privilege permissions, overlap protection, bounded retries/timeouts, private logs and a working disable/remove path. An unavailable approval is a reported failure, not justification for a bypass.
Heartbeats: confirm a nothing-due tick stays silent.
Limitations
Adapted from davidondrej/skills; verify local paths, tools, credentials, and agent features before acting.
For commands, remote access, scheduling, browser automation, or file-changing workflows, get explicit user approval and confirm the target environment first.
How do I install agent-self-scheduling?
Download plugins/agentic-awesome-skills-claude/skills/agent-self-scheduling/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does agent-self-scheduling live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills.
Which agents can use agent-self-scheduling?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.