Section 10: Automation — Scheduled & Recurring Tasks
The most reliable way to do something consistently is to set it up once and have it run automatically. That’s what this section is about: configuring Claude tasks that execute on a schedule without requiring you to ask for them every time.
Why this section matters
There is a category of work that is valuable every time it’s done but tedious to remember to do. Your daily briefing. Your weekly report. A recurring data check. A regular synthesis of what came in since the last run. These tasks have a consistent structure, consistent inputs, and consistent outputs. They’re exactly what scheduling is designed for.
Once a scheduled task is working, it produces output every day or every week whether or not you have capacity to think about it. The good weeks and the bad weeks both get the briefing. That’s the compounding value of automation.
What you’ll learn
The /schedule skill and the Scheduled Tasks sidebar. How to set up and manage scheduled tasks in Cowork, and where to see them in the interface.
Cadences: hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays-only. The time patterns available and when each is appropriate.
Keep-awake, and missed runs that auto-execute when the computer wakes. What happens when the computer is off when a task is scheduled to run, and how to configure recovery behavior.
Per-run access to files, connectors, and plugins. What each scheduled run can access, and how to ensure it has the resources it needs.
Daily-digest and weekly-report patterns. Two of the most commonly useful automation templates and how to configure them.
The mini project
You’ll design and set up a morning digest automation: a scheduled task that runs each weekday morning, reviews your inbox and calendar, identifies priorities, and leaves a briefing in your review folder. You’ll configure the cadence, the prompt, and the folder output.
How to approach this section
Start with the simplest possible scheduled task: a single task that reads one thing and writes one thing. Verify it runs correctly, produces the right output, and handles edge cases (empty inbox, no new calendar items) before building anything more complex. Complexity in automation is earned by reliability at simpler levels.
The scheduled task patterns in this section are ones that consistently deliver value for professionals managing significant information volume. They’re starting points, not recipes to follow rigidly. Adjust the timing, the prompt, and the output format to match how you actually work.