Automation & Tasks (OpenClaw)

#openclaw #automation #cron #heartbeat #hooks #tasks #standing-orders

OpenClaw provides six distinct mechanisms for automating agent work. They are complementary and can be combined.

Decision Guide

Need	Mechanism
Exact timing (precise schedule)	Cron
Flexible periodic monitoring	Heartbeat
Track / audit detached work	Background Tasks
Multi-step workflow orchestration	Task Flow
React to lifecycle events	Hooks
Persistent per-session instructions	Standing Orders

The Six Mechanisms

Cron (Scheduled Tasks)

Gateway's built-in scheduler. Persists jobs, fires agents at precise times, routes output to chat channels or webhooks. Supports one-shot (--at), fixed interval (--every), and cron-expression (--cron) schedules. Every execution creates a Background Task record.

Heartbeat

Periodic main-session turn (default 30-minute interval) for routine monitoring. Driven by HEARTBEAT.md checklist or tasks: blocks. Does not create background task records — lower overhead than cron for fuzzy polling.

Background Tasks

Append-only ledger recording all detached work: ACP runs, subagent spawns, cron executions, CLI operations. Inspected via openclaw tasks list. A passive audit log — not a scheduler.

Task Flow

Orchestration layer for multi-step workflows: durable execution, managed/mirrored sync modes, revision tracking. Inspected via openclaw tasks flow.

Hooks

Event-driven scripts triggered by agent lifecycle events: session init, resets, stops, compaction, tool calls. Auto-discovered from directories; managed via openclaw hooks. See OpenClaw Hooks for full detail.

Standing Orders

Persistent agent directives stored in AGENTS.md (workspace file), automatically injected into every session. Establishes standing operating authority without needing to re-state instructions each session. Feeds through Context Assembly.

How They Work Together

Cron / Heartbeat / Hooks
        │ triggers
        ▼
  Agent turn runs
        │ spawns detached work
        ▼
  Background Tasks (audit ledger)
        │ multi-step work
        ▼
  Task Flow (orchestration)

Standing Orders inform every agent turn regardless of trigger source.