# Example 08: Cron and Scheduled Automation

**Capability:** Claude Code supports scheduled and automated execution through
three complementary mechanisms, covering in-session polling through to
system-level cron jobs.

**OpenClaw equivalent:** HEARTBEAT.md, cron scheduler, webhooks, auto-reply.

---

## Three Approaches

### Approach 1: /loop (In-session polling, v2.1.71)

For tasks that should repeat while Claude Code is running:

```
/loop interval=60

Every 60 seconds, check if a file called 'trigger.txt' exists in this
directory. If it does, read its contents, execute the task described inside,
delete the file, and write the result to 'loop-output.md'. Then wait for
the next trigger.
```

Use this for development and testing. The loop runs as long as the session
is active.

---

### Approach 2: CronCreate (System-level scheduling, v2.1.71)

For tasks that should run on a schedule even when Claude Code is not open:

```
Create a cron job that runs the 'daily-briefing' skill every morning at 07:00.
Use the automation/daily-briefing.sh wrapper script. Show me the cron entry
before creating it so I can verify it.
```

Claude Code calls `CronCreate` to register the job with the system cron daemon.
Use `CronList` to see all registered jobs and `CronDelete` to remove them.
The `automation/daily-briefing.sh` script in this repo is a ready-made wrapper.

---

### Approach 3: /schedule (Remote trigger, web only)

For triggering runs from anywhere, including from a phone:

```
/schedule "Run the web-research skill on 'latest Anthropic news' and
email me a summary" at 2025-04-01T08:00:00
```

`/schedule` is available in the Claude web interface. It queues a headless
Claude Code run for the specified time. Combines with the Telegram permission
relay (v2.1.81) for approval-gated automation.

---

## Why This Matters

OpenClaw uses HEARTBEAT.md as a persistent loop marker. Claude Code achieves
the same outcome with more granularity: /loop for in-process polling, CronCreate
for system scheduling, /schedule for remote triggering. The `automation/` directory
in this repo provides macOS launchd examples as an alternative to cron.