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Overview

Task scheduling in Pulze provides flexible options for automating AI workflows. Configure tasks to run once, daily, weekly, monthly, or on custom schedules using cron expressions.

Schedule Types

One-time Tasks

Execute a task once at a specific date and time. Best For:
  • Deadline-driven deliverables
  • One-off reports
  • Special event responses
  • Time-sensitive actions
Configuration:
  • Select specific date
  • Choose exact time
  • Set timezone
  • Task automatically completes after running
Example Uses:
  • “Generate quarterly report on March 31st at 5 PM”
  • “Send project summary at end of sprint”
  • “Create year-end analysis on December 31st”

Daily Tasks

Run a task every day at the same time. Best For:
  • Daily reports and summaries
  • Regular monitoring
  • Recurring analysis
  • Daily content generation
Configuration:
  • Set execution time
  • Choose timezone
  • Runs every 24 hours
Example Uses:
  • “Daily sales summary at 9 AM”
  • “Morning briefing at 8 AM”
  • “End-of-day status report at 6 PM”

Weekly Tasks

Execute tasks on specific days of the week. Best For:
  • Weekly summaries
  • Recurring team updates
  • Weekly content creation
  • Periodic reviews
Configuration:
  • Select days of the week (Monday-Sunday)
  • Set execution time
  • Choose timezone
  • Multiple days can be selected
Example Uses:
  • “Monday morning summary at 8 AM”
  • “Mid-week check-in every Wednesday at noon”
  • “Weekend planning on Fridays at 3 PM”
  • “Monday, Wednesday, Friday reports”

Monthly Tasks

Run tasks on specific day(s) of the month. Best For:
  • Monthly reports
  • End-of-month processing
  • Monthly summaries
  • Recurring monthly activities
Configuration:
  • Select day(s) of the month (1-31)
  • Set execution time
  • Choose timezone
  • Handle month-end edge cases
Example Uses:
  • “Monthly report on the 1st at 9 AM”
  • “End-of-month summary on the 30th”
  • “Mid-month check on the 15th”
  • “Quarterly reports on specific dates”
Note: For months without certain days (e.g., February doesn’t have day 31), the task won’t run that month, or may run on the last day depending on configuration.

Custom (Cron) Tasks

Use cron expressions for advanced scheduling. Best For:
  • Complex scheduling requirements
  • Non-standard intervals
  • Business hours restrictions
  • Advanced automation needs
Configuration:
  • Enter cron expression
  • Validate syntax
  • Preview next run times
  • Set timezone
Cron Expression Format:
* * * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─── Day of week (0-7, 0 and 7 are Sunday)
│ │ │ └────── Month (1-12)
│ │ └───────── Day of month (1-31)
│ └──────────── Hour (0-23)
└───────────── Minute (0-59)
Example Cron Expressions:
  • 0 9 * * 1-5 - Every weekday at 9 AM
  • 0 */4 * * * - Every 4 hours
  • 0 9 1 * * - First day of every month at 9 AM
  • 30 14 * * 0 - Every Sunday at 2:30 PM
  • 0 9,12,15,18 * * * - Four times a day (9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM)
Common Patterns:
  • Every hour: 0 * * * *
  • Every 30 minutes: */30 * * * *
  • Business hours only: 0 9-17 * * 1-5
  • Twice daily: 0 9,21 * * *

Timezone Considerations

Setting Timezones

  • All tasks use the timezone you specify
  • Default to your account timezone
  • Can be changed for each task
  • Handles daylight saving time automatically

Important Notes

Daylight Saving Time: Tasks automatically adjust for DST changes. A task scheduled for “9 AM local time” will run at 9 AM even after DST transitions.
Timezone Awareness: Ensure you select the correct timezone, especially for teams distributed across multiple time zones. Tasks run according to the configured timezone, not the user’s current location.

Configuring Schedules

Initial Setup

When creating a task:
  1. Choose schedule type
  2. Configure type-specific settings
  3. Set timezone
  4. Review next run time
  5. Save configuration

Modifying Schedules

To change a task’s schedule:
  1. Open task details
  2. Click edit or use menu (⋮)
  3. Update schedule settings
  4. Save changes
  5. New schedule takes effect immediately

Testing Schedules

Before finalizing:
  • Review the “Next Run” time
  • Verify timezone is correct
  • Consider creating a one-time test task first
  • Check that the schedule matches your intentions

Next Run Time

The system displays when each task will next execute:
  • Shown in your local timezone
  • Updates automatically after each run
  • Visible in task list and details
  • Helps verify schedule is correct

Calculating Next Run

For recurring tasks:
  • System calculates next execution after each run
  • Takes into account schedule type and settings
  • Skips if date/time doesn’t exist (e.g., Feb 31st)
  • Continues with following valid date

Best Practices

Start simple: Begin with daily or weekly tasks before creating complex cron schedules.
Test thoroughly: Create a one-time or near-term task to verify configuration before setting up long-term schedules.
Consider load: Avoid scheduling many tasks at the exact same time to prevent resource contention.
Business hours: For non-urgent tasks, schedule during business hours when you can monitor results.
Timezone clarity: Document which timezone is used, especially for globally distributed teams.

Common Scheduling Patterns

Morning Briefing

Schedule: Daily at 8 AM Purpose: Start day with summary Pattern: Simple daily schedule

End-of-Week Summary

Schedule: Friday at 5 PM Purpose: Weekly wrap-up Pattern: Weekly on specific day

Business Hours Monitoring

Schedule: 0 9-17 * * 1-5 (every hour, weekdays only) Purpose: Regular checks during work hours Pattern: Cron expression

Monthly Reports

Schedule: 1st of month at 9 AM Purpose: Regular monthly summaries Pattern: Monthly on specific date

Off-Hours Processing

Schedule: Daily at 2 AM Purpose: Heavy processing during low-traffic Pattern: Daily at off-peak time

Troubleshooting

Task Not Running

If a scheduled task doesn’t execute:
  1. Check Status: Verify task is “Active”
  2. Review Next Run: Confirm next run time is in the future
  3. Validate Schedule: Ensure schedule configuration is correct
  4. Check Timezone: Verify timezone setting
  5. Subscription: Confirm organization subscription is active

Unexpected Timing

If task runs at wrong time:
  1. Timezone: Double-check timezone setting
  2. DST: Consider daylight saving time transitions
  3. Cron Syntax: Validate cron expression if using custom schedule
  4. Schedule Type: Ensure correct schedule type is selected

Skipped Executions

Some schedules may skip:
  1. Invalid Dates: Monthly schedule for day 31 skips months with fewer days
  2. System Maintenance: Rare scheduled maintenance windows
  3. Task Paused: Task was paused during scheduled time
  4. Error State: Previous execution error needs resolution

Schedule Modification Impact

Immediate Effect

Schedule changes take effect immediately:
  • Next run time updates instantly
  • Previous schedule no longer applies
  • Pending executions use new schedule

No Retroactive Running

Changing a schedule won’t:
  • Execute missed runs from old schedule
  • Backfill skipped executions
  • Modify execution history
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