> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.major.build/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Schedules

> Run a workflow automatically on a recurring cron schedule.

A schedule is a `cron` trigger on a [workflow](/learn/workflows/overview). It starts a run every time its cron expression matches, with no one needing to click anything. Use it for recurring work like a daily standup summary, a weekly report, or an hourly data check.

To run an agent on a schedule, put it in a workflow with an `agent_call` node and give the workflow a `cron` trigger.

## Example requests

* "Every weekday at 9am Eastern, have the standup agent summarize yesterday's commits and post them to #eng."
* "Run the invoice-reconciliation workflow on the first of every month at 6am UTC."
* "Check for stale support tickets every hour."

## How a schedule is defined

```jsonc theme={null}
"triggers": [
  {
    "id": "weekly_review",
    "type": "cron",
    "label": "Weekly review",
    "config": {
      "cron": "0 9 * * 1",
      "timezone": "America/New_York"
    },
    "input": { "region": "EMEA", "lookback_days": 7 }
  }
]
```

| Field | Required | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `config.cron` | Yes | A five-field cron expression: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week. `0 9 * * 1` is every Monday at 9:00. |
| `config.timezone` | Yes | The IANA timezone the expression is evaluated in, such as `America/New_York` or `UTC`. |
| `input` | No | Values passed to the run as `trigger.input`. They must be literals; `$state` and `$expr` aren't allowed here. |
| `label` | No | The name shown on the trigger and in run history. |

If the workflow has an `input_schema`, its defaults are filled in and the scheduled input is validated on every run. See [State and input](/learn/workflows/state#workflow-input).

## Building a schedule

Tell the [Platform Agent](/build/platform-agent) what to run and how often. It turns a cadence like "every weekday at 9am ET" into `0 9 * * 1-5` in `America/New_York`, and asks for your timezone if it isn't clear.

In the workflow editor, add a trigger and choose a schedule. You can type a cadence under **Describe it** and click **Generate**, or enter a **Cron expression** directly. The editor previews the upcoming run times. If the workflow has an `input_schema`, fill in the **Scheduled input** there too.

<Note>
  A new or changed schedule starts firing only after you **publish** the workflow. Saving alone leaves it inert. Use **Run now** to test the workflow before you publish.
</Note>

## Managing schedules

* **Pause** a schedule by removing its trigger (or commenting it out), then saving and publishing.
* **Change** the cadence or input by editing the trigger, then saving and publishing.
* **Run now** starts a run immediately, outside the schedule, using the latest saved version.
* **Run history** on the workflow lists every scheduled run with its per-node trace.

Scheduled runs use the published version and run as the person who last published the workflow, so agents and app calls use that person's access.

## Approvals in unattended runs

A scheduled run usually has no one watching it. If an agent in the workflow has tools set to **Ask** (see [Tool permissions](/learn/agents/tool-permissions)), set an `approval_channel` on its `agent_call` node to send those approval requests to a Slack channel. To have a person sign off on a step, add a `human_approval` node. See [Approvals in Slack](/learn/workflows/overview#approvals-in-slack).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Workflows" icon="diagram-project" href="/learn/workflows/overview">
    Build the workflow a schedule runs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connector events" icon="plug" href="/learn/triggers/connector-events">
    Start a workflow when something happens instead of on a timer.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>