Skip to main content
Some of the most powerful agent workflows run without you. Set up scheduled jobs to automate recurring tasks - from morning briefings to CI pipelines.

​
Use Case Ideas

An agent that scans your subscribed sources, summarizes what’s relevant to you, and adds a digest to your daily note each morning.
Aggregate metrics from various sources (analytics, CRM, support tickets) and update a dashboard document with the latest numbers.
Move overdue tasks, archive completed ones, or flag items that have been stuck too long.
Scan incoming emails, categorize them, and create tasks for ones that need action.
A CI job that reviews code changes and updates relevant documentation, keeping docs in sync with code.
Automatically compile release notes from merged PRs and commit messages before each release.
Before recurring meetings, gather relevant context from your documents and prepare talking points.

​
Option 1: GitHub Actions

The simplest way to run scheduled agents - no infrastructure to manage, and it’s free for public repos (with generous limits for private repos).

​
Basic Scheduled Workflow

Create .github/workflows/daily-agent.yml: 
name: Daily Agent Run

on:
  # Run every day at 7am UTC
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 7 * * *'
  # Allow manual trigger for testing
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  run-agent:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Install Craft CLI
        run: curl -fsSL https://agents.craft.do/install.sh | bash

      - name: Run Agent
        timeout-minutes: 10
        env:
          CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
        run: |
          craft \
            -w "${{ secrets.CRAFT_MCP_URL }}" \
            -p "Generate my daily briefing and add it to today's daily note" \
            --output-format stream-json

​
With a Specific Sub-Agent

      - name: Run Daily Briefing Agent
        timeout-minutes: 10
        env:
          CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
        run: |
          craft \
            -w "${{ secrets.CRAFT_MCP_URL }}" \
            -a "@daily-briefing" \
            -p "please do your daily run" \
            --output-format stream-json \
            -m claude-sonnet-4-20250514

​
Weekday-Only Schedule

For work-related tasks, run only on weekdays: 
on:
  schedule:
    # Mon-Fri at 8am UTC
    - cron: '0 8 * * 1-5'

​
Setting Up Secrets

  1. Go to your repository → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions
  2. Add these secrets:
    • CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY - Your Anthropic API key
    • CRAFT_MCP_URL - Your workspace MCP URL (from Craft Agents setup)
GitHub Actions runs on UTC time. Adjust the cron expression for your timezone.

​
Debugging Workflow Runs

Add a debug step to see what happened: 
      - name: Show debug log
        if: always()
        run: cat /tmp/craft-debug.log || echo "No debug log found"

​
Option 2: Cloud Hosting with Cron

For more control or complex scheduling, deploy Craft Agents to a cloud platform with built-in cron support.

​
Render

Render offers native cron jobs that run on a schedule. Setup:
1

Create a cron job service

In Render dashboard, create a new Cron Job service.
2

Configure the build

  • Environment: Docker or Native
  • Build Command: curl -fsSL https://agents.craft.do/install.sh | bash
  • Start Command: Your craft command (see below)
3

Set the schedule

Use cron syntax: 0 7 * * * for daily at 7am UTC
4

Add environment variables

  • CRAFT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY - Your API key
  • CRAFT_MCP_URL - Your workspace MCP URL
Start command example: 
craft -w "$CRAFT_MCP_URL" -a "@daily-tasks" -p "run your daily check"
Pricing: Cron jobs are billed by execution time. Simple agent runs cost ~$0.01-0.05 per run.

​
Railway

Railway also supports native cron jobs. Setup:
1

Create a new project

In Railway dashboard, create a new project and add a service.
2

Configure as cron job

In service settings, enable Cron Schedule and set your expression.
3

Set the start command

curl -fsSL https://agents.craft.do/install.sh | bash && craft -w "$CRAFT_MCP_URL" -p "your prompt"
4

Add environment variables

Add your API key and MCP URL in the Variables tab.
Railway cron jobs run in UTC. They may vary by a few minutes from the scheduled time.

​
Fly.io

Fly.io offers several options for scheduled tasks. Cron Manager (recommended): A small app that spins up temporary machines for each job, then tears them down. Each job runs in isolation. Supercronic: A simpler option - add cron behavior to any app with minimal setup. See Fly.io task scheduling guide for detailed setup instructions.

​
Comparison

PlatformSetup ComplexityCostBest For
GitHub ActionsEasiestFree (limits apply)Simple daily/weekly jobs
RenderEasy~$5/month minimumReliable scheduled tasks
RailwayEasyPay per useFlexible scheduling
Fly.ioModeratePay per useComplex job orchestration

​
Tips

It’s free and requires no infrastructure. Only move to cloud hosting if you hit limits or need more control.
Set timeout-minutes in GitHub Actions or equivalent in cloud platforms. Agent runs typically complete in 1-5 minutes.
Use Haiku for simple tasks (cheaper, faster). Use Sonnet or Opus for complex analysis.
Use workflow_dispatch in GitHub Actions or manual triggers in cloud platforms to test before relying on the schedule.
Check logs periodically to ensure jobs are completing successfully. Set up notifications for failures.