Automations: schedules, triggers & one-off tasks
Run an agent once by hand, or put it on a schedule or trigger so it shows up and does the work on its own.
Last updated July 14, 2026
An agent can work two ways: you can run it once, right now, for a job you hand it, or you can automate it so it shows up on its own. Both use the same engine and produce the same kind of result. The only thing that changes is what starts the run. This page covers all three ways to run an agent: a one-off task you start by hand, a schedule that runs on a clock, and a trigger that fires when something happens.
Three ways to run an agent
Every run of an agent starts in one of three ways. A one-off task is simply an automation you start yourself, which is why the output is identical no matter which path you use.
| Way to run | Starts because | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| One-off task | You start it | Testing, ad-hoc work, trying a change |
| Schedule | A recurring time you pick arrives | Morning briefings, weekly reports, nightly syncs |
| Trigger | An event happens in a connected tool | New email arrives, a form is submitted, a webhook fires |
You are not limited to one. An agent can have many automations running side by side, and each can be turned on or off independently, so you can pause one without touching the rest. A support agent might run a daily digest on a schedule and reply the moment a new email lands.
Running an agent once
Not everything needs to be automated. Sometimes you just want the agent to do one thing right now and hand you the result, with no schedule or trigger to set up. A one-off run is useful when you are:
- Testing an agent — confirming it does the job well before you automate it.
- Doing ad-hoc work — a report or lookup you only need this once.
- Trying a change — checking how new instructions, Tools, or Knowledge affect the output.
Go to the agent you want to run.
Tell it what you need in plain language, the same way you would in chat — for example, "Pull last month's invoices and total them by client."
The agent uses its Tools, Skills, Knowledge, and Memory to complete the job and take any actions across your connected apps.
The output is saved and the run is logged, so you can revisit and compare it later.
Schedules vs. triggers
Automations fall into one of two camps. Schedules run on a clock. Triggers run in response to something happening. You can use both on the same agent.
- Schedules run at a recurring time you pick — hourly, daily, weekly, or on your own cadence. They are ideal for anything that should happen on a predictable rhythm, like a morning briefing or a nightly sync.
- Triggers run when an event happens in a connected tool — a new email arrives, a form is submitted, or a webhook fires. They let the agent react in the moment instead of waiting for the next scheduled time.
Where to set up automations
Open your agent and go to the Automations tab. From there you can add a schedule, add a trigger, or both. Because each automation is independent, you can switch any one of them on or off without affecting the others.
What happens when a run fires
Every run behaves the same way, whether you started it by hand or it fired on its own. The agent uses its Tools, Skills, Knowledge, and Memory to do the work, and the results are saved for you to review afterward.
You start a one-off task, a schedule reaches its time, or a trigger's event happens.
It follows its instructions and takes action across your connected tools.
Any output the agent produces is saved so you can find it later.
Successful runs show in Activity. Anything that fails shows in Errors so you can fix it.
Because one-off tasks, schedules, and triggers all flow through the same history, it is easy to compare a manual test against later automated runs.
Before you automate
Make sure the agent already does the job well when you run it once by hand. Automations repeat whatever the agent does, so a clean one-off run is the best proof that it is ready. While you are at it, confirm the tools it needs are connected and that any Skills or Knowledge it relies on are in place. Once it does the job cleanly, put it on a schedule or a trigger to run the same way on its own.