Automation & tasks

FluffBuzz runs work in the background through tasks, scheduled jobs, event hooks, and standing instructions. This page helps you choose the right mechanism and understand how they fit together.

Quick decision guide

Use case	Recommended	Why
Send daily report at 9 AM sharp	Scheduled Tasks (Cron)	Exact timing, isolated execution
Remind me in 20 minutes	Scheduled Tasks (Cron)	One-shot with precise timing (`--at`)
Run weekly deep analysis	Scheduled Tasks (Cron)	Standalone task, can use different model
Check inbox every 30 min	Heartbeat	Batches with other checks, context-aware
Monitor calendar for upcoming events	Heartbeat	Natural fit for periodic awareness
Inspect status of a subagent or ACP run	Background Tasks	Tasks ledger tracks all detached work
Audit what ran and when	Background Tasks	`fluffbuzz tasks list` and `fluffbuzz tasks audit`
Multi-step research then summarize	Task Flow	Durable orchestration with revision tracking
Run a script on session reset	Hooks	Event-driven, fires on lifecycle events
Execute code on every tool call	Hooks	Hooks can filter by event type
Always check compliance before replying	Standing Orders	Injected into every session automatically

Scheduled Tasks (Cron) vs Heartbeat

Dimension	Scheduled Tasks (Cron)	Heartbeat
Timing	Exact (cron expressions, one-shot)	Approximate (default every 30 min)
Session context	Fresh (isolated) or shared	Full main-session context
Task records	Always created	Never created
Delivery	Channel, webhook, or silent	Inline in main session
Best for	Reports, reminders, background jobs	Inbox checks, calendar, notifications

Use Scheduled Tasks (Cron) when you need precise timing or isolated execution. Use Heartbeat when the work benefits from full session context and approximate timing is fine.

Core concepts

Scheduled tasks (cron)

Cron is the Gateway’s built-in scheduler for precise timing. It persists jobs, wakes the agent at the right time, and can deliver output to a chat channel or webhook endpoint. Supports one-shot reminders, recurring expressions, and inbound webhook triggers. See Scheduled Tasks.

Tasks

The background task ledger tracks all detached work: ACP runs, subagent spawns, isolated cron executions, and CLI operations. Tasks are records, not schedulers. Use fluffbuzz tasks list and fluffbuzz tasks audit to inspect them. See Background Tasks.

Task Flow

Task Flow is the flow orchestration substrate above background tasks. It manages durable multi-step flows with managed and mirrored sync modes, revision tracking, and fluffbuzz tasks flow list|show|cancel for inspection. See Task Flow.

Standing orders

Standing orders grant the agent permanent operating authority for defined programs. They live in workspace files (typically AGENTS.md) and are injected into every session. Combine with cron for time-based enforcement. See Standing Orders.

Hooks

Hooks are event-driven scripts triggered by agent lifecycle events (/new, /reset, /stop), session compaction, gateway startup, message flow, and tool calls. Hooks are automatically discovered from directories and can be managed with fluffbuzz hooks. See Hooks.

Heartbeat

Heartbeat is a periodic main-session turn (default every 30 minutes). It batches multiple checks (inbox, calendar, notifications) in one agent turn with full session context. Heartbeat turns do not create task records. Use HEARTBEAT.md for a small checklist, or a tasks: block when you want due-only periodic checks inside heartbeat itself. Empty heartbeat files skip as empty-heartbeat-file; due-only task mode skips as no-tasks-due. See Heartbeat.

How they work together

Cron handles precise schedules (daily reports, weekly reviews) and one-shot reminders. All cron executions create task records.
Heartbeat handles routine monitoring (inbox, calendar, notifications) in one batched turn every 30 minutes.
Hooks react to specific events (tool calls, session resets, compaction) with custom scripts.
Standing orders give the agent persistent context and authority boundaries.
Task Flow coordinates multi-step flows above individual tasks.
Tasks automatically track all detached work so you can inspect and audit it.

Scheduled Tasks — precise scheduling and one-shot reminders
Background Tasks — task ledger for all detached work
Task Flow — durable multi-step flow orchestration
Hooks — event-driven lifecycle scripts
Standing Orders — persistent agent instructions
Heartbeat — periodic main-session turns
Configuration Reference — all config keys

Overview

Plugins

Skills