Schedulers
Run automations on a recurring cron schedule or after a delay using fork-based deferred execution.
Overview
Most automations run instantly in response to an event. Scheduler nodes let a branch run later, either on a recurring schedule or after a delay, without holding up the rest of the graph.
When execution reaches a scheduler node, the engine forks: it snapshots the upstream outputs the deferred branch needs, schedules a future resume, and lets the current run finish. When the scheduled time arrives, a background job restores the snapshot and continues the graph from the scheduler node onward.
The snapshot captures exactly the data the downstream branch depends on, so the deferred branch sees the same values it would have seen at fork time, even if the underlying tickets change in the meantime.
Scheduler Nodes
| Node | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Recurring Cron | Resumes the downstream branch on a repeating cron schedule |
| Run After | Resumes the downstream branch once, after a configured delay |
Recurring Cron
Configure a cron expression to run a branch on a fixed cadence, for example, every weekday morning, or the first of each month. Each fire creates a fresh resume of the downstream branch.
Typical uses:
- Post a daily standup summary comment on the active sprint's tickets
- Sweep stale tickets and transition or flag them on a schedule
- Generate a recurring report ticket
Run After
Configure a delay, such as three days. When the branch reaches the node, it schedules a single resume that far in the future.
Typical uses:
- Auto-close a ticket if it stays in a state for too long
- Send a follow-up comment a few days after a ticket is resolved
- Escalate a ticket that has not transitioned within an SLA window
How Forking Works
Reach the scheduler node
The graph executes normally until it hits a scheduler node.
Snapshot and schedule
The engine records the upstream outputs the deferred branch needs and creates a scheduled instance with the next fire time.
Finish the current run
The rest of the current run completes immediately. The deferred branch is not blocking.
Resume on time
A background job picks up the scheduled instance at its fire time, restores the snapshot, and runs the downstream branch from the scheduler node.
Inspecting Scheduled Work
Scheduler forks appear in run history as separate resumes, so you can see both the original run that scheduled the work and each deferred resume that carried it out.
Recurring schedulers keep firing until the automation is disabled or deleted. Disable an automation to stop its recurring schedules.