Schedules

Schedule automated tasks to run at specific times or intervals. Perfect for monitoring websites, collecting data regularly, or maintaining up-to-date information without manual intervention.

Schedule Types

One-time - Execute once at a specific date/time
Recurring - Repeat at regular intervals
Cron-based - Use cron expressions for complex timing
Event-driven - Trigger based on external events

Creating Schedules

Create schedules via the dashboard or API:

bash

POST /schedules
  
  {
    "name": "Daily Price Check",
    "prompt": "Check product prices on competitor websites",
    "schedule": {
      "type": "recurring",
      "interval": "daily",
      "time": "09:00",
      "timezone": "UTC"
    },
    "webhook_url": "https://your-app.com/price-updates",
    "active": true
  }

Cron Expressions

Use cron expressions for precise scheduling:

json

{
    "schedule": {
      "type": "cron",
      "expression": "0 */6 * * *",  // Every 6 hours
      "timezone": "America/New_York"
    }
  }

Common cron patterns:

0 9 * * 1-5 - Weekdays at 9 AM
0 */2 * * * - Every 2 hours
0 0 1 * * - First day of each month
0 0 * * 0 - Every Sunday at midnight

Monitoring and Alerts

Set up monitoring to track changes and receive alerts:

bash

POST /schedules
  
  {
    "name": "Website Monitor",
    "prompt": "Check if the homepage content has changed",
    "schedule": {
      "type": "recurring",
      "interval": "hourly"
    },
    "monitoring": {
      "enabled": true,
      "alert_on_change": true,
      "alert_threshold": 0.1  // 10% content change
    },
    "notifications": [
      {
        "type": "email",
        "address": "alerts@yourcompany.com"
      },
      {
        "type": "slack",
        "webhook": "https://hooks.slack.com/..."
      }
    ]
  }

Schedule Management

Manage your schedules programmatically:

bash

# List all schedules
  GET /schedules
  
  # Get schedule details
  GET /schedules/{schedule_id}
  
  # Update schedule
  PUT /schedules/{schedule_id}
  
  # Pause/resume schedule
  POST /schedules/{schedule_id}/pause
  POST /schedules/{schedule_id}/resume
  
  # Delete schedule
  DELETE /schedules/{schedule_id}

Execution History

Track schedule execution history and performance:

bash

GET /schedules/{schedule_id}/executions
  
  Response:
  {
    "executions": [
      {
        "id": "exec_123",
        "started_at": "2025-01-01T09:00:00Z",
        "completed_at": "2025-01-01T09:02:15Z",
        "status": "completed",
        "result": {...},
        "duration": 135.2
      }
    ],
    "stats": {
      "total_executions": 30,
      "success_rate": 96.7,
      "average_duration": 142.5
    }
  }

Error Handling

Schedules include robust error handling:

Automatic retries for failed executions
Exponential backoff for temporary failures
Alert notifications for persistent failures
Automatic schedule pausing after repeated failures

Schedules respect rate limits and will queue executions if necessary.

Best Practices

Use appropriate intervals to avoid overwhelming target websites
Set up monitoring and alerts for critical schedules
Test schedules with one-time executions first
Use webhooks for real-time notifications
Monitor execution history for performance optimization
Consider timezone differences for global operations

Scheduled tasks can use all rtrvr.ai features including Sheets workflows, MCP tools, and webhooks.