Story
When I need the same check done every day, I want an agent (an AI that can take actions for me) to run it on a schedule while I am away and tell me only what changed. Then I can act on it in a minute.
Mei, a freelance translator in Singapore, who wants new jobs found before she starts work.
- 01 Setting
Mei asks the agent to check 3 job boards every weekday at 8:00.
- 02 Trigger
On Tuesday it runs at 8:00 while she makes breakfast.
- 03 Without it
She checks 3 boards by hand each morning. Or she gets a long log and misses the 1 good job in line 6.
- 04 With it
A notification says "3 new jobs · 1 fits your rate", and names the job.
- 05 Outcome
She opens the contract review and replies. The card shows the next run: Wed 8:00.
Live demo
This demo follows a script, so it plays the same every time - there is no real AI behind it. Change a setting to see the same moment play out differently.
What happens, step by step
| State | The person sees | The AI is | When | Screen reader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 card: the name, when it runs, what it does, the next run, Pause and Edit. | Waits for the time. | once | - |
| 2 | If the person looks: "Running now · board 2 of 3". Usually nobody is looking. | Works in the background. | at 8:00 | - |
| 3 | 1 notification with what changed, not what it did. | Idle until the next run. | when the run ends | “Daily job check finished” |
| 4 | The run stopped at a step only the person can do. It says which step, and what is already done. | Paused. Keeps the work so far. | as soon as it is stuck | “Daily job check needs you” |
| 5 | The short report in the chat, with the 1 item that matters marked and an action on it. | Idle. | on tap | - |
| 6 | The card shows when it runs next, with Pause and Edit. | Waits. | - | - |
On each device
- phone
- The report arrives as a notification, often on the lock screen, so the first line must carry the news. Tapping it opens the report in the chat.
- tablet
- As on desktop.
- desktop
- A notice appears in the corner of the app, and the report sits in the chat. A list of schedules lets people pause or edit each one.
When to use it
- The same check or task repeats - daily, weekly, or when something happens.
- The result matters only when something changed.
- The work can finish without the person - it reads, collects or drafts.
- The person needs the answer now. Run it while they wait. Use Long-running tasks and notifications instead.
- Each run sends, pays or deletes, and nobody is there to stop it. Ask first. Use Approval gate instead.
- Nothing changes from day to day. A daily note would only be noise.
The parts of the pattern
- AWhich runThe agent's name, when it ran, and how much it covered.
- BWhat changed1 line with the news and the numbers.
- CThe 1 that mattersMarked in the list, with the reason: fits your rate.
- DSchedule controlsNext run, Pause and Edit, always 1 tap away.
Do and Avoid
Assistant · now
Daily job check
3 new jobs · 1 fits your rate: contract review, due Fri
Assistant · now
Daily job check
Finished. 8:00 Opened board 1. 8:00 Searched…
Daily job check needs you
Board 3 asks you to sign in. 2 of 3 boards are done.
Daily job check
Task failed.
Writing and accessibility
- Name the agent by its job: "Daily job check", not "Task 3".
- Put the news first, with numbers: "3 new jobs · 1 fits your rate".
- When it is stuck, say the step and what is done: "Board 3 asks you to sign in. 2 of 3 boards are done."
- Show the next run as a day and time: "Next run: Wed 8:00".
- The notification's first line makes sense alone - it is what screen readers and watches read first.
- Announce a finished run only if the app is open: "Daily job check finished".
- Pause and Edit are real buttons with the agent's name in them.
- Give times as words and numbers, not only a clock icon: "Every weekday at 8:00".
Seen in real products
- ChatGPT WorkWeb, apps and desktop · Jul 2026Scheduled Tasks repeat a task on a schedule or when an event happens, or watch for changes over time - for example, checking dashboards each morning and sending a report.OpenAI: ChatGPT for your most ambitious work (9 Jul 2026) ↗
- Gemini TaskWeb and apps · Nov 2026People tell Gemini when to run a task, such as a daily 8AM update. "More options" on the task chip pauses or resumes it. Schedules do not run if the device is off.Gemini Help: Tasks ↗
- Claude DispatchPhone and desktop · Nov 2026People assign a task from their phone and the desktop does the work. A push notification arrives when it is done or needs approval. A cloud session keeps working when the computer is off.Claude Help: Dispatch ↗
Each example comes from the product’s help pages, release notes or teardowns, with the month it was checked. Products change every month - tell us when 1 is out of date.
Check yourself
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