Claude scheduled tasks run in the cloud on Pro and Max plans since October 6, 2026, so a weekly report or a morning briefing fires on time with your laptop closed. A cloud run works from connectors and files saved to your Claude account. Anything on your own computer still needs the desktop app open.
We covered what the October 6 change means before it landed, and where each vendor’s agents run after that. This is the practical follow-up: how to create a task, which schedules exist, what a run can reach, how approvals work, and how to stop one. It ends with three tasks a small agency or association could set up, and a short comparison with ChatGPT and Gemini.
The short version: build Claude scheduled tasks on connectors such as Google Drive, Gmail or Microsoft 365, and they run with no device online. Write each prompt so it stands alone, since every run starts fresh. Pick the approval mode on purpose, because tasks Claude creates for you now default to "Automatically approve" where your organization allows it.
What changed for Claude scheduled tasks on October 6
Anthropic’s help article on using Cowork on web, desktop and mobile sets the date. New Cowork tasks on Pro and Max run in the cloud, and the "Only on your computer" option in Settings > General is removed.
The same article says "Your scheduled tasks move to the cloud too, including ones that use files on your computer." Tasks that use those files need the desktop app open.
After the Claude Cowork merger, Cowork is part of ordinary Claude conversations on Pro and Max. Anthropic’s help pages still say "Cowork," so in this post the two names mean the same thing.
As our August post on Claude Cowork cloud sessions explained, each scheduled run gets its own session. It does not continue your last conversation.
How to create Claude scheduled tasks
Anthropic’s scheduled tasks article describes two ways to start.
- Click Scheduled in the left sidebar.
- Click New task in the upper right.
- Choose Create with Claude, describe the job, answer a few questions, then click Schedule.
- Or choose Set up manually and fill in the fields yourself.
The manual form asks for a task name, the prompt, an approval mode, a frequency, a model (optional) and a working folder (optional).
In the merged experience, you can also ask Claude from any conversation to run a task on a schedule. A plain request such as "every weekday at 8 a.m., summarize new messages in our Slack channels" is enough to start.
Either way, read the prompt Claude saves. That prompt is all a future run will know.
Schedules you can pick
The scheduled tasks article lists five frequencies: hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays, or manual. Manual means the task runs only when you start it.
Anthropic’s desktop app changelog mentions other shapes. Fixes in August and September cover "every N days/months" schedules and tasks set for both a day of the month and a weekday. The help article does not document those, so check the saved schedule after Claude creates it. It also does not say how time zones are handled, so compare the first few runs with your calendar.
Each run starts with no memory of earlier runs. Write the prompt as a full brief: what to read, what to produce, where to save it, and what to do if a source is missing.
What a cloud run can reach
Anthropic says Claude scheduled tasks use the same tools as other tasks, including connectors, skills and plugins. The difference is what sits on your own computer.
| What the task uses | Desktop app closed | Desktop app open |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud connectors (Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft 365, Slack) | Works | Works |
| Files saved to your Claude account | Works | Works |
| Folders on your computer | Cannot reach them | Works |
| Local connectors, plugins, browser use, computer use | Not available | Works |
The table follows the web, desktop and mobile article.
Anthropic’s pages do not fully agree on local files. The scheduled tasks article still says a task that needs local files or apps "will only run locally," and that scheduled tasks can’t be tied to a folder on your computer. The newer article says they move to the cloud and need the app open. Until Anthropic aligns the two, keep Claude scheduled tasks off local folders where you can.
Approvals when nobody is watching
Anthropic’s getting started article names three approval modes:
- Manually approve: Claude pauses and asks before actions.
- Automatically approve: Claude keeps working and checks each action for safety.
- Skip all approvals: Claude does not pause, and nothing checks its actions.
The choice matters more for a 6 a.m. run than for a task you are watching. The help article does not say what a Manually approve run does when nobody answers. Expect it to wait, which means a missed report.
Anthropic’s safety article says Claude always asks before permanently deleting files, in any mode. The getting started article says Automatically approve uses more of your usage limit than the other modes.
Notifications and checking results
Anthropic’s scheduled tasks article does not describe notifications. You review results on the Scheduled page, which lists upcoming and past runs. Anthropic’s July launch post for Cowork on web and mobile said questions that need your decision reach your phone, so test that on your own account.
The safety guidance is plain: start with low-risk tasks, review outputs after each run, and avoid scheduling tasks that send messages for you or make purchases.
Limits and plan differences
Claude scheduled tasks are available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. As of early October 2026, Anthropic does not publish a cap on how many you can create. Runs draw on your plan’s usage like any other task.
Anthropic’s Team and Enterprise article says "Run Cowork in the cloud" is on by default for Team and off by default for Enterprise. On Enterprise, an owner turns it on and grants it to a group with custom roles.
Admins on those plans also decide whether Automatically approve is offered, and must enable the Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 connectors before staff can connect them. Anthropic named only Pro and Max for the October 6 date.
Example 1: a weekly analytics summary from Google Drive
This is the easiest of the three Claude scheduled tasks to get right. Many teams already save a weekly report export into a shared Drive folder.
The task: every Monday morning, read the newest analytics export in a named Drive folder. Compare it with the previous week. Write a one-page summary of traffic, top pages and form completions, and save it as a Google Doc in the same folder.
What it needs to run in the cloud:
- The Google Drive connector, on an account that can see the folder.
- The export in Drive before the run. A file on someone’s desktop is out of reach.
- A prompt that names the folder, the file pattern and what to do if the new file is missing.
Anthropic’s Google Workspace connectors article says the Drive connector can search, read and upload files. On a Team plan, an owner turns it on first.
Example 2: a Monday plugin-update digest
Agencies that look after WordPress or Drupal sites spend Monday mornings checking what changed. A scheduled task can do the reading first.
The task: every Monday, read a Drive spreadsheet listing each client site and its main plugins or modules. Check public sources for new releases and security advisories for those names. Produce a short digest grouped by site, with links, and flag security fixes.
What it needs to run in the cloud:
- The site inventory in Drive, kept current by a person.
- Public sources only. Anthropic lists recurring research as a use for scheduled tasks.
- No logging in to client admin screens. That needs browser use, and the desktop app open.
Keep it read-only. The digest reports, and a person decides what to update. For Drupal clients, include the Drupal 10 end of life on December 9, 2026, and module fixes like the recent Webform vulnerability.
Example 3: a daily inbox triage
This one saves the most time and carries the most risk, because email is where sensitive material sits.
The task: every weekday at 7 a.m., read new messages in a shared inbox such as info@ or membership@. Sort them into three groups: reply today, can wait, and likely spam. Draft replies for the routine ones and leave them unsent.
What it needs to run in the cloud:
- The Gmail connector, or the Microsoft 365 connector for Outlook.
- For Microsoft 365, an organization tenant. Anthropic says personal Outlook.com accounts cannot connect, and an Entra administrator must grant consent.
- A prompt that says, in plain words, never send.
Anthropic says the Gmail connector asks for approval before sending by default. Keep it that way.
Pausing, editing and deleting a task
Everything lives on the Scheduled page. You can view all your Claude scheduled tasks with their past and upcoming runs. Open a task to edit its instructions or cadence, pause it, resume it, delete it, or run it on demand.
Anthropic’s safety article recommends pausing or deleting tasks you no longer use. Review the list once a month. A task left over from a finished project still uses your usage and your connectors.
If the task needs files on your computer
For work that must stay local, Anthropic points to Claude Code in the desktop app. Its desktop scheduled tasks documentation covers local tasks that can read your files but run only while the app is open and the computer is awake. Claude Code also has cloud routines for developers, covered in our Claude Code overview.
The October 6 article adds a warning: Cowork projects and scheduled tasks do not carry over to Claude Code.
How ChatGPT and Gemini handle scheduled work
Both rivals publish a cap on active tasks. Anthropic does not, as of early October 2026.
| Product | Active limit | Fastest repeat | Notifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude scheduled tasks | Not published | Hourly | Not documented |
| ChatGPT scheduled tasks | 3 to 15, by plan | Hourly on paid plans | Push, email or both |
| Gemini scheduled actions | 10 | Not stated | Unread mark on web, alerts on mobile |
OpenAI’s scheduled tasks article gives 3 for Free and Go, 5 for Plus, 10 for Business and Edu, and 15 for Pro and Enterprise. For ongoing goals rather than fixed times, OpenAI also has dots, its always-on agents.
Google’s Gemini help page allows up to 10 active scheduled actions. An action that uses another app, such as Google Workspace, needs that app connected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Claude scheduled tasks run when my computer is off?
Yes. They run in the cloud and keep their schedule with your computer asleep or the app closed. A task that uses files on your computer needs the desktop app open to reach them.
Which plans include Claude scheduled tasks?
Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. The October 6 move to the cloud was announced for Pro and Max. Team and Enterprise use the admin setting “Run Cowork in the cloud.”
How do I create a scheduled task in Claude?
Click Scheduled in the left sidebar, then New task, and choose Create with Claude or Set up manually. You can also ask Claude in any conversation to run a task on a schedule.
What schedules can I choose?
Hourly, daily, weekly, weekdays and manual. Anthropic’s changelog also mentions every N days or months, and combinations like the 1st and every Monday.
What happens if a run needs my approval and I am not there?
The help article does not say. Tasks Claude creates now default to Automatically approve where your organization allows it, which pauses only when something looks unsafe.
Will I get a notification when a scheduled task finishes?
Anthropic’s scheduled tasks article does not describe notifications. Review results on the Scheduled page.
Is there a limit on how many scheduled tasks I can have?
Anthropic does not publish one. Runs use your plan’s usage. ChatGPT caps active tasks at 3 to 15 by plan, and Gemini at 10.
How do I pause or delete a scheduled task?
Open the Scheduled page and select the task. You can pause, resume, edit, delete or run it on demand.
Can a scheduled task log in to a website for me?
That needs browser use, which needs the Claude desktop app open on your computer. For unattended runs, stick to connectors and public sources.
