> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.buildbetter.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Scheduled Tasks

> Automate recurring AI-powered analysis and summaries with scheduled tasks

BuildBetter's Scheduled Tasks feature allows you to create recurring AI-powered reports and analyses that run automatically on your chosen schedule. Set up tasks once, and receive regular insights via chat threads without manual work.

## What Are Scheduled Tasks?

Scheduled Tasks are recurring AI analyses that:

* Run automatically on a cron schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom)
* Use natural language instructions to define what to analyze
* Create chat threads with results each time they execute
* Can be run manually on-demand anytime

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Automated Execution" icon="clock">
    Tasks run on your schedule - daily, weekly, monthly, or custom cron expressions
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI-Powered Analysis" icon="brain">
    Use natural language prompts to define what the AI should analyze and report
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chat Thread Results" icon="message">
    Each execution creates a chat thread with results you can review and discuss
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manual Trigger" icon="play">
    Run any task on-demand with "Execute Now" for immediate results
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Creating a Scheduled Task

Access scheduled tasks at **Settings → Account → Scheduled Tasks**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create New Task" stepNumber={1}>
    Click "Create New Task" in Settings → Account → Scheduled Tasks
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name Your Task" stepNumber={2}>
    Give it a descriptive name like "Weekly Feature Request Summary" or "Daily Bug Report"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Instructions" stepNumber={3}>
    Use natural language to tell the AI what to analyze:

    **Examples**:

    * "Summarize all feature requests from this week with priority rankings"
    * "Identify critical customer issues that need immediate attention from the last 7 days"
    * "Create a competitor mention analysis from recent calls this month"
    * "What are the top 5 customer pain points discussed in the past week?"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Schedule" stepNumber={4}>
    Choose frequency:

    * **Daily**: Every day at your chosen time
    * **Weekly**: Specific day and time each week
    * **Monthly**: Specific date and time each month
    * **Custom**: Advanced cron expressions for complex schedules

    Select your timezone for accurate scheduling
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save & Activate" stepNumber={5}>
    Save the task - it will run automatically on your schedule
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Scheduling Options

### Frequency Choices

**Daily**:

* Select time of day (e.g., 9:00 AM)
* Runs every day at that time

**Weekly**:

* Select day of week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.)
* Select time of day
* Runs once per week

**Monthly**:

* Select date (1-31)
* Select time of day
* Runs once per month

**Custom (Advanced)**:
Use cron expressions for complex schedules:

```
0 9 * * 1-5    # Weekdays at 9 AM
0 15 * * 1     # Mondays at 3 PM
0 0 1 * *      # First day of month at midnight
```

### Timezone Settings

* Tasks respect your account timezone
* Set timezone in your account settings
* Ensures tasks run at the correct local time

<Tip>
  Start with weekly tasks before creating daily ones. This helps you refine your prompts and understand task execution patterns.
</Tip>

## Task Instructions (Prompts)

Write clear, specific instructions for what you want the AI to analyze:

### Effective Prompt Examples

**Product Management**:

* "Summarize feature requests from enterprise customers in the last 30 days, grouped by priority"
* "What bugs were reported this week with severity scores above 7?"
* "Identify trends in customer onboarding feedback from this month"

**Customer Success**:

* "Which customers expressed dissatisfaction or mentioned competitors in the past week?"
* "Summarize sentiment trends by account for our top 10 customers this month"
* "What are the common support issues raised in calls this week?"

**Sales**:

* "What objections came up in lost deals this month?"
* "Summarize competitive mentions from sales calls this week"
* "Which features generated the most excitement in demos this month?"

**Leadership**:

* "What strategic themes emerged from customer calls this quarter?"
* "Summarize market trends and competitive threats mentioned this month"
* "What are the top operational blockers mentioned by the team this week?"

<Note>
  Instructions can reference time periods like "this week", "last 30 days", or "this month" - the AI understands relative dates automatically.
</Note>

## Managing Scheduled Tasks

### Tasks List

View all your scheduled tasks in Settings → Account → Scheduled Tasks:

* Task name and description
* Schedule (human-readable format)
* Last run time
* Actions: Edit, Execute Now, Delete

### Editing Tasks

1. Click the task name or Edit button
2. Modify name, instructions, or schedule
3. Save changes
4. Updated task continues on new schedule

### Manual Execution

* Click "Execute Now" on any task
* Runs immediately regardless of schedule
* Useful for testing or getting results on-demand
* Creates chat thread with results

### Deleting Tasks

* Click Delete button
* Confirm deletion
* Task stops running immediately
* Previous chat threads are preserved

## Viewing Results

Each task execution creates a chat thread:

1. Navigate to **Chat** in main menu
2. Find threads named with your task name
3. Review AI-generated analysis
4. Continue the conversation to ask follow-up questions
5. Share thread link with teammates

<Info>
  Chat threads from scheduled tasks include all context and can be continued like any other chat conversation.
</Info>

## Best Practices

<Check>
  **Be specific in prompts**: "Feature requests from enterprise accounts" is better than "show me features"
</Check>

<Check>
  **Use relative time periods**: "Last 7 days" updates automatically vs hardcoded dates
</Check>

<Check>
  **Start with weekly frequency**: Test and refine before moving to daily
</Check>

<Check>
  **Review results regularly**: Check chat threads to ensure tasks are producing valuable insights
</Check>

<Check>
  **Update prompts as priorities change**: Adjust task instructions when focus areas shift
</Check>

## Common Task Patterns

### Weekly Product Summary

**Name**: Weekly Feature Request Summary
**Schedule**: Every Monday at 9 AM
**Prompt**: "Summarize all feature requests from the past week, grouped by priority and customer segment. Include the top 5 most requested features."

### Daily Bug Monitoring

**Name**: Daily Critical Issues Check
**Schedule**: Every day at 8 AM
**Prompt**: "Identify any bugs or issues with severity above 7 from calls yesterday. Include customer quotes and affected accounts."

### Monthly Trends Analysis

**Name**: Monthly Customer Sentiment Report
**Schedule**: 1st of month at 9 AM
**Prompt**: "Analyze sentiment trends from customer calls this month. Identify any declining accounts and emerging concerns."

### Competitive Intelligence

**Name**: Weekly Competitive Mentions
**Schedule**: Every Friday at 3 PM
**Prompt**: "Summarize all competitor mentions from calls this week. What alternatives are customers considering and why?"

## Limitations

<Warning>
  **Current Limitations**:

  * Results delivered via chat threads only (no email/Slack delivery)
  * No export to PDF/Word/Excel
  * No recipient lists or distribution
  * No advanced filtering beyond what's in the prompt
  * Tasks limited to chat-based AI analysis
  * No integration with external reporting tools
  * Execution history limited to last run time only
</Warning>

## Advanced: Custom Cron Expressions

For complex scheduling, use cron syntax:

| Expression    | Description                    |
| ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `0 9 * * *`   | Daily at 9 AM                  |
| `0 9 * * 1`   | Every Monday at 9 AM           |
| `0 9 * * 1-5` | Weekdays at 9 AM               |
| `0 0 1 * *`   | First day of month at midnight |
| `0 */6 * * *` | Every 6 hours                  |

<Tip>
  Use a cron expression generator online to create complex schedules, then paste into the Custom frequency option.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Task Not Running">
    * Verify task is saved and active
    * Check cron expression is valid
    * Ensure timezone is set correctly
    * Try "Execute Now" to test manually
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Poor Quality Results">
    * Refine your prompt with more specific instructions
    * Add time period constraints
    * Specify what format you want (bullet points, summary, etc.)
    * Test with "Execute Now" and iterate
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't Find Results">
    * Check Chat section for thread with task name
    * Verify task executed (check last run time)
    * Ensure task didn't fail due to no matching data
    * Try running manually to verify it works
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Use Cases

### Product Teams

* Weekly feature request roundups
* Daily critical bug monitoring
* Monthly trend analysis
* Quarterly roadmap insights

### Customer Success

* Weekly at-risk account checks
* Daily high-severity issue alerts
* Monthly sentiment tracking
* Quarterly health score reviews

### Sales

* Weekly competitive intelligence
* Monthly objection analysis
* Quarterly win/loss insights
* Daily deal signal monitoring

### Leadership

* Monthly strategic overviews
* Quarterly business reviews
* Weekly team performance insights
* Monthly market trend analysis

<Info>
  Scheduled Tasks turn BuildBetter into a proactive insights partner, delivering regular analysis without manual work. Focus on your priorities while AI keeps you informed on schedule.
</Info>