Samee Zahid
3.6 KiB
Scheduled tasks
Scheduled tasks let you run prompts repeatedly, poll for status, or set one-time reminders within a Gemini CLI session. You can use them to check the status of a deployment, monitor a long-running build, or remind yourself to perform a task later in your workflow.
Note
Scheduled tasks are session-scoped. They only run while your Gemini CLI session is open and are cleared when you exit the CLI. For persistent scheduling, use your operating system's native scheduling tools (like
cronor Task Scheduler).
Schedule a recurring prompt with /loop
The /loop command is the fastest way to schedule a recurring prompt. You can
provide an optional interval and a prompt, and Gemini CLI schedules the task to
run in the background.
/loop 5m check if the deployment finished
If you don't provide an interval, the command defaults to 10 minutes.
Interval syntax
Intervals use a simple numeric value followed by a unit character. Supported
units are s for seconds, m for minutes, h for hours, and d for days.
| Form | Example | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Leading token | /loop 30m check the build |
Every 30 minutes |
| No interval | /loop check the build |
Every 10 minutes |
Loop over another command
A scheduled prompt can be a slash command or a skill invocation. This lets you automate existing workflows.
/loop 20m /git:status
Gemini CLI executes the command as if you had typed it yourself.
Set a one-time reminder
To set a single reminder, describe what you want in natural language. Gemini CLI uses its internal scheduling tools to set a one-time task that removes itself after firing.
In 15 minutes, remind me to push my changes
Remind me in 1h to check the integration tests
Manage scheduled tasks
You can ask Gemini CLI to list or cancel your active tasks using natural language.
What scheduled tasks do I have?
Cancel the deployment check task
Under the hood, the agent uses these tools to manage your schedule:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
schedule_task |
Schedules a new recurring or one-time task. |
list_scheduled_tasks |
Lists all active tasks with their IDs and prompts. |
cancel_scheduled_task |
Cancels a specific task using its ID. |
How scheduled tasks run
Scheduled tasks trigger only when Gemini CLI is idle.
- Non-disruptive: If a task becomes due while the agent is busy generating a response or executing a tool, the prompt is queued.
- Sequential: The queued prompt executes immediately after the current turn finishes.
- Shared context: Scheduled tasks run within your active session and have access to the full conversation history and any files you have added to the context.
Limitations
Session-scoped scheduling has the following constraints:
- Active session required: Tasks only fire while Gemini CLI is running. Closing your terminal or exiting the session cancels all tasks.
- Shared context window: Every task execution adds to your session's history and consumes tokens in the context window. High-frequency loops may trigger context compression sooner.
- No persistence: Restarting Gemini CLI clears all tasks.
- Simple intervals: Only simple time intervals are supported (e.g.,
5m). Complex cron expressions (e.g.,0 9 * * 1-5) are not supported.