Scheduled Tasks In Claude Code Desktop

TL;DR

Schedule recurring Claude Code maintenance from Desktop with scoped tasks and run review.

Prerequisites & Requirements

• {"task": "Check", "description": "Claude Code Desktop installed with scheduled tasks enabled per plan."}
• {"task": "Check", "description": "Repositories and branches the task may touch are identified."}
• {"task": "Check", "description": "Human reviewer assigned before merging task-opened changes."}
• {"task": "Check", "description": "Rollback plan to disable or delete the task documented."}

Core Concepts Explained

Official docs position Desktop scheduled tasks as recurring Claude Code runs configured from the Desktop app rather than cloud-only routines at claude.ai.

Local cadence vs cloud routines

Desktop scheduled tasks target maintainers who want recurring work tied to Desktop environments; cloud routines use separate triggers documented on code.claude.com.

Autonomous execution

Scheduled runs proceed without mid-run user prompts except permission boundaries already configured—treat schedules like unattended automation.

Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

1. Define the maintenance goal. Examples: dependency audit, stale branch cleanup, doc link check, or test smoke suite—state success criteria in the prompt.

2. Open Desktop scheduled tasks. Create a new task with name, prompt, and cadence per Desktop UI (daily, weekly, or custom intervals documented on code.claude.com).

3. Scope repositories and environment. Limit repos, branches, and network connectors to minimum necessary blast radius.

4. Pilot one manual run. Inspect diff, logs, and connector actions before enabling the recurring schedule.

5. Assign a human reviewer. No merge from task output without CODEOWNERS review.

6. Document rollback. Record steps to disable or delete the task and revert branches if a run misbehaves.

7. Revisit quarterly. Remove tasks whose prompts no longer match repository layout.

Troubleshooting

Task ran but changed unexpected files

Disable the schedule, revert the branch, and narrow repo path scope in the task configuration before re-enabling.

Connectors accessed production services

Remove unused MCP connectors from the Desktop environment attached to the task.

Cadence too aggressive for quota

Increase interval per Desktop limits and consolidate multiple small tasks into one prompt with a checklist.

Source Verification Notes

Verified against official documentation on 2026-06-16:

• Desktop scheduled tasks documentation describes creating recurring tasks from Claude Code Desktop.
• Tasks combine prompts, repositories, environments, and schedule cadence.
• Runs execute as autonomous Desktop or cloud sessions depending on configuration.
• Teams should review first runs manually before trusting recurring output.
• Tasks can be disabled or edited from Desktop settings when behavior drifts.

Duplicate Check

Complements claude-code-desktop-scheduled-maintenance-capability-pack skill (review matrices) and routines-for-recurring-claude-code-maintenance (cloud routines). This guide focuses on Desktop scheduled task UI workflow.

References

• Primary documentation - https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-scheduled-tasks