cron-scheduler-skill

name	cron-scheduler-skill
description	Schedule recurring tasks using cron expressions. Run workflows on schedules (daily, weekly, hourly, etc.).
allowed-tools	cron_scheduler
metadata	{"author":"opencompany","version":"1.0","category":"automation"}

Cron Scheduler Tool

Schedule recurring tasks using cron expressions.

How It Works

This skill provides instructions for the Cron Scheduler tool node. Connect the Cron Scheduler node to Zeenie's input-tools handle or use as a workflow trigger.

cron_scheduler Tool

Create recurring schedules using cron expressions.

Schema Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
expression	string	Yes	Cron expression (5 fields)
timezone	string	No	Timezone (default: UTC)

Cron Expression Format

* * * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └── Day of week (0-7, Sun=0 or 7)
│ │ │ └──── Month (1-12)
│ │ └────── Day of month (1-31)
│ └──────── Hour (0-23)
└────────── Minute (0-59)

Special Characters

Character	Meaning	Example
*	Any value	* * * * * (every minute)
,	List of values	1,15 * * * * (minute 1 and 15)
-	Range	1-5 * * * * (minutes 1-5)
/	Step values	*/15 * * * * (every 15 minutes)

Common Patterns

Pattern	Description	Cron Expression
Every minute	Runs each minute	* * * * *
Every 5 minutes	Runs at :00, :05, :10...	*/5 * * * *
Every 15 minutes	Runs at :00, :15, :30, :45	*/15 * * * *
Every hour	Runs at minute 0	0 * * * *
Every day at 9 AM	Morning job	0 9 * * *
Every day at midnight	Nightly job	0 0 * * *
Weekdays at 9 AM	Mon-Fri morning	0 9 * * 1-5
Every Monday	Weekly on Monday	0 0 * * 1
First of month	Monthly job	0 0 1 * *
Every Sunday at 6 PM	Weekly Sunday evening	0 18 * * 0
Multiple times daily	8am, noon, 6pm	0 8,12,18 * * *

Examples

Every day at 9 AM:

{
  "expression": "0 9 * * *",
  "timezone": "America/New_York"
}

Every 30 minutes:

{
  "expression": "*/30 * * * *"
}

Weekdays at 6 PM:

{
  "expression": "0 18 * * 1-5",
  "timezone": "Europe/London"
}

Every Monday at 10 AM:

{
  "expression": "0 10 * * 1",
  "timezone": "Asia/Tokyo"
}

First day of each month:

{
  "expression": "0 0 1 * *"
}

Response Format

Schedule created:

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Cron schedule created",
  "expression": "0 9 * * *",
  "timezone": "America/New_York",
  "next_run": "2025-01-31T09:00:00-05:00",
  "description": "At 09:00 AM, every day"
}

Schedule triggered:

{
  "success": true,
  "triggered": true,
  "message": "Cron schedule triggered",
  "expression": "0 9 * * *",
  "triggered_at": "2025-01-30T09:00:00Z"
}

Error Response

{
  "error": "Invalid cron expression: too few fields"
}

Timezone Reference

Timezone	Description
UTC	Universal Time (default)
America/New_York	Eastern US
America/Los_Angeles	Pacific US
Europe/London	UK
Europe/Paris	Central Europe
Asia/Tokyo	Japan
Asia/Shanghai	China
Australia/Sydney	Australia Eastern

Use Cases

Use Case	Expression	Description
Daily report	0 9 * * *	Generate daily reports
Hourly sync	0 * * * *	Sync data hourly
Weekly backup	0 2 * * 0	Sunday at 2 AM
Business hours check	*/30 9-17 * * 1-5	Every 30 min, 9-5 Mon-Fri
Monthly cleanup	0 0 1 * *	First of month

Common Workflows

Daily notification

1. Set cron for desired time (e.g., 0 9 * * *)
2. Cron triggers → workflow runs
3. Send notification to user

Scheduled data sync

1. Set cron for sync interval (e.g., 0 * * * *)
2. Cron triggers → fetch data
3. Process and store data

Weekly report

1. Set cron for weekly (e.g., 0 10 * * 1)
2. Cron triggers → generate report
3. Send report via email/WhatsApp

Workflow-Based Scheduling

In this system, scheduling works through:

1. Trigger Node: Use Cron Scheduler as workflow start
2. Deployment: Deploy workflow to activate schedule
3. Cancellation: Undeploy workflow to stop schedule

Each trigger creates independent workflow runs.

Best Practices

1. Use UTC for global: Avoid timezone confusion
2. Consider load: Don't schedule many jobs at :00
3. Stagger jobs: Use :05, :10 instead of all at :00
4. Test expressions: Verify with online cron tools
5. Document schedules: Keep track of what runs when

Limitations

• Requires workflow deployment to activate
• Cannot schedule past events
• Minimum granularity is 1 minute
• Complex conditions need multiple schedules

Setup Requirements

1. Connect the Cron Scheduler node to Zeenie's input-tools handle
2. Or use as workflow trigger (first node)
3. Deploy workflow to activate the schedule
4. Undeploy to cancel the schedule