# Scheduled project tasks

IdeA owns recurring project maintenance. Agents and users should use scheduled
project tasks instead of installing `cron`, `systemd` timers, or executable files
inside a repository.

Definitions are machine-local and persist in
`<app_data_dir>/scheduled-project-tasks/<projectId>.json`. They are distinct from
`BackgroundTask`: every manual or scheduled occurrence creates a new background
task carrying an `origin` (`manual` or `scheduled` with the definition id and
planned timestamp).

Scheduled runs use `RecordOnly`: their terminal state and output remain durable,
but a successful completion does not wake an agent or enqueue a completion
message.

V1 accepts only intervals of at least five minutes, daily `HH:mm`, and weekly
day/`HH:mm` schedules with an IANA timezone. Missed occurrences are skipped at
startup; only the next future occurrence is armed, and only while the project is
open. IdeA must be running to trigger tasks.

The MCP surface is `idea_scheduled_task_list`, `read`, `create`, `update`,
`delete`, `run_now`, and `set_enabled`. Read operations are allowed by the native
read policy; mutations are write actions. An agent-created or agent-modified
definition is always disabled and `pending` human approval. MCP enable cannot
grant that approval.

Commands persist no free-form environment. Their working directory is relative
to the project, checked lexically on write and canonically before every run to
reject symlink escapes. Runs use a deny-by-default OS sandbox: the project is the
only writable root and system toolchain paths are read/execute-only.