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-sidebar_position: 11
-title: "Automate Anything with Cron"
-description: "Real-world automation patterns using Hermes cron — monitoring, reports, pipelines, and multi-skill workflows"
----
-
-# Automate Anything with Cron
-
-The [daily briefing bot tutorial](/guides/daily-briefing-bot) covers the basics. This guide goes further — five real-world automation patterns you can adapt for your own workflows.
-
-For the full feature reference, see [Scheduled Tasks (Cron)](/user-guide/features/cron).
-
-:::info Key Concept
-Cron jobs run in fresh agent sessions with no memory of your current chat. Prompts must be **completely self-contained** — include everything the agent needs to know.
-:::
-
-:::tip Don't need the LLM? You have two zero-token options.
-- **Recurring watchdog** where the script already produces the exact message (memory alerts, disk alerts, heartbeats): use [script-only cron jobs](/guides/cron-script-only). Same scheduler, no LLM. You can ask Hermes to set one up for you in chat — the `cronjob` tool knows when to pick `no_agent=True` and writes the script for you.
-- **One-shot from a script that's already running** (CI step, post-commit hook, deploy script, externally-scheduled monitor): use [`hermes send`](/guides/pipe-script-output) to pipe stdout or a file straight to Telegram / Discord / Slack / etc. without setting up a cron entry.
-:::
-
----
-
-## Pattern 1: Website Change Monitor
-
-Watch a URL for changes and get notified only when something is different.
-
-The `script` parameter is the secret weapon here. A Python script runs before each execution, and its stdout becomes context for the agent. The script handles the mechanical work (fetching, diffing); the agent handles the reasoning (is this change interesting?).
-
-Create the monitoring script:
-
-```bash
-mkdir -p ~/.hermes/scripts
-```
-
-```python title="~/.hermes/scripts/watch-site.py"
-import hashlib, json, os, urllib.request
-
-URL = "https://example.com/pricing"
-STATE_FILE = os.path.expanduser("~/.hermes/scripts/.watch-site-state.json")
-
-# Fetch current content
-req = urllib.request.Request(URL, headers={"User-Agent": "Hermes-Monitor/1.0"})
-content = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=30).read().decode()
-current_hash = hashlib.sha256(content.encode()).hexdigest()
-
-# Load previous state
-prev_hash = None
-if os.path.exists(STATE_FILE):
-    with open(STATE_FILE) as f:
-        prev_hash = json.load(f).get("hash")
-
-# Save current state
-with open(STATE_FILE, "w") as f:
-    json.dump({"hash": current_hash, "url": URL}, f)
-
-# Output for the agent
-if prev_hash and prev_hash != current_hash:
-    print(f"CHANGE DETECTED on {URL}")
-    print(f"Previous hash: {prev_hash}")
-    print(f"Current hash: {current_hash}")
-    print(f"\nCurrent content (first 2000 chars):\n{content[:2000]}")
-else:
-    print("NO_CHANGE")
-```
-
-Set up the cron job:
-
-```bash
-/cron add "every 1h" "If the script output says CHANGE DETECTED, summarize what changed on the page and why it might matter. If it says NO_CHANGE, respond with just [SILENT]." --script ~/.hermes/scripts/watch-site.py --name "Pricing monitor" --deliver telegram
-```
-
-:::tip The [SILENT] Trick
-For cron monitoring jobs, instruct the agent to respond with only `[SILENT]` when nothing changed. Cron delivery treats `[SILENT]` as the quiet marker, so you only get notified when something actually happens — no spam on quiet hours.
-:::
-
-:::tip Keeping failure notices out of shared channels
-`[SILENT]` only applies to successful runs — when a job hard-fails, the engine posts a `⚠️ Cron 'X' failed…` notice to the job's delivery target. For jobs that deliver into busy shared channels, set `--failure-deliver local` to suppress those notices entirely (run state stays visible in `hermes cron list` and run history), or point failures at an ops channel with `--failure-deliver slack:C_OPS`. Same grammar as `--deliver`; omit it and failures follow `--deliver` as before.
-:::
-
----
-
-## Pattern 2: Weekly Report
-
-Compile information from multiple sources into a formatted summary. This runs once a week and delivers to your home channel.
-
-```bash
-/cron add "0 9 * * 1" "Generate a weekly report covering:
-
-1. Search the web for the top 5 AI news stories from the past week
-2. Search GitHub for trending repositories in the 'machine-learning' topic
-3. Check Hacker News for the most discussed AI/ML posts
-
-Format as a clean summary with sections for each source. Include links.
-Keep it under 500 words — highlight only what matters." --name "Weekly AI digest" --deliver telegram
-```
-
-From the CLI:
-
-```bash
-hermes cron create "0 9 * * 1" \
-  "Generate a weekly report covering the top AI news, trending ML GitHub repos, and most-discussed HN posts. Format with sections, include links, keep under 500 words." \
-  --name "Weekly AI digest" \
-  --deliver telegram
-```
-
-The `0 9 * * 1` is a standard cron expression: 9:00 AM every Monday.
-
----
-
-## Pattern 3: GitHub Repository Watcher
-
-Monitor a repository for new issues, PRs, or releases.
-
-```bash
-/cron add "every 6h" "Check the GitHub repository NousResearch/hermes-agent for:
-- New issues opened in the last 6 hours
-- New PRs opened or merged in the last 6 hours
-- Any new releases
-
-Use the terminal to run gh commands:
-  gh issue list --repo NousResearch/hermes-agent --state open --json number,title,author,createdAt --limit 10
-  gh pr list --repo NousResearch/hermes-agent --state all --json number,title,author,createdAt,mergedAt --limit 10
-
-Filter to only items from the last 6 hours. If nothing new, respond with [SILENT].
-Otherwise, provide a concise summary of the activity." --name "Repo watcher" --deliver discord
-```
-
-:::warning Self-Contained Prompts
-Notice how the prompt includes the exact `gh` commands. The cron agent has no conversation history from previous runs — spell everything out. (Persistent memory does load, so durable preferences saved to MEMORY.md carry over, but don't rely on it for job-critical details.)
-:::
-
----
-
-## Pattern 4: Data Collection Pipeline
-
-Scrape data at regular intervals, save to files, and detect trends over time. This pattern combines a script (for collection) with the agent (for analysis).
-
-```python title="~/.hermes/scripts/collect-prices.py"
-import json, os, urllib.request
-from datetime import datetime
-
-DATA_DIR = os.path.expanduser("~/.hermes/data/prices")
-os.makedirs(DATA_DIR, exist_ok=True)
-
-# Fetch current data (example: crypto prices)
-url = "https://api.coingecko.com/api/v3/simple/price?ids=bitcoin,ethereum&vs_currencies=usd"
-data = json.loads(urllib.request.urlopen(url, timeout=30).read())
-
-# Append to history file
-entry = {"timestamp": datetime.now().isoformat(), "prices": data}
-history_file = os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "history.jsonl")
-with open(history_file, "a") as f:
-    f.write(json.dumps(entry) + "\n")
-
-# Load recent history for analysis
-lines = open(history_file).readlines()
-recent = [json.loads(l) for l in lines[-24:]]  # Last 24 data points
-
-# Output for the agent
-print(f"Current: BTC=${data['bitcoin']['usd']}, ETH=${data['ethereum']['usd']}")
-print(f"Data points collected: {len(lines)} total, showing last {len(recent)}")
-print(f"\nRecent history:")
-for r in recent[-6:]:
-    print(f"  {r['timestamp']}: BTC=${r['prices']['bitcoin']['usd']}, ETH=${r['prices']['ethereum']['usd']}")
-```
-
-```bash
-/cron add "every 1h" "Analyze the price data from the script output. Report:
-1. Current prices
-2. Trend direction over the last 6 data points (up/down/flat)
-3. Any notable movements (>5% change)
-
-If prices are flat and nothing notable, respond with [SILENT].
-If there's a significant move, explain what happened." \
-  --script ~/.hermes/scripts/collect-prices.py \
-  --name "Price tracker" \
-  --deliver telegram
-```
-
-The script does the mechanical collection; the agent adds the reasoning layer.
-
----
-
-## Pattern 5: Multi-Skill Workflow
-
-Chain skills together for complex scheduled tasks. Skills are loaded in order before the prompt executes.
-
-```bash
-# Use the arxiv skill to find papers, then the obsidian skill to save notes
-/cron add "0 8 * * *" "Search arXiv for the 3 most interesting papers on 'language model reasoning' from the past day. For each paper, create an Obsidian note with the title, authors, abstract summary, and key contribution." \
-  --skill arxiv \
-  --skill obsidian \
-  --name "Paper digest"
-```
-
-From the tool directly:
-
-```python
-cronjob(
-    action="create",
-    skills=["arxiv", "obsidian"],
-    prompt="Search arXiv for papers on 'language model reasoning' from the past day. Save the top 3 as Obsidian notes.",
-    schedule="0 8 * * *",
-    name="Paper digest",
-    deliver="local"
-)
-```
-
-Skills are loaded in order — `arxiv` first (teaches the agent how to search papers), then `obsidian` (teaches how to write notes). The prompt ties them together.
-
----
-
-## Managing Your Jobs
-
-```bash
-# List all active jobs
-/cron list
-
-# Trigger a job immediately (for testing)
-/cron run <job_id>
-
-# Pause a job without deleting it
-/cron pause <job_id>
-
-# Edit a running job's schedule or prompt
-/cron edit <job_id> --schedule "every 4h"
-/cron edit <job_id> --prompt "Updated task description"
-
-# Add or remove skills from an existing job
-/cron edit <job_id> --skill arxiv --skill obsidian
-/cron edit <job_id> --clear-skills
-
-# Remove a job permanently
-/cron remove <job_id>
-```
-
----
-
-## Delivery Targets
-
-The `--deliver` flag controls where results go:
-
-| Target | Example | Use case |
-|--------|---------|----------|
-| `origin` | `--deliver origin` | Same chat that created the job (default) |
-| `local` | `--deliver local` | Save to local file only |
-| `telegram` | `--deliver telegram` | Your Telegram home channel |
-| `discord` | `--deliver discord` | Your Discord home channel |
-| `slack` | `--deliver slack` | Your Slack home channel |
-| Specific chat | `--deliver telegram:-1001234567890` | A specific Telegram group |
-| Threaded | `--deliver telegram:-1001234567890:17585` | A specific Telegram topic thread |
-| Bot Chat | `--deliver bot-chat` | Inject output into this profile's canonical Bot Chat — the bot reads it and responds |
-| Bot Chat (named) | `--deliver bot-chat:research` | Another local profile's Bot Chat |
-
-### Bot Chat delivery
-
-`bot-chat` targets deliver the job's output **into a profile's canonical "Bot
-Chat" session as a real message** — the bot receives it like any other message,
-acts on anything that needs action, and responds in that chat. This is the
-target to use when you want a bot to *see and react to* scheduled output
-instead of just having it archived in Run history.
-
-Things to know:
-
-- **Machine-local.** The profile must exist on the machine running the
-  scheduler (`hermes profile list`). Names are validated at create time;
-  profiles on other gateways/machines cannot be targeted.
-- **Costs a bot turn.** Each delivery runs a full agent turn in the target
-  bot's Bot Chat — budget accordingly for high-frequency jobs.
-- **Combinable.** `--deliver bot-chat,telegram` posts to the bot AND your
-  Telegram home channel. The `all` token never expands to bot-chat targets.
-- The delivered message is prefixed so the bot knows it came from a scheduled
-  job, not from you.
-
----
-
-## Tips
-
-**Make prompts self-contained.** The agent in a cron job has no memory of your conversations. Include URLs, repo names, format preferences, and delivery instructions directly in the prompt.
-
-**Use `[SILENT]` deliberately.** For monitoring jobs, include instructions like "if nothing changed, respond with only `[SILENT]`." Do not ask the agent to explain the token in quiet cases — cron treats `[SILENT]` as the delivery-suppression marker.
-
-**Use scripts for data collection.** The `script` parameter lets a Python script handle the boring parts (HTTP requests, file I/O, state tracking). The agent only sees the script's stdout and applies reasoning to it. This is cheaper and more reliable than having the agent do the fetching itself.
-
-**Test with `/cron run`.** Before waiting for the schedule to trigger, use `/cron run <job_id>` to execute immediately and verify the output looks right.
-
-**Schedule expressions.** Supported formats: relative delays (`30m`), intervals (`every 2h`), standard cron expressions (`0 9 * * *`), and ISO timestamps (`2025-06-15T09:00:00`). Natural language like `daily at 9am` is not supported — use `0 9 * * *` instead.
-
----
-
-*For the complete cron reference — all parameters, edge cases, and internals — see [Scheduled Tasks (Cron)](/user-guide/features/cron).*