Routines

Saved Claude Code automations that run unattended in Anthropic’s cloud — fired on a schedule, by API call, or by a GitHub event — with MCP connectors and a repo attached.

What it is

A routine packages a prompt, optional GitHub repo, and a set of connectors into a configuration you can fire by schedule (cron-style), API call, or GitHub event (PR opened, release published, …). Each firing spins up a fresh, isolated Claude Code session on Anthropic-managed cloud infrastructure — own VM, own git checkout, no memory of previous runs. Output is stored in a web transcript you can revisit any time.

Routines straddle two surfaces: you create and manage them from Claude Code (/schedule) or at claude.ai/code/routines, and you view results in the same web UI. They launched in research preview 2026-04-14.

When to use it

  • Recurring digests, status reports, monitoring — anything you want fired on a clock.
  • Reacting to GitHub events (a new PR, a tagged release) without standing up your own webhook handler.
  • One-off scheduled runs: “do this tomorrow at 9am” — the form has a one-time option that auto-disables after firing.
  • Programmatic triggers from your own systems via the API trigger.

How to install / enable

The skill is bundled with Claude Code; no install needed. Routines require Claude Code on the web enabled on Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise.

  • In Claude Code, type /schedule and describe the task in plain language. Claude drafts the prompt, schedule, and MCP attachments, then creates the routine. For a non-preset cadence, run /schedule update to set a custom cron expression.

  • Manage routines in the web UI:

    https://claude.ai/code/routines
https://claude.ai/code/routines/<routine_id>
  • API trigger requests must include the beta header anthropic-beta: experimental-cc-routine-2026-04-01.

Common pitfalls

  • Schedules are local-timezone. The web UI and /schedule interpret times in your local zone and auto-convert to UTC; verify the printed UTC equivalent in the routine config if you suspect drift. (Older guides that say “cron is UTC” describe an earlier behavior.)
  • Minimum interval is one hour. */30 * * * * is rejected.
  • Daily run caps. Pro: 5 routines/day. Max: 15. Team / Enterprise: 25.
  • Each run is isolated. No state carries between firings. Persist to a repo, an external store, or have the prompt re-derive state.
  • No email or push notification by default. Wire a Slack / Gmail / etc. connector and ask the prompt to post results if you want active delivery.
  • Remote agents have no local context. They cannot see files on your laptop, your local env vars, or local MCP servers. Use HTTP MCP connectors or have the agent clone a public repo.

See also

Sources

  • Automate work with routines — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-05-22 (this run) — primary reference for schedule / API / GitHub triggers, plan availability, and local-timezone cron semantics.
  • Introducing routines in Claude Code — Anthropic blog; published 2026-04-14 — launch announcement, daily limits (5 / 15 / 25), research-preview status.
  • Trigger a routine via API — Anthropic API docs; verified 2026-05-22 — experimental-cc-routine-2026-04-01 beta header.
  • Claude managed agents updates — Anthropic blog; published 2026-05-19 — broader cloud-hosted agent infrastructure context.
  • Claude Code changelog — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-05-22 — /schedule update, Stop-hook session_crons field.