Documentation

Overview

Compare Schedulers and Pulses and review recurring run outcomes.

Appaca can run work on a schedule without anyone starting it. App recurring runs are Schedulers and coworker recurring runs are Pulses.

Schedulers

A Scheduler runs one app function repeatedly. Use it for a routine that belongs to an app, such as updating records or sending a regular notification. You choose the function and can provide its inputs.

Schedulers run in UTC. There is no timezone field, so convert local business hours to UTC and check the Next run preview.

Set one up from the app’s Settings → Schedulers.

Pulses

A Pulse sends a recurring prompt to a coworker. Use it for work such as preparing a brief, reviewing a queue, or summarizing changes.

Each run creates a coworker chat named Pulse: {name} so you can review what happened. A Pulse uses your browser’s timezone when you create or update it.

Set one up on the coworker’s Pulses tab. The workspace Pulses page lists both Pulses and Schedulers. Only owners and admins can open this overview.

Plan availability

Schedulers and Pulses require a paid plan. Both use the workspace’s monthly Scheduler Runs allowance shown under Settings → Usage.

A safe path to automation

  1. Prove the work by hand first

    Run the app function or the coworker chat with realistic inputs until the result is reliable. A schedule multiplies whatever the work already does, including its mistakes.

  2. Pick the schedule deliberately

    Choose the longest interval that still meets the need. Frequent schedules cost more and make overlapping runs likelier.

  3. State the edge cases

    Include how to handle duplicates, missing data, and approvals. A scheduled run has nobody available to answer a question.

  4. Watch the first few runs

    Check the outcome of each early run and pause the schedule if results differ from what you tested.

Reviewing Pulse runs

Every Pulse run is recorded. Open the coworker’s Pulses tab and use Run history on the Pulse you want to inspect. Runs are listed newest first, 20 at a time.

Each run carries a status:

  • Running while the coworker is working
  • Completed when the coworker finished
  • Failed when the run encountered an error
  • Skipped when the run could not start

Use View chat to open the chat created for a run and review its result.

There is no retry action. To repeat a failed run sooner, start a coworker chat with the same prompt.

Schedulers do not have run history. The workspace Pulses page shows a Scheduler’s schedule and next run, while Pulse entries can also show their latest status.

Schedule builder Choose a frequency and understand timezones. Schedulers Schedule a function inside one of your apps. Coworker instructions Set boundaries before putting a coworker on a schedule.