Idle-time Task
Not every task needs to start right away. Producing a codebase analysis, backfilling a round of comments, running a documentation sync check — getting those results a few hours later usually costs you nothing.
That's what an idle-time task is for: submit it, and it joins a queue that runs during periods of spare computing capacity. The run is free and doesn't consume your subscription plan quota.
Rolling out gradually. Idle-time tasks are being released to subscribers in batches, so the entry points may not be visible in your client yet. This note will be removed once the feature is generally available.
The difference from Scheduled tasks is clear-cut: a scheduled task runs at times you choose and can repeat; an idle-time task has no schedule, runs once, and starts whenever the queue reaches it.
Prerequisites
Idle-time tasks require an active Coding Plan subscription. Coding Plans from both ZAI and BigModel work; Start Plan and plain API key mode are not supported.
Without a subscription, clicking the entry point prompts you to upgrade. If your subscription is fine but no matching model connection is selected, the submit button stays disabled with a tooltip — pick a connection in Connect a Model first.
Creating an Idle-time Task
Click Automations in the left sidebar, switch to the Idle-time task tab, and click Create idle-time task. You can also use an idle-time template on the new task home page, which prefills the instructions and takes you to the creation form.
The form asks for:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Task title | Defaults to "Untitled" — rename it to something recognizable |
| Instructions | The entire task. Since it runs unattended, make them complete and self-contained |
| Project | Only local projects open in the current window; can't be changed after creation |
| Permission | The same four execution modes as a regular session; defaults to Confirm Before Changes |
| Model / thought level | Chosen from the models available to idle-time tasks |
Because the task runs while you're away, committing your work to Git first is a good habit — it gives you a clean way back if you don't like the result.
Queueing and Execution
Once submitted, the task joins a global queue ordered by creation time, first come first served, and the card shows where you currently are in line.
When your turn arrives the task starts on its own and moves to Running. A few things characterize this stage:
- You don't need to be around: it runs in the background, and you're free to do other things or even close the session for that project.
- Long tasks pick up where they left off: if a run reaches its time limit, the task goes back in the queue and continues in the same session rather than starting over. Restarting the app doesn't lose it either.
- No promised start time: the queue depends on overall spare capacity, so the interface doesn't estimate when your task will begin. It waits as long as it takes — cancel it if you'd rather not wait.
If the Agent hits something that needs confirmation mid-run, it waits for you in the session just like a regular conversation, and the task stays in Running.
Managing Tasks
Tasks have six states: queued, paused, running, completed, failed, and cancelled. The card menu changes with the state:
| Current state | Available actions |
|---|---|
| Queued | Pause, Delete |
| Paused | Continue, Delete |
| Running | Cancel |
Pausing keeps the task but stops it from being dispatched. Note that a task left paused for a long time rejoins the queue at the back, so it may end up waiting longer than before.
Failed tasks aren't retried automatically — review the instructions and configuration, then submit a new one. File changes already made are never rolled back automatically.
In the Sidebar
Once an idle-time task has started running, a row appears under the Idle-time tasks group in the left sidebar, marked with a moon icon. Click it to open the session and see what the Agent did.
Queued and paused tasks don't appear in the sidebar; they're managed only on the Automations page.
Run History
The task detail page toggles between Settings and History. Because an idle-time task runs once, history holds at most one record, showing the outcome and linking to the session.
Limitations Worth Knowing
Your computer needs to stay awake. Like scheduled tasks, idle-time tasks run on your machine. Nothing progresses while it's asleep, but nothing is lost either — it keeps queueing once you're back. Turn on Keep awake on the Automations page if you want it to finish overnight.
There's a limit on how fast you can create them. Submit several in quick succession and the create button greys out for a while — hover it to see how long. It comes back on its own.
Desktop and local projects only. Remote workspaces aren't supported in the current version, and automations don't appear in the mobile remote control interface.