Claude Code offers three scheduling options. Cloud routines run on Anthropic managed infrastructure with a one hour minimum interval. Desktop tasks run on your machine and can touch local files. The /loop command runs inside an open session and can repeat as often as every minute.
The comparison
This table follows Anthropic's Claude Code documentation.
| Cloud | Desktop | /loop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Anthropic managed cloud by default | Your machine | Your machine |
| Machine must be on | No | Yes | Yes |
| Open session needed | No | No | Yes |
| Local files | No, fresh clone | Yes | Yes |
| Permission prompts | None, runs autonomously | Configurable per task | Inherits from session |
| Minimum interval | 1 hour | 1 minute | 1 minute |
Which one to pick
Anthropic's own tip sums it up. Use cloud tasks for work that should run reliably without your machine. Use Desktop tasks when you need local files and tools. Use /loop for quick polling during a session, such as watching a deploy or a pull request.
Why /loop is session scoped
A /loop task only fires while Claude Code is running and idle. Closing the terminal stops it. Missed fires are not caught up: if Claude is busy when a task comes due, it fires once when Claude becomes idle, not once per missed interval. Recurring tasks also expire 7 days after creation, firing one last time and deleting themselves. The docs present this as a bound on how long a forgotten loop can run.
A session can hold up to 50 scheduled tasks. If you need something to last longer than a week, recreate it before expiry or move it to a routine or a Desktop task.
What about GitHub Actions
The documentation lists GitHub Actions with a schedule trigger as another option for cron driven automation that runs unattended. That is a CI feature rather than a Claude Code feature, so it follows your repository's workflow rules.
Permissions are the real design question
The scheduling option decides where permission prompts happen. A cloud routine has no permission picker and runs shell commands and connector tools without stopping for approval. A /loop task inherits whatever your session allows. Scope access first, then schedule. Our Claude Code security practical guide covers the permission side.
Safeguard can add dependency scanning and policy gates around the repositories these jobs change, and offers a free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
Can a cloud routine read my local files?
No. The docs say cloud tasks start from a fresh clone, so they cannot see files that exist only on your machine.
What is the fastest interval I can schedule?
One minute for Desktop tasks and /loop, and one hour for cloud routines.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
