It depends on where the task runs. Anthropic's Desktop tasks skip a run if the computer sleeps, then start one catch-up run on wake. Session loops fire once when idle and do not replay misses. Cloud routines and remote Cowork tasks run regardless of your laptop.
Behavior by setup
| Setup | Computer asleep at the scheduled time |
|---|---|
| Claude Code Desktop local task | Run skipped. On wake, one catch-up run for the most recently missed time, older misses discarded. |
| Claude Code session loop | Fires only while the session is running and idle. A missed time fires once when Claude becomes idle, not once per interval. |
| Claude Code cloud routine | Runs in the cloud, so the laptop is irrelevant. |
| Claude Cowork scheduled task | Runs remotely and keeps its schedule, unless it needs local files or apps, in which case it runs only locally. |
| Codex style task with local files | The documentation says to keep the computer on and the app running. |
These details come from the vendors' pages as read on 19 October 2026. The Cowork help article does not describe missed run behavior, so do not assume it.
The catch-up run is the surprise
The Desktop page gives an example: a task scheduled for 9am can run at 11pm if the computer was asleep all day. A daily task that missed six days runs once on wake, with a notification.
For a harmless summary that is fine. For a task that posts to a channel, files tickets or opens pull requests, a run at the wrong time can mean stale data acted on as fresh. Anthropic suggests building guardrails into the prompt itself, for example telling the task to skip work and post a note if it is past a certain hour.
Design for lateness
Treat every scheduled run as possibly late, early, duplicated in effect, or absent.
- Put a time check in the prompt: "If the current time is more than two hours after the intended run time, report that and stop."
- Make actions idempotent. Search for an existing ticket or branch before creating one.
- Have the task state its data window, such as "commits since the last successful run", and store that marker somewhere durable.
- Alert on silence. A task that quietly stopped is harder to notice than one that fails loudly. See how to detect a silently failing scheduled scan.
Jitter is separate from sleep
Even with a machine awake, schedules are not exact. Claude Code's loop scheduler shifts recurring runs late by up to half the gap to the next run, capped at 30 minutes, to spread API load. Routines scheduled exactly on the hour can start several minutes late. GitHub says scheduled workflows can be delayed under load, especially at the top of the hour. Pick an off-peak minute such as 9:07, and never use a scheduled AI task as a precise timer.
Keep awake or go cloud
The Desktop page offers a Keep computer awake setting, but closing the lid still sleeps the machine. If the job needs to be reliable and does not need local files, run it in the cloud. If it needs local files, accept that availability is only as good as the laptop, and say so in the task description.
Worked example: a Monday morning report that arrives on Tuesday
A manager sets up a Desktop task to summarize weekend security tickets every Monday at 8am. The laptop goes in a bag on Friday and stays closed until Tuesday at 9. On wake, Desktop checks for runs missed in the last seven days and finds one. It starts a single catch-up run, with a notification. The summary now covers tickets up to Tuesday morning but is labeled as the Monday report, and the manager forwards it to leadership as if it were current to Monday.
Nothing broke. The product did what its documentation says. The failure is in the prompt and the process, which assumed on time delivery.
Fixing it in three layers
In the prompt. Tell the task to state the current time and the period it covers at the top of the output. Add a rule: "If it is more than three hours after 8am Monday, start the report with LATE RUN and continue." That single line gives the reader the one fact they need.
In the setup. If the report must be on time, run it where the laptop does not matter. A cloud routine or a remote Cowork task keeps its schedule without your computer, as long as it does not need local files. If it does need local files, accept the limit or move the files somewhere the cloud task can reach.
In monitoring. Ask someone to expect the report by 9am. If it has not arrived, they check. An absence alarm is cheap and catches sleeping machines, expired schedules and revoked connectors all at once.
Comparing the failure modes
| Setup | How it fails | How you notice |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop task | Skipped when asleep, one late catch-up | A notification on wake, or a gap in the report series |
| Session loop | Stops when the terminal closes | The loop simply stops, with no alert |
| Cloud routine | Connector or GitHub access lapses | Skipped runs, then the routine turns off after 72 hours without GitHub access |
| Remote Cowork task | Needs local files, so it cannot run remotely | The task runs only locally |
Steps to harden any scheduled job
- Decide whether lateness matters. If not, stop here.
- If it does, choose the cloud option or a machine that stays on.
- Add time awareness to the prompt.
- Make writes idempotent so a catch-up run does not duplicate yesterday's work.
- Add an external check that expects the output.
- Review run history weekly for skips.
Keep computer awake is not a plan
The Desktop page offers a setting to prevent idle sleep, and warns that closing the lid still sleeps the machine. For personal convenience that is fine. For anything a team depends on, a personal laptop is a weak host. Treat it like any other single point of failure and either move the job or write down the dependency.
Try it yourself
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Watch how a recurring check reports on its own schedule and what a gap between runs would look like.
Quick check
Will a daily Desktop task run seven times after a week offline?
No. The Desktop page says it starts exactly one catch-up run for the most recently missed time and discards older ones.
Can I rely on a scheduled prompt firing at an exact minute?
No. Recurring loops are shifted by jitter, routines on the hour can start late, and GitHub warns of delays under load.
If my task catches up after sleep, will it also repeat every missed run?
No for Desktop tasks, which run once for the most recently missed time and discard older ones. Session loops also fire once when idle. Design prompts so one late run is safe.
Sources
- Schedule recurring tasks in Claude Code Desktop
- Run prompts on a schedule (Claude Code docs)
- Automate work with routines (Claude Code docs)
- Schedule recurring tasks in Claude Cowork (Help Center)
- Scheduled tasks and automations (OpenAI Codex docs)
- Events that trigger workflows (GitHub Docs)
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
