---
title: "Schedules"
description: "Run Tracecat workflows on a time-based cadence: configure cron schedules, fixed intervals, and trigger payloads for recurring automations."
---

## Overview

Schedules run a workflow on a time-based cadence. The workflow must be saved before a schedule can be created.

![Schedule trigger](/img/triggers/schedule.png)

## Schedule types

Schedule types:

- Interval schedules use `every`.
- Cron schedules use `cron`.

Cron uses standard 5-field or 6-field expressions.

## Schedule fields

- Status: `online` or `offline`.
- Start time: optional.
- End time: optional.
- Timeout: optional, and `0` means no timeout.
- Offset: interval-only, using an ISO 8601 duration.

## When to use schedules

Use schedules for:

- Polling an external system on a fixed cadence.
- Running cleanup or maintenance workflows on a timer.
- Syncing data or refreshing enrichments throughout the day.
