# cron-schedule-planner

Maps GitHub Actions cron schedules across repositories to spot runtime collisions. Helps shift heavy Docker and matrix builds into idle hours.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2000 installs
- Author: dboeckli
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/dboeckli/ai-agent-skills/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-29
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/cron-schedule-planner

## What it does

The skill executes `scripts/cron-schedule-planner.sh` to parse `on.schedule` expressions across an entire GitHub account or local clones. It converts UTC timestamps to a local timezone, using `Europe/Zurich` by default. Workflows are classified by intensity: steps using Testcontainers, Docker Compose, Kind, or build matrices are marked as high contention.

Output arrives in `target/cron-schedule-overview.md`. The report plots an hourly run histogram, lists collisions where two or more runs overlap, and calculates queue wait times when `--queue-stats` is enabled. The tool remains strictly read-only. It generates a diff with suggested timing shifts and waits for explicit approval before touching any files.

Network scanning relies directly on the `gh` command-line tool. If GitHub authentication is missing, the planner will fail unless pointed to local checkouts via `--local`.

## Requirements
- Works with: Docker

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --skill cron-schedule-planner -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/cron-schedule-planner/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --skill cron-schedule-planner -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --skill cron-schedule-planner -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install dboeckli/ai-agent-skills cron-schedule-planner
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --skill cron-schedule-planner -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --path .claude/skills/cron-schedule-planner
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --skill cron-schedule-planner -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/dboeckli/ai-agent-skills/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/cron-schedule-planner/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- map GitHub Actions scheduled cron triggers across multiple repositories
- prevent resource collisions between heavy Testcontainers and matrix runs
- measure runner queue delays using the `--queue-stats` parameter
- convert UTC cron triggers to a chosen local timezone

## Example prompts
- Check if our scheduled GitHub Actions builds collide across repositories.
- Find a free time slot to run the Testcontainers workflow.
- Generate a cron schedule breakdown for dboeckli with the Europe/Zurich timezone.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: da56ae7a9a0fa5bb.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE da56ae7a9a0fa5bb
````text
---
name: cron-schedule-planner
description: "Builds an overview of GitHub Actions `schedule` cron expressions across multiple repositories and helps spread CPU-intensive jobs (Docker Compose, Testcontainers, Kind/k3s, matrix builds) into less contended slots. Use when the user asks 'when do my cron actions run?', 'do my scheduled builds collide?', 'when should the Testcontainers build run?', or wants a cron schedule overview/distribution report across repos. Scans via `gh` (no local checkouts required) or local checkouts, converts UTC to a local timezone, classifies job intensity, and writes a Markdown report with an hourly histogram, collisions and concrete cron redistribution suggestions."
---

# Cron Schedule Planner

Collects GitHub Actions `on.schedule` cron expressions across repositories,
classifies how resource-intensive each workflow is, converts the UTC cron times
to a local timezone, and produces a Markdown report with an hourly histogram,
collisions and concrete redistribution suggestions.

Read-only: the script never edits workflows. Suggestions are applied only after
the user confirms.

## Instructions

### Step 1: Decide the repository scope

- Default: all repositories of the authenticated `gh` user (no local checkouts
  needed).
- `--owner <owner>` to scan a different owner.
- `--repo <owner/repo>` (repeatable) for an explicit list.
- `--local <dir>` to scan local checkouts instead of the GitHub API.

### Step 2: Run the script

```bash
bash scripts/cron-schedule-planner.sh
```

Common variants:

```bash
# Specific owner, Swiss local time, report in target/
bash scripts/cron-schedule-planner.sh --owner dboeckli --tz Europe/Zurich

# Local checkouts (no GitHub API)
bash scripts/cron-schedule-planner.sh --local ~/projects/referenzen

# A few explicit repos
bash scripts/cron-schedule-planner.sh --repo dboeckli/ai-agent-skills --repo dboeckli/camel-first
```

### Step 3: Present the results

The script prints the hourly histogram, collisions and suggestions, and writes
`target/cron-schedule-overview.md`. Summarise:

- how many repos / scheduled entries were found,
- the most crowded UTC hours (collisions),
- which high-intensity jobs sit in crowded hours.

### Step 4: Apply suggestions only after confirmation

The redistribution suggestions are heuristic (they move high-intensity jobs out
of crowded hours into empty ones, keeping the minute and day fields). Present
them as a diff and change workflow files **only after explicit confirmation**.
Never edit automatically.

## Options

| Option                | Meaning                                                         |
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE da56ae7a9a0fa5bb

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---
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