# encore-cron

Guides agents in setting up periodic background tasks in Encore.ts with CronJob. Useful for nightly cleanup, scheduled reports, and batch jobs.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 416 installs · ★ 30
- Author: encoredev
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/encoredev/skills/tree/HEAD/encore/cron/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/encore-cron

## What it does

This skill guides the agent when configuring recurring background jobs in Encore.ts. It wires a package-level `CronJob` declaration from `encore.dev/cron` to an existing internal endpoint. The schedule definition must live at module scope rather than inside a function body.

Two scheduling formats are supported. The `every` parameter accepts simple intervals like `"30m"` or `"2h"`, which must divide 24 hours evenly. A value like `"7h"` is invalid. Alternatively, `schedule` accepts standard five-field cron expressions. All schedule times run in UTC. Target endpoints are marked with `{ expose: false }` so external HTTP clients cannot trigger them directly.

Local development with `encore run` will never execute scheduled jobs. Timers fire only after deployment. Endpoint operations need to remain idempotent, because redeploy windows can cause occasional retries or delayed execution.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill encore-cron -a claude-code
```
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill cron -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill cron -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill cron -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install encoredev/skills cron
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill cron -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/encoredev/skills --path encore/cron
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add encoredev/skills --skill cron -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/encoredev/skills/tree/HEAD/encore/cron/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- schedule batch aggregations at specific UTC times
- declare recurring cleanup jobs using fixed time intervals
- connect background `CronJob` declarations to internal API endpoints
- protect scheduled endpoints from public access with `{ expose: false }`

## Example prompts
- Create an Encore.ts CronJob to aggregate daily orders at 02:00 UTC
- Set up a recurring cleanup task that runs every 30 minutes in Encore
- Configure a weekly batch report running on Sunday at midnight UTC

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

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: 094fe8fe70a7578c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 094fe8fe70a7578c
````text
---
name: encore-cron
description: >-
  Schedule periodic / recurring work in Encore.ts using `CronJob` from `encore.dev/cron`. Covers `every: "1h"` interval syntax and `schedule: "0 9 * * 1"` cron expressions.
when_to_use: >-
  User wants to run a job on a schedule — anything with the words schedule, scheduled, daily, hourly, weekly, periodic, recurring, every N minutes/hours, "at HH:MM UTC", midnight, batch job, aggregation job, nightly, cleanup job, or background work that runs on a timer rather than in response to a request. Trigger phrases: "every day at 02:00 UTC", "daily aggregation", "run hourly", "scheduled task", "cron", "nightly cleanup", "on a schedule".
---

# Encore Cron Jobs

## Instructions

A `CronJob` declaration in Encore.ts ties a schedule to an existing `api(...)` endpoint. The endpoint runs at the chosen cadence. Declare the `CronJob` at package level — not inside a function.

```typescript
import { CronJob } from "encore.dev/cron";
import { api } from "encore.dev/api";

// 1. The endpoint to call (typically internal: expose: false)
export const aggregateDailyOrders = api(
  { expose: false },
  async (): Promise<void> => {
    // Aggregation logic
  }
);

// 2. Package-level cron declaration
const _ = new CronJob("aggregate-daily-orders", {
  title: "Aggregate orders for the previous day",
  schedule: "0 2 * * *",  // 02:00 UTC every day
  endpoint: aggregateDailyOrders,
});
```

## Schedule Formats

| Field | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `every` | `"1h"`, `"30m"`, `"6h"` | Simple interval. **Must divide 24h evenly** — `"7h"` is invalid. |
| `schedule` | `"0 9 * * 1"` | Standard cron expression (5 fields, UTC). |

### Common cron expressions

| Cron | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `"0 * * * *"` | Every hour, on the hour |
| `"0 2 * * *"` | Daily at 02:00 UTC |
| `"0 0 * * 0"` | Weekly on Sunday at midnight UTC |
| `"0 4 15 * *"` | 04:00 UTC on the 15th of each month |

## Important behaviour

- **Cron jobs do not execute when running locally with `encore run`.** Only deployed environments fire crons.
- The cron endpoint should be `expose: false` so it can't be triggered externally — only the cron scheduler should call it.
- All times in `schedule` are UTC. Convert from local time when designing the schedule.
- The endpoint must already exist at module load — declare it before the `CronJob`.

## Guidelines

- Use `every` for "run on a regular interval" (must divide 24h).
- Use `schedule` for specific times of day or days of week.
- Keep endpoint logic idempotent: a cron may fire late or be retried in a redeploy window.
- For event-driven background work (not time-driven), use the `encore-pubsub` skill instead.
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 094fe8fe70a7578c

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 094fe8fe70a7578c tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

© encoredev · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/encoredev/skills/tree/HEAD/encore/cron/SKILL.md

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