Time Based Actions

Quick-reference decision guide for choosing the right tool when users ask about time-triggered actions, recurring automation, notifications, or task tracking.

Decision Tree

1. Does the request have a specific future time AND should fire only once?

   • YES -> reminder_create
   • Examples: "remind me at 3pm", "remind me in 5 minutes", "alert me tomorrow at 9am"

2. Does the request have a recurring pattern?

   • YES -> schedule_create with mode: "notify" (for recurring reminders/alerts) or mode: "execute" (if the assistant should act autonomously each recurrence)
   • Default to mode: "notify" for recurring reminder-style requests. Use mode: "execute" only when each recurrence should trigger the assistant to perform a task (e.g. "every morning, check my email and summarize it").
   • Examples: "every day at 9am", "weekly on Mondays", "every 2 hours"

3. Does the request need an alert RIGHT NOW (no delay)?

   • YES -> assistant notifications send via bash
   • Examples: "send me a notification", "alert me now", "ping me"

4. Is the request about tracking work with no time trigger?

   • YES -> task_list_add
   • Examples: "add to my tasks", "remind me to do X" (no time), "put this on my list"

Critical Warning: assistant notifications send is IMMEDIATE-ONLY

assistant notifications send fires instantly when called. It has NO delay, scheduling, or future-time capability. NEVER use it for:

• "Remind me in 5 minutes" -> use reminder_create
• "Alert me at 3pm" -> use reminder_create
• "Notify me tomorrow" -> use reminder_create

If you use assistant notifications send for any of these, the notification fires immediately and the user misses their intended reminder.

Critical Warning: task_list_add has NO time trigger

task_list_add creates a work queue item. It does NOT fire at a specific time. NEVER use it as a workaround for delayed notifications. If the user wants a timed alert, use reminder_create.

Time Grounding Source

Use the current_time: field from the injected <turn_context> block as the authoritative clock source. The format is: