Can I test a cron job manually?
Yes. You can run a job manually from the dashboard to validate the payload and delivery behavior before waiting for the next scheduled execution.
Feature
Run OpenClaw automation and cron jobs from the dashboard
Schedule recurring work, run jobs manually, and manage cron-based automation from the dashboard instead of stitching it together in the shell.
OpenClaw Setup now exposes hosted cron management directly in the instance Overview tab. Instead of dropping into the instance shell or editing Gateway cron storage manually, you can inspect schedules, payloads, session targets, delivery targets, and recent run state in one readable interface.
What you can do
- See every configured cron job with schedule, execution lane, delivery mode, and latest run state.
- Create and edit scheduled jobs with one-time, interval, or cron-expression schedules.
- Choose main, isolated, current, or custom session targets and set wake mode.
- Switch between agent-turn and system-event payloads with optional model, thinking, and timeout overrides for agent turns.
- Send results to chat, keep them internal, or post them to a webhook from the same form.
- Enable, disable, run, and delete jobs from the dashboard.
- Use the feature for recurring reports, reminders, and operational automation.
OpenClaw cron docsCron queue troubleshootingRun-now timeout fix
Real product screenshot
What scheduled work looks like here
Use cron jobs for recurring reports, reminders, checks, and proactive assistant behavior that should happen without a manual prompt each time.
The dashboard turns those jobs into something readable: you can see the schedule, choose the execution lane, update the payload, test a run, and confirm the latest result from one place.
- One-time, interval, and cron-expression schedules
- Timezone-aware calendar scheduling
- Main, isolated, current, and custom named sessions
- Recurring reports
- Scheduled prompts and reminders
- Run-now testing from the dashboard
- Faster iteration than shell-based cron editing
Why the dashboard flow matters
You do not need to manage cron storage files or hand-written gateway payloads just to keep scheduled work running. The hosted UI covers the common lifecycle: create, edit, enable, disable, run, and delete, while also exposing the core execution choices directly.
That includes wake mode, payload type, agent selection, announce vs internal vs webhook delivery, and visible last-run or delivery errors when a job has problems.
When something does go wrong, the linked troubleshooting guides are there for the incident path while this page stays focused on the normal operating flow.
FAQ
What is the biggest benefit of managing cron jobs here?
That you can run OpenClaw scheduled work from a readable dashboard that exposes schedule, session, payload, delivery, and run-state controls instead of stitching them together from storage files and shell commands.