Schedules and background operation
Choose a schedule
Section titled “Choose a schedule”In the workflow editor, Schedule offers manual, daily, weekday, weekly, hourly, and custom schedules. Check the timezone, save your changes, and confirm Enable saved schedules is enabled.
Keep Runstead running
Section titled “Keep Runstead running”On macOS:
- Closing the window or choosing Keep Running in Menu Bar hides the window while the service and project engines continue running.
- Open Runstead restores the interface.
- Quit Runstead stops the service and project engines. Save drafts and let active jobs finish first.
- Start at login opens Runstead in the menu bar when you sign in.
The menu bar lists projects with individual Start and Stop controls. Switching projects in the interface does not stop other projects’ schedules.
Sleep, logout, and missed runs
Section titled “Sleep, logout, and missed runs”The computer must be awake and your user logged in. Runstead does not wake a sleeping computer. A powered-off, sleeping, or logged-out machine cannot run work at the scheduled time.
Missed-run behavior depends on the workflow and project catch-up settings. Check the catch-up period and missed-run policy in workflow defaults, then verify the behavior with your own schedule. Do not assume every missed run will be replayed after the computer wakes.
Task requirements
Section titled “Task requirements”A command runs with the permissions of the user running Runstead. Docker tasks need a running Docker daemon. AI tasks need their configured tool or provider. Remote tasks need a reachable server and accepted SSH host key. Test those prerequisites before scheduling unattended work.