Background Tasks
Background tasks are scheduled AI operations that run automatically on a recurring basis. Set up a task once, and CommandLane handles the rest — results appear in the Banner feed when complete.
Creating a Task
Ask the AI Agent to create a background task through conversation:
Set up a daily task to summarize my open items every morning at 9am
Create a recurring task to check the status of my Acme project every 6 hours
The agent will configure the task with a schedule and prompt.
Schedule Types
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Interval | Every N hours/minutes | "every 6 hours" |
| Cron | Standard cron expression | 0 9 * * * (daily at 9am) |
Autonomy Levels
Each task has an autonomy level that controls how much the agent can do on its own:
| Level | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Auto-approve | Agent runs the task and executes all actions without asking |
| Require approval | Agent runs the task but pauses for your approval before sensitive actions |
| Notify only | Agent runs the task and reports results without taking any actions |
Managing Tasks
Open Dashboard > Background Tasks to see all your configured tasks.
From the dashboard you can:
- View all tasks with their status, schedule, and last run time
- Enable or disable individual tasks
- Run manually to trigger a task immediately
- Delete tasks you no longer need
- View run history with results, errors, and tool call counts
Viewing Results
When a background task completes, its results appear as a card in the Banner feed. Click the card to see the full details or open the session.
If a task requires your approval for a sensitive action, an approval card appears in the Banner. You can approve, dismiss, or open the session for more context.
Examples
| Task | Schedule | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Daily digest | Every morning at 9am | Summarizes your open tasks and upcoming deadlines |
| Project status check | Every 6 hours | Reviews entries related to a specific project and flags anything needing attention |
| Weekly review | Every Monday at 8am | Compiles a summary of the past week's captures and completed tasks |
| Recurring reminder | Every 2 hours | Checks if you have overdue tasks and nudges you |