schedule_task
Schedule a task to run at a specific time or on a recurring basis.
This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-os/schedule-task.md
What schedule_task does on CoWork OS
AI agents invoke schedule_task to trigger actions in CoWork OS. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why schedule_task is rated High
Scheduling a task to run implies future automated execution of operations, which could include scripts, automations, or system actions. The blast radius is high because a misconfigured or malicious schedule could repeatedly trigger harmful operations autonomously. This falls under Execute as it triggers external operations whose effects depend on the arguments provided.
From the tool's definition 'Schedule a task to run' — triggers execution of arbitrary tasks at specified times or on a recurring basis
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs schedule_task safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and CoWork OS, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For schedule_task, this is the rule to start with:
schedule_task stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect CoWork OS, apply this rule, and every schedule_task call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about schedule_task
Schedule a task to run at a specific time or on a recurring basis. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the CoWork OS MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for schedule_task: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches CoWork OS. Nothing to install.
schedule_task is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the schedule_task rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for schedule_task. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
schedule_task is provided by the CoWork OS MCP server (CoWork-OS/CoWork-OS). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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