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# Scheduled workflows

Declare a `schedule` field on a workflow and Mastra will fire it on the cron you specify. The same workflow remains callable directly with `workflow.start()`, scheduled fires and manual runs share a single execution path.

## Quickstart

The following workflow runs every day at 9am New York time. Register it on `Mastra` as you would any other workflow, the scheduler picks it up automatically.

```typescript
import { createWorkflow, createStep } from '@mastra/core/workflows'
import { z } from 'zod'

const sendReport = createStep({
  id: 'send-report',
  inputSchema: z.object({ userId: z.string() }),
  outputSchema: z.object({ ok: z.boolean() }),
  execute: async ({ inputData }) => {
    // ...send the report for inputData.userId
    return { ok: true }
  },
})

export const dailyReport = createWorkflow({
  id: 'daily-report',
  inputSchema: z.object({ userId: z.string() }),
  outputSchema: z.object({ ok: z.boolean() }),
  schedule: {
    cron: '0 9 * * *',
    timezone: 'America/New_York',
    inputData: { userId: 'system' },
  },
})
  .then(sendReport)
  .commit()
```

A separate "register schedule" call won't happen. The scheduler reads `schedule` straight off the workflow when `Mastra` boots.

## Execution engine

Declaring `schedule` doesn't change how the workflow runs. Scheduled fires run in-process on the host that runs the scheduler, the same way `workflow.start()` or an HTTP-triggered run does. A workflow that declares `schedule` needs no extra storage or worker setup to run directly.

Split-worker deployments are the exception. When the [`MASTRA_WORKERS`](https://mastra.ai/reference/workers/overview) environment variable is set to any value, including `false`, `createWorkflow` builds scheduled workflows on the **evented execution engine** so that every process in the deployment runs them the same way. Scheduled fires then run on the [orchestration worker](https://mastra.ai/docs/deployment/workers), and Mastra logs a warning to the console when the workflow is created. The public API (`workflow.start()`, `workflow.startAsync()`, `resume()`) doesn't change.

Evented runs require a storage adapter that applies concurrent updates atomically, such as `@mastra/libsql` or `@mastra/pg`. With any other adapter, `createRun()` throws an error that lists the supported adapters.

Only the environment variable triggers the switch, because `createWorkflow` runs before `Mastra` reads its `workers` option. If you split workers with the `workers` option instead, import `createWorkflow` from `@mastra/core/workflows/evented` for your scheduled workflows.

## Single schedule

Pass an object to `schedule` for a workflow that fires on one cadence:

```typescript
const dailyReport = createWorkflow({
  id: 'daily-report',
  schedule: {
    cron: '0 9 * * *',
    timezone: 'America/New_York',
    inputData: { userId: 'system' },
  },
  // ...
})
```

Fields:

- `cron` (required): a 5-, 6-, or 7-part cron expression. Validated at workflow construction time.
- `timezone` (optional): IANA timezone, for example `America/New_York`. Defaults to the host's local timezone. Set this explicitly in production so fire times don't depend on server locale.
- `inputData` (optional): payload passed as the workflow's input on every fire.
- `initialState` (optional): initial state for the run.
- `requestContext` (optional): request context attached to the run.
- `metadata` (optional): arbitrary metadata persisted alongside the schedule row.

## Multiple schedules

Pass an array to fire the same workflow on multiple cadences. Each entry needs a unique stable `id`:

```typescript
const statusCheck = createWorkflow({
  id: 'status-check',
  schedule: [
    { id: 'morning', cron: '0 9 * * *', inputData: { window: 'morning' } },
    { id: 'evening', cron: '0 18 * * *', inputData: { window: 'evening' } },
  ],
  // ...
})
```

Each entry creates an independent schedule row and fires on its own cron, plus shows up separately in the Studio Schedules view.

## Viewing schedules in Studio

Studio surfaces schedules as a top-level area, not as a tab inside a workflow:

- **All schedules**: open `/workflows/schedules` for a cross-workflow list. Each row shows the workflow id, cron, next fire, and the most recent run's status. The list answers "is anything broken?" at a glance.
- **Filtered by workflow**: append `?workflowId=<id>` to scope the list to a single workflow, for example `/workflows/schedules?workflowId=daily-report`.
- **Schedule detail**: Select any row to open `/workflows/schedules/:scheduleId`. The page shows schedule metadata and **Pause** / **Resume** controls, followed by the full trigger history.

A workflow's header includes a **Schedules** action when the workflow has at least one schedule:

- When one schedule matches, the action links straight to its detail page.
- Multiple schedules: the action links to the workflow-filtered list at `/workflows/schedules?workflowId=<id>`.
- No schedules: the action is hidden.

### Trigger history

Every fire records a trigger row with the run id, scheduled time, actual fire time, and publish status. The schedule detail page joins each trigger to the corresponding workflow run and shows:

- The run's status (`running`, `success`, `failed`, `suspended`, `canceled`) as a badge.
- The run's start time and duration.
- A link to the run's full graph view at `/workflows/:workflowId/graph/:runId`.
- A `pending` badge for triggers whose run record hasn't been written yet, due to a race between trigger publish and run snapshot.
- A `publish failed` badge with the publish error when the scheduler couldn't enqueue the run at all.

Triggers in a non-terminal state cause the panel to poll every five seconds until they reach a terminal state. The list paginates, so long-running schedules don't load thousands of rows up front.

## Pausing a schedule at runtime

When a scheduled workflow misfires in production, you don't have to redeploy or hand-edit the database. Pause it from the SDK:

```typescript
import { MastraClient } from '@mastra/client-js'

const client = new MastraClient({ baseUrl: 'http://localhost:4111' })

// Schedule ids are derived from the workflow id: `wf_<workflowId>` for a
// single declarative schedule, or `wf_<workflowId>__<scheduleId>` when you
// declare multiple schedules per workflow as an array.
await client.pauseSchedule('wf_daily-report')
// ...investigate, ship a fix, then:
await client.resumeSchedule('wf_daily-report')
```

In Studio, open the schedule detail page and select **Pause** or **Resume** in the header.

A few rules to know:

- Pause is durable. The status is written to the schedules table and survives process restarts and redeploys. The declarative-config upsert never overwrites a user-set status, even when you change `cron`, `timezone`, or other fields.
- Resume recomputes `nextFireAt` from now. A schedule paused for a week doesn't fire seven backlogged runs the moment you resume it. It fires on the next regular cron tick.
- Unpause with `resumeSchedule` or the **Resume** button in Studio. Editing the workflow's `schedule` config doesn't unpause a paused row.
- Pause and resume are idempotent. Calling pause on an already-paused schedule is a no-op.
- This operational override controls existing schedules. Author declarative schedules in code. Declarative schedules are created, deleted, and edited in code via the `schedule` field on `createWorkflow`. To create schedules imperatively at runtime instead, use the unified [`mastra.schedules`](https://mastra.ai/docs/harness/schedules) service with a `workflowId`.

The underlying HTTP routes are `POST /api/schedules/:scheduleId/pause` and `POST /api/schedules/:scheduleId/resume`. Both require the `schedules:write` permission.

## Redeploying with changes

When you change the `schedule` config and redeploy, Mastra diffs the existing schedule row against the new config:

- If `cron` or `timezone` changed, `nextFireAt` is recomputed. A cadence with no future occurrence completes the schedule. A recomputed cadence that can still fire reactivates a completed schedule.
- If only `inputData`, `initialState`, or `metadata` changed, the row is patched in place and the next fire time is preserved.
- User-set status (for example, paused via `client.pauseSchedule`) and fire history are never overwritten, unless the cadence change above requires a status update.

Removing a schedule entry from a workflow's `schedule` array deletes its row on the next boot.

## Deployment topology

The built-in scheduler uses a `setInterval` tick loop to poll the schedules table and claim due rows. It dispatches workflow runs through the in-process pubsub. It assumes a long-lived host process.

### Long-lived host (recommended)

Deploy targets such as Fly Machines, Railway, Render, AWS ECS, GKE, or your own server keep the Mastra process alive between cron ticks. The server generated by `mastra build` starts the scheduler automatically, so schedules work without extra setup.

If you run Mastra with a [server adapter](https://mastra.ai/docs/server/server-adapters), call `mastra.startWorkers()` after your server starts listening. Adapters don't start the scheduler, and schedules never fire without this call. See [Start background workers](https://mastra.ai/docs/server/server-adapters).

For production deployments, you can run the scheduler as a [dedicated worker process](https://mastra.ai/docs/deployment/workers) to isolate it from the API layer.

### Serverless platforms

Functions-as-a-service platforms such as Vercel, Netlify, AWS Lambda, and Cloudflare Workers shut the process down after each request, so the tick loop doesn't get a second tick and schedules declared in code don't fire with the built-in scheduler today. Direct runs still work: calling `run.start()` from an HTTP route runs a workflow that declares `schedule` in-process, like any other workflow.

For cron fires on these platforms, use [`@mastra/inngest`](#inngest-workflows) instead. Inngest is serverless-native and holds the cron state for you.

## Inngest workflows

The `schedule` field documented on this page drives Mastra's built-in scheduler. If you use `@mastra/inngest`, scheduled workflows are configured through Inngest's own `cron` field on `createFunction` and fire on Inngest's scheduler instead.

Practical implications:

- Inngest schedules don't appear in Studio's `/workflows/schedules` view.
- The workflow header **Schedules** action doesn't show for Inngest workflows.
- `client.pauseSchedule` and `client.resumeSchedule` don't control Inngest schedules.

Manage Inngest schedules from the [Inngest dashboard](https://www.inngest.com/docs/guides/scheduled-functions). Use Mastra schedules when you want Mastra to own scheduling end to end.

## Related

- [Workflow overview](https://mastra.ai/docs/workflows/overview)
- [Suspend and resume](https://mastra.ai/docs/workflows/suspend-and-resume)
- [Workers](https://mastra.ai/docs/deployment/workers): The [scheduler worker](https://mastra.ai/docs/deployment/workers) runs cron schedules in a dedicated process
- [Agent schedules](https://mastra.ai/docs/harness/schedules): Run an agent rather than a workflow on a cron schedule, and manage both schedule types at runtime through `mastra.schedules`.