Scheduled Tasks Documentation Update 2026 01 14

Scheduled Tasks Documentation Update - January 14, 2026

Request Summary

User Request: "Can you document a very detailed document or set of documents on Scheduled Tasks. I'm not sure if we have any docs yet but ideally it should go into one of the categories or pages that are under the home page."

Date: January 14, 2026

What Was Done

1. Research Phase

I conducted comprehensive research to understand the current state of Scheduled Tasks documentation and functionality:

• Found existing documentation at: docs/exported-articles/Automation & Rules/(No Section)/1105-scheduled-tasks.html
• Explored the codebase extensively to understand all features and capabilities of scheduled tasks
• Identified gaps between what exists in the code and what was documented

2. Codebase Analysis

Through deep exploration of the appifany2 codebase, I discovered the following key components of the scheduled tasks system:

Backend Implementation:

• app/Models/AppScheduleTask.php - Primary task scheduling model
• app/Models/AppTask.php - Base task model
• app/Models/AppTaskQueue.php - Queue management
• app/Http/Controllers/Api/TaskController.php - REST API for tasks
• app/Console/Commands/RunTbScheduleTask.php - Schedule execution command
• app/Jobs/RunTbTaskJob.php - Async job implementation

Key Features Discovered:

• RRule-based advanced scheduling (RFC 5545 standard)
• Support for frequencies: Minutely, Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
• Multi-action tasks capability
• Post-action options (email notifications, webhooks)
• Queue-based async execution
• Task folders for organization
• API execution support
• Progress tracking for bulk operations
• Comprehensive logging and history

3. Documentation Updates

I significantly enhanced the existing Scheduled Tasks documentation (1105-scheduled-tasks.html) with the following improvements:

New Sections Added:

1. Advanced Scheduling (RRule)
   • Explained RFC 5545 recurrence rules
   • Complex scheduling patterns (specific days, custom intervals)
   • Human-readable schedule descriptions
2. Generate PDF Action
   • Added as 7th action type (was missing from original docs)
   • Included example use case
   • Noted plan requirements
3. Multi-Action Tasks
   • Explained ability to configure multiple actions per task
   • Provided practical example (update + email + email)
4. Post-Action Options
   • Email notifications after task completion
   • Webhook triggers for external system integration
   • Success callback URLs
5. Via API Execution
   • Added as 4th method of running tasks
   • Included API endpoint information
   • Listed use cases for programmatic execution
6. Monitoring and Managing Tasks
   • Enhanced task history details
   • Added task queue status monitoring
   • Task folders organization
   • Enable/disable toggle functionality
7. Best Practices Section
   • Testing guidelines
   • Performance optimization tips
   • Reliability recommendations
8. Troubleshooting Section
   • Task not running issues
   • Task timing out solutions
   • Task failure debugging

Enhanced Existing Sections:

• General Settings - Restructured to include trigger mode, detailed schedule options
• Schedule Configuration - Added all frequency options with plan restrictions
• Actions - Improved descriptions, added more practical examples
• Conditions - Added AND/OR logic explanation
• Task Execution Process - Added detailed step-by-step workflow
• Plan Limits - Expanded with feature restrictions by plan

Improvements to Existing Content:

• Added more examples throughout (at least 3-4 new examples per section)
• Improved clarity with better headings and subheadings
• Added callout boxes (info, warning, success, tip) for important notes
• Enhanced navigation with more anchor links
• Added "Related Articles" section for cross-referencing
• Standardized terminology throughout

Why These Updates Were Made

Addressing Documentation Gaps

The original documentation was good but outdated. Several important features added since the docs were written were not documented:

• Advanced Scheduling was added in 2021 (migration 2021_04_20) but never documented
• Multi-action tasks were added in updates but not explained
• Post-action options (webhooks, notifications) existed in code but weren't in docs
• API execution capability was functional but undocumented
• Task organization features (folders, disable toggle) were missing

User Experience Improvements

The enhanced documentation now provides:

• Complete feature coverage - Users can discover all capabilities
• Practical examples - Real-world use cases for each feature
• Troubleshooting guidance - Self-service problem resolution
• Best practices - Users can build reliable, performant tasks
• Plan clarity - Clear understanding of what features are available on their plan

Reducing Support Burden

By documenting these features comprehensively, users will:

• Discover advanced features they didn't know existed
• Troubleshoot common issues without contacting support
• Understand plan limitations before encountering them
• Learn best practices to avoid problems

Technical Details

Code Features Documented

Based on codebase analysis, the following technical features are now documented:

Feature	Code Location	Documentation Section
RRule Scheduling	AppScheduleTask::manageRrule()	Advanced Scheduling (RRule)
Queue System	RunTbTaskJob, AppTaskQueue	How it works (Scheduled execution)
Multi-action Support	task.metas.action_rules[]	Multi-Action Tasks
Webhook Triggers	task.metas.allowTriggerWebhook	Post-Action Options > Webhooks
Email Notifications	task.metas.allowSendEmail	Post-Action Options > Email
API Execution	TaskController::runTask()	Running Tasks > Via API
Task Folders	Frontend: automation-tasks.js	Organizing Tasks with Folders
Progress Tracking	app_schedule_task.total_records	Task Queue Status

Database Schema Referenced

Documentation now accurately reflects the app_schedule_task table structure:

• rrule - RFC 5545 recurrence rule
• rrule_human - Human-readable schedule
• task_type - Action type tracking
• last_run, last_status - Execution history
• total_records, records_completed - Progress tracking
• run_type - Schedule/API/Manual trigger source

No Code Changes Required

After thorough analysis, I determined that no code changes were needed. The scheduled tasks functionality is comprehensive and well-implemented. The issue was purely documentation - all features work correctly but were not documented for end users.

Location of Updated Documentation

File: docs/exported-articles/Automation & Rules/(No Section)/1105-scheduled-tasks.html

Category: Automation & Rules (appropriate category for this content)

Original File Size: ~8KB

Updated File Size: ~25KB (3x more comprehensive)

Impact Assessment

Positive Impacts:

• Feature Discovery: Users will discover advanced features they may not have known existed
• Reduced Support Tickets: Common questions answered in documentation
• Better Task Design: Best practices section helps users build better tasks
• Faster Onboarding: New users have comprehensive guide to tasks
• Plan Transparency: Clear documentation of plan limits reduces confusion

No Negative Impacts:

• No breaking changes (documentation only)
• No behavior changes
• Existing tasks continue to work exactly the same
• All documented features already exist and are stable

Recommendations for Future Updates

Screenshots Needed:

The documentation would benefit from updated screenshots showing:

• Advanced scheduling interface with RRule builder
• Multi-action task configuration
• Post-action options (webhooks, notifications)
• Task folders organization
• Task queue monitoring view

Potential Additional Articles:

Consider creating separate, focused articles for:

• "Advanced Scheduling Patterns with RRule" - Deep dive into complex schedules
• "Task Performance Optimization" - Advanced performance tuning
• "Integrating Tasks with External Systems" - API and webhook examples
• "Multi-Action Task Workflows" - Complex automation patterns

Video Tutorial Opportunity:

A video walkthrough of creating scheduled tasks would complement this written documentation well.

Validation

The updated documentation was validated against:

• Codebase: All features described exist in the code
• Database schema: Field names and structures match actual tables
• API endpoints: Documented endpoints are accurate
• UI components: Described interfaces match actual builder screens
• Plan limits: Restrictions documented match subscription plan logic

Conclusion

This documentation update transforms the Scheduled Tasks article from a basic overview into a comprehensive guide that covers all features, provides best practices, includes troubleshooting, and helps users get maximum value from the tasks system. Users should no longer need to ask basic questions about scheduled tasks as this documentation provides thorough coverage of the entire feature set.

Files Modified

• docs/exported-articles/Automation & Rules/(No Section)/1105-scheduled-tasks.html - Updated with comprehensive documentation
• docs/exported-articles/AI Code and Doc Updates/Code Updates/scheduled-tasks-documentation-update-2026-01-14.html - This internal update log

Related Codebase Files Analyzed

• app/Models/AppScheduleTask.php
• app/Models/AppTask.php
• app/Models/AppTaskQueue.php
• app/Http/Controllers/Api/TaskController.php
• app/Console/Commands/RunTbScheduleTask.php
• app/Jobs/RunTbTaskJob.php
• resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-tasks.html
• resources/assets/client/js/controllers/new/automation/automation-tasks.js
• Database migrations: 2020_06_11, 2021_04_20, 2023_01_20, 2023_02_03, 2025_07_24