Grok Bot: first scheduled routine (2026)

If you finished grok-bot-primer-teammate, you already have a Bot whose handoffs deliver a stable format. This tutorial is your first scheduled routine: a prompt that runs on its own in the Grok Bot app even when you are away — via cron or event listeners. Grok Bot means xAI/Cursor teammates plus Agent Computer (cloud VM); it is not Grok web chat. Official onboarding: https://cursor.com/bot/onboarding. Do not copy a routine from another Bot or schedule at 3 a.m. «because it is quiet».

1. Steps 1

   Pick a job that already repeats the same way

   Open the Grok Bot app (not Grok web chat) and identify which handoff you ran twice with the same outcome: internal PDF summary, read-only inbox triage, metrics snapshot in a dashboard. A routine does not fix an unstable flow — it only automates what is already predictable. If you have two Bots, pick the profile whose job matches that work; do not schedule on the other job's Bot.

   What you should see: A note with the Bot name, deliverable (e.g. «five bullets») and dates of two successful manual runs.

2. Steps 2

   Write routine intent (goal, not recipe)

   In that Bot's routine editor, describe the goal like you would to a teammate: which sources to check, output format, what not to touch (production, sends, deletes) and where to stop («leave a draft and wait for my OK»). Avoid pasting a rigid tool sequence («open Chrome, click X, click Y») — Agent Computer picks steps when the goal is clear. Add quality bars: «if there is no new data, reply «no changes» in three lines».

   What you should see: An 8–15 line intent block with goal, format, limits and stop point. No click list copied from a single run.

3. Steps 3

   Schedule weekday daytime hours (Europe/Madrid)

   Pick cron or recurrence on a weekday at a time you usually review results — for example Tuesday and Thursday at 09:30, thinking in Europe/Madrid (UTC+1 winter, UTC+2 summer). Avoid 02:00–05:00: nobody reviews, failures pile up and the Bot may leave the VM in a odd state until your next session. If the app shows timezone, confirm it; if you travel, adjust before the next fire. For the first test, add a one-off run in the next 30–60 minutes in addition to the weekly cron.

   What you should see: Calendar or picker with Mon–Fri, time around 09:00–11:00, Europe/Madrid zone (or explicit equivalent) and a nearby test fire.

4. Steps 4

   Save the routine on the correct Bot

   Before saving, confirm the sidebar profile is the job you automate — not the second teammate or an empty test Bot. Name the routine for the work («Monday-CRM-brief»), not «Routine 1». Check notifications: email or push if your plan offers them, so you know it fired while you were away. Save and confirm it appears only in that Bot's routine list.

   What you should see: The new routine under the chosen Bot, active state, next run with readable date/time. Other Bots without a duplicate copy.

5. Steps 5

   Let it fire once (no micromanaging)

   Close the app or move on — the point is an autonomous run. Do not open Agent Computer unless the routine needs a login you already prepared in a prior run; if new credentials are required, reschedule after a manual handoff where you log in. When the time hits, the Bot starts on the cloud VM. If you added a test fire, wait for that window before trusting the weekly cron.

   What you should see: Notification or run history entry with start time, correct Bot and status «running» or «completed».

6. Steps 6

   Verify the deliverable like a PR

   Open the run result: chat, attachment or summary in the app. Check format (bullet count, tone), no sends or production changes, and dates/figures match the source. If the Bot left a draft for approval, do not send until you read it. Agent Computer may keep tabs open — close them if the next run is another job or Bot.

   What you should see: Deliverable aligned with your two manual runs. Explicit «waiting for OK» if you asked for it in intent.

7. Steps 7

   Fix typical mistakes and tune

   If it did not fire: check timezone, paused routine and eligible plan. If the wrong job ran: delete the copy on the other Bot and rewrite intent on the correct profile. If it ran at night unchecked: move cron to business hours. If you tried to «schedule Grok» on the web: Grok web chat has no routines or Agent Computer — return to https://cursor.com/bot/onboarding. Tune intent (tighter limits, «no changes») and schedule another test fire before trusting the weekly cron.

   What you should see: A short list of applied fixes (time, Bot, intent text) and a second test run scheduled or completed successfully.