Cards vs scheduled tasks: what starts an agent?
Short answer
A card records work. An interactive session opens an agent you can work with. A scheduled task requests an explicit future or recurring run. Saving a card or adding planning dates does not itself authorize execution.

Use a card to define the outcome
Keep the objective, dependencies, scope and completion criteria in a card. You can create and edit that record before deciding whether an agent should run. Card state helps communicate whether the work is ready, blocked, awaiting review or waiting for a decision.
Use Start agent for an interactive session
A card offers Start agent with a project folder and a choice of agent. Read context and propose next steps prepares an assessment session: Codex uses a read-only sandbox and Claude uses plan mode. The alternative lets you write the first message. Review restrictions persist in that session; implementation needs an explicit appropriate work session.
Use Tasks for explicit scheduling
Scheduled tasks record a prompt, target and timing. Review and Work have different eligibility. Review can inspect cards without an edit scope, including completed cards. Work requires a nonempty scope and refuses closed, blocked, held or decision-waiting cards. Authority, protection readiness and capacity checks still apply when a task is due.
Know what a run status actually says
Keep Desk running for its scheduler to execute. A started event means a terminal opened; a process exit is not verified completion. Missed work is recorded rather than silently replayed late. Interrupted or unknown runs need review before a deliberate retry. Scheduling history and managed harness history answer different questions.
If Schedule is disabled
Read the displayed draft and readiness state. Planning dates do not enable execution, and a disabled schedule draft is not a running task. Review the configured card, mode and authority instead of assuming a button press overrides those conditions. The final owner Launch/disabled Schedule walkthrough remains pending.
Related questions
- Can I schedule a review of a DONE card?
- Review-mode task logic supports reviewing closed cards without granting an edit scope. Work-mode eligibility is different and still checked.
- Will a scheduled task run after I close Desk?
- Desk scheduling requires Desk to be running. It is not a background operating-system scheduler.
- Does a terminal exit prove the task is complete?
- No. It records the process outcome. Check the work and its verification evidence before accepting it.