Run a check before a scheduled prompt
A check keeps a frequent scheduled job quiet until something actually changed, and it saves the model turn when nothing did.
What a check does
Chetty runs the command before the job's prompt and looks at the result:
- if the command fails or prints nothing, the job is skipped without a model turn;
- if it prints output, that output travels with the prompt.
The command is the cheap filter. The prompt should still say what to do with what the command found.
Add a check
- Open Settings → Automation and create or edit a recurring job.
- In the job's settings, add the command as its check.
- Keep the command itself quiet: print something only when there is news.
- Choose Run now and read History to confirm that a run with no output was skipped and a run with output reached the model.
A check that reports the same thing every time makes every run do a model turn, which is the cost you wanted to avoid.
check: "new-emails --since-last-run"Permissions and limits
A check runs with the job's own execution permissions, so use only commands you trust. Keep the output short, because it becomes part of the prompt.
A check on the host needs an instance job or a personal job whose owner is an administrator, and that is checked before every run. A check inside a managed Project runs in that Project instead, and a managed-Project schedule must be personal.
The default time limit for a check is 60 seconds and an administrator can change it.
Tip: If a job keeps skipping, test the command in the same place the job runs it. A command that works in your terminal may fail in the job's environment.