# Cron Hygiene

> Validate, audit, and maintain scheduled agent automation without unsafe direct state edits.

- Skill: `levineam/cron-hygiene` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add levineam/cron-hygiene`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/levineam/cron-hygiene/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: levineam (https://skillmd.com/u/levineam)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/levineam/cron-hygiene

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# Cron Hygiene

Use this skill before creating, editing, or diagnosing scheduled automation.

## Contract

The workflow is complete only when:

- new schedules are checked for duplicates, congestion, boundaries, and runtime
  cost before creation
- cron state is changed through the runtime's cron API or CLI, never by directly
  patching scheduler storage
- changed jobs are force-run or smoke-tested when possible
- run history and expected side effects are checked before success is claimed
- failures become explicit blockers or follow-up issues with an owner/action

## Pre-creation gate

Before adding a job:

1. **Duplicate check.** Does a similar job already exist?
2. **Frequency check.** Is the cadence proportional to the value of the job?
3. **Boundary check.** Avoid obvious contention slots such as exact hour or
   quarter-hour boundaries unless timing is essential.
4. **Congestion check.** Avoid creating several heavyweight jobs in the same
   small time window.
5. **Runtime cost check.** Use the cheapest model/tool surface that can do the
   job reliably.
6. **Target check.** Confirm referenced scripts or commands exist in the live
   runtime workspace.
7. **Smoke check plan.** Define how the first run and side effect will be proven.

## Diagnosis checklist

When a job fails or stalls:

- inspect recent run history before editing the schedule
- distinguish scheduler failure from script failure
- look for repeated timeouts near the configured timeout limit
- check whether the job depends on a moved file, missing environment variable,
  unavailable CLI, or stale working directory
- prefer a narrow fix plus one force-run over broad schedule churn

## Success proof

A cron job is not done because it exists. It is done when:

- the active definition points at live code
- one real run has completed or the runtime has accepted a scheduled next run
- the expected side effect appeared
- the verification result is recorded in the tracker or runbook