Agent Tasks
Queue, prioritize, and track tasks executed by AI agents
Agent Tasks are the unit of work in the Autopilot system. Each task represents a specific goal for an AI agent to accomplish — from researching a competitor to drafting a follow-up email.
How Tasks Are Created
Tasks enter the queue from multiple sources:
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| Autopilot planning | Each cycle plans 3-5 tasks based on workspace context |
| Pre-planning | After each cycle, the agent proposes tasks for the next run |
| Conversational | Chat with Autopilot in its DM channel: "Go research competitor X" |
| Multi-agent delegation | One agent assigns a task to another via assignAgentTask |
| Manual | Create tasks directly from the Agents page |
Task Properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Short description of what needs to be done |
| Instructions | Detailed goal text the agent will execute |
| Priority | Low, Medium, High, or Urgent |
| Status | Pending, Queued, Running, Completed, Failed, or Cancelled |
| Agent | Which AI agent will execute the task |
Task Execution
Tasks are processed by the Agent Task Executor Job, which runs every 15 seconds:
- Claims up to 3 pending tasks atomically (using
FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKEDto prevent duplicates) - Executes each task through the Agent Runner with streaming reasoning
- Updates task status and persists results
- Posts completion summary to the agent's DM channel in Team Chat
- Extracts memories from task outcomes for future context
Deduplication
Autopilot avoids repeating work through multiple mechanisms:
- Planning context includes the last 3 cycles with task-level details
- Explicit "DO NOT REPEAT" rules in the planning prompt
- Episode memory search — the agent checks what it's already done
- Pre-planned tasks accumulate and are never auto-cancelled
Conversational Task Management
Chat with Autopilot in its DM channel to manage the task queue:
- "What are you working on?" — See the current task queue
- "Add a task to research competitor X" — Queue a new task
- "Cancel the email outreach task" — Cancel a pending task
- "Focus more on outbound leads" — Save as guidance for future planning
- "Run now" — Trigger an immediate cycle
Viewing Tasks
- Autopilot page — Shows the task stream with status, results, and pre-planned next tasks
- Agent detail page — Tasks assigned to a specific agent
- My Autopilot — Personal autopilot tasks for your user
Cost Controls
Task execution respects plan-based limits:
- Free/Starter plans: 8 max steps per task
- Pro+ plans: 12 max steps per task
- Model routing: simple tasks use Haiku (cheaper), complex tasks use Sonnet
- Token budgets are tracked per cycle