A loop runs a prompt on a schedule: every hour, every weekday morning, once a week. Each run starts an agent on the repository you pick. If the work needs a change, the agent opens a pull request.
Use a loop for routine work, such as updating dependencies, tidying stale feature flags, or writing a weekly summary.
Create a loop
- Select Automations in the sidebar.
- Open the Loops tab.
- Select New loop.
- Give it a name.
- Write the Prompt. This is the whole instruction the agent gets. It has the repository checked out and can open a pull request.
- Set the Schedule.
- Pick the Repository. A loop works on one repository.
- Pick the Agent and Model.
- Select Create loop.
Schedule
| Schedule | Runs |
|---|---|
| Hourly | Every hour, at the minute you pick. |
| Daily | Once a day, at the time you pick. This is the default, at 09:00. |
| Weekdays | Monday to Friday, at the time you pick. |
| Weekly | Once a week, on the day and time you pick. |
| Custom cron | A five-field cron expression, for example 0 */4 * * *. |
Pick a Timezone for the schedule. The editor shows the next runs, so you can check it before you save. Daylight saving changes are handled for you.
If Talyn misses a run, for example during an outage, it runs the loop once when it can. It does not replay every run it missed.
If the last run is still going
Choose what happens when a run is due and the last one has not finished:
- Skip this run (the default). The skipped run shows in the history.
- Start it anyway.
Internet access
A loop's sandbox can reach your repository and its agent, and nothing else. This stops a prompt that reads untrusted text, such as a pull request description, from sending your code somewhere.
If the prompt has to call something outside, for example to post to a webhook, choose Allow the internet. Turn it on only for prompts you trust.
MCP servers
A loop's agent gets the tools of your workspace's MCP servers.
- Whatever the workspace has on (the default) gives it every server that is on, including servers you connect later.
- Choose for this loop gives it only the servers you pick, or none.
Run now, history and turning off
Select Run now to start a run straight away. Expand a loop to see its history. Each run is Waiting to start, Queued, Running, Succeeded, Failed or Skipped, with the reason when it did not run.
Turn a loop off with its switch. Talyn also turns a loop off by itself, and says why, when:
- Its repository or its agent is no longer connected.
- Its schedule has no future runs.
- Five runs in a row failed.
Deleting a loop also removes its history. It does not undo anything the loop already did.
Cost
Each run starts a Small sandbox and uses box-hours. When you are out of box-hours or every box is busy, the run shows Waiting for box-hours or credits or Waiting for a free box, and starts when there is room.