Routines overview
A routine is work Proto does for you on a schedule or when something changes. It reports back in the same conversation.
Types of routine
| Type | What it does | Example request |
|---|---|---|
| Reminder | Sends you a nudge, once or on repeat | “Remind me tomorrow at 10 to approve the payment run.” |
| Watch | Checks a web page and tells you when something changes | “Tell me when this page says back in stock.” |
| Watch with an action | Checks a page, then does something when it changes | “When September invoices appear on the carrier portal, download them.” |
| Recurring task | Does real work for you on a schedule | “Every weekday at 9:00, summarize open work orders.” |
| Scheduled workflow | Runs an ERP•AI workflow on a schedule and reports the result | “Run the receiving workflow every 30 minutes.” |
What you’ll see when a routine runs
At the scheduled time, Proto posts a short update in the same conversation. It leads with what changed and shows the details. If something it needs is missing, it tells you exactly what.
Schedule options
- Once, after a delay: “in 20 minutes”
- Once, at a time: “tomorrow at 10:00”
- Repeating: “every 30 minutes,” “every weekday at 8:30,” “every Monday and Wednesday at 9:00”
Note: Proto only creates a routine when you ask for something recurring, delayed or conditional. Everyday requests are done right away.