AI agents that run on a schedule, without you
Proofsource lets you put any AI visibility agent on a schedule, such as every Monday at 9:00, so it reads your latest answers from up to 10 AI engines, from ChatGPT and Perplexity to Gemini, Copilot and Grok, and does its job without you. One timeline shows every upcoming run for today, tomorrow, later this week and the next 30 days. Run now starts any agent straight away.
| When | Agent | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Citation refresh | 14:00 |
| Tomorrow | Competitor watch | 07:00 |
| Later this week |  Reddit thread watch | Thu 10:00 |
| Next 30 days | Weekly lost-question fixer | Every Monday 09:00 |
| Next 30 days | Monthly list finder report | Dec 1, 08:00 |
Scheduled AI agent runs, in short
The facts, ready to quote.
- Schedule format
- Any repeating time, set as a five-field schedule in UTC, such as every Monday at 9:00.
- Timeline
- Upcoming runs grouped as today, tomorrow, later this week and the next 30 days.
- Run now
- Start any agent by hand, at most once an hour per agent.
- Ready first
- Scheduling unlocks after three clean runs, because one good run can be luck.
- If a run fails
- It shows as failed with a trace of the step that stopped, and daily agents are retried the same day.
- Approvals
- A scheduled run still waits for your Yes before it publishes or sends anything.
What is a scheduled AI agent run?
A scheduled run is an agent that starts by itself at a set time instead of waiting for someone to press a button. For AI search, schedules matter because answers change all the time: a competitor publishes a page, a list gets updated, an engine changes the sources it trusts. A weekly or daily agent catches those changes while they are still fresh.
In Proofsource, each agent has a schedule card on its page. Set when it should run, save, and the agent appears on the schedules timeline. When the time comes, the schedule starts the run of the agent's published version, the run appears in its history with a full trace, and any step that publishes or sends waits for your Yes as usual.
Before an agent can run on its own, it needs three clean runs. That small gate stops a broken agent from repeating a mistake every Monday. Run now stays available for testing and for the times you need a result sooner.
How it works
Put any agent on a schedule, see every upcoming run on one timeline, and run it now when you need it sooner.
Get three clean runs
Run the agent by hand until it has three clean runs in a row.
Set the schedule
Open the schedule card on the agent's page and set when it should run.
See it on the timeline
Every upcoming run appears under today, tomorrow, later this week or the next 30 days.
It runs on time
The schedule starts a run of the agent's published version and records it in the run history.
You step in only when needed
Runs that need your OK wait on you; the rest finish on their own.
See it in the product
Screens from the Proofsource app, drawn with sample data for an example brand.
A 5-field cron expression, in UTC. Leave it empty to clear the schedule.
Every capability, live today
3 shipped capabilities behind scheduled AI agent runs, each in the product now.
Schedule card and scheduled trigger
Set or change when an agent runs, right on the agent's page. When a schedule you created comes due, it starts a run of that agent.
Schedules timeline
Upcoming scheduled runs grouped as today, tomorrow, later this week and the next 30 days.
Run now
Start a run by hand at any time, at most once an hour per agent.
Who it is for
A Monday report that writes itself
Schedule the lost-question agent for Monday morning so the week starts with the questions that slipped and a draft for each.
Daily competitor watch
Run Competitor watch every morning and read what changed before stand-up.
Spread client work across the week
Give each client's agents a different time and see the whole week on one timeline.
Run it now before a launch
Use Run now to get a fresh result before a launch instead of waiting for the schedule.
Why it matters
Work happens without you
Agents run at the set time and only ask for you when something needs your OK.
One view of the week
The timeline shows every upcoming run across all agents.
No runaway agents
Three clean runs before scheduling and an hourly limit on Run now.
Every run on record
Each scheduled run has a full trace in the agent's history.
Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Mode
Scheduled AI agent runs: Proofsource and other tools
Scheduling is common in AI visibility tools, though it often applies to reports rather than agents. Here is what each lists on its own pages.
| Capability | Proofsource | Profound | SE Ranking | Scrunch | Semrush |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agents that start on a trigger or schedule | YesAny published agent can run on a schedule you set. | YesBuild and run agents in plain language with triggers and tool accessSource | RelatedZapier, Make and n8n automation for recurring checks and reportsSource | Not listed | Not listed |
| Scheduled report delivery | YesCovered by scheduled reports; agents can also send a weekly result. | Not listed | YesScheduled automatic sending of white label reportsSource | YesScheduled reportsSource | YesSchedule recurring report deliverySource |
| Timeline of upcoming runs across agents | YesToday, tomorrow, later this week, next 30 days. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Run an agent on demand | YesRun now starts a run by hand, at most once an hour per agent | RelatedRun Profound Agents programmatically from external toolsSource | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Where each of them shines
Agents with triggers and tool access, plus an API to run them from external tools. Compare in full
Flexible automation through Zapier, Make and n8n, and scheduled white label reports.
Scheduled reports and alerts on changes in rank, citations and bot behavior. Compare in full
Recurring report delivery and a drag-and-drop report builder across a full SEO platform. Compare in full
Questions about scheduled AI agent runs
How do I schedule an AI agent in Proofsource?
Open the agent, set the schedule on its schedule card and save. The agent then appears on the Your schedules timeline and runs at that time.
What time zone do schedules use?
Schedules are set in UTC. The card shows what the schedule means in plain words so you can check it before saving.
Why can't I schedule a new agent straight away?
Scheduling unlocks after three clean runs. One good run can be luck; three in a row means the agent is ready to run on its own.
How often can I press Run now?
At most once an hour per agent. Scheduled runs are separate and follow the schedule.
Will a scheduled agent publish without me?
No. A scheduled run still pauses on any step that publishes or sends something and waits for your Yes.
What happens if a scheduled run fails?
It shows as failed on the Agents page with a trace of the step that stopped, and Proofsource retries daily agents the same day.
Which engines do scheduled agents read?
The answers Proofsource collects from up to 10 AI engines, from ChatGPT and Perplexity to Gemini, Copilot and Grok. Every engine your plan covers is read.
Do agents and routines use the same schedules?
Agents use a schedule you set on their card. Routines are simpler and run daily, weekly or monthly or when something changes.
Keep exploring
Try it on your own brand.
Proofsource is live: scan your brand and see scheduled AI agent runs at work with your own answers, competitors and sources.
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