feat(cron): enhance one-shot job behavior and CLI options

- Default one-shot jobs to delete after success, improving job management.
- Introduced `--keep-after-run` CLI option to allow users to retain one-shot jobs post-execution.
- Updated documentation to clarify default behaviors and new options for one-shot jobs.
- Adjusted cron job creation logic to ensure consistent handling of delete options.
- Enhanced tests to validate new behaviors and ensure reliability.

This update streamlines the handling of one-shot jobs, providing users with more control over job persistence and execution outcomes.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Web UI: add Agents dashboard for managing agent files, tools, skills, models, channels, and cron jobs.
 - Cron: add announce delivery mode for isolated jobs (CLI + Control UI) and delivery mode config.
 - Cron: default isolated jobs to announce delivery; accept ISO 8601 `schedule.at` in tool inputs.
+- Cron: delete one-shot jobs after success by default; add `--keep-after-run` for CLI.
 - Memory: implement the opt-in QMD backend for workspace memory. (#3160) Thanks @vignesh07.
 - Security: add healthcheck skill and bootstrap audit guidance. (#7641) Thanks @Takhoffman.
 - Config: allow setting a default subagent thinking level via `agents.defaults.subagents.thinking` (and per-agent `agents.list[].subagents.thinking`). (#7372) Thanks @tyler6204.

docs/automation/cron-jobs.md

@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ Think of a cron job as: **when** to run + **what** to do.
    - Main session → `payload.kind = "systemEvent"`
    - Isolated session → `payload.kind = "agentTurn"`
 
-Optional: `deleteAfterRun: true` removes successful one-shot jobs from the store.
+Optional: one-shot jobs (`schedule.kind = "at"`) delete after success by default. Set
+`deleteAfterRun: false` to keep them (they will disable after success).
 
 ## Concepts
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ A cron job is a stored record with:
 
 Jobs are identified by a stable `jobId` (used by CLI/Gateway APIs).
 In agent tool calls, `jobId` is canonical; legacy `id` is accepted for compatibility.
-Jobs can optionally auto-delete after a successful one-shot run via `deleteAfterRun: true`.
+One-shot jobs auto-delete after success by default; set `deleteAfterRun: false` to keep them.
 
 ### Schedules
 
@@ -289,7 +290,8 @@ Notes:
 - `schedule.at` accepts ISO 8601 (timezone optional; treated as UTC when omitted).
 - `atMs` and `everyMs` are epoch milliseconds.
 - `sessionTarget` must be `"main"` or `"isolated"` and must match `payload.kind`.
-- Optional fields: `agentId`, `description`, `enabled`, `deleteAfterRun`, `delivery`, `isolation`.
+- Optional fields: `agentId`, `description`, `enabled`, `deleteAfterRun` (defaults to true for `at`),
+  `delivery`, `isolation`.
 - `wakeMode` defaults to `"next-heartbeat"` when omitted.
 
 ### cron.update params

docs/cli/cron.md

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Note: isolated `cron add` jobs default to `--announce` delivery. Use `--deliver`
 or `--no-deliver` to keep output internal. To opt into the legacy main-summary path, pass
 `--post-prefix` (or other `--post-*` options) without delivery flags.
 
+Note: one-shot (`--at`) jobs delete after success by default. Use `--keep-after-run` to keep them.
+
 ## Common edits
 
 Update delivery settings without changing the message:

src/agents/tools/cron-tool.ts

@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ LEGACY DELIVERY (payload, only when delivery is omitted):
 CRITICAL CONSTRAINTS:
 - sessionTarget="main" REQUIRES payload.kind="systemEvent"
 - sessionTarget="isolated" REQUIRES payload.kind="agentTurn"
+Default: prefer isolated agentTurn jobs unless the user explicitly wants a main-session system event.
 
 WAKE MODES (for wake action):
 - "next-heartbeat" (default): Wake on next heartbeat

src/cli/cron-cli.test.ts

@@ -95,6 +95,67 @@ describe("cron cli", () => {
     expect(params?.delivery?.mode).toBe("announce");
   });
 
+  it("infers sessionTarget from payload when --session is omitted", async () => {
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockClear();
+
+    const { registerCronCli } = await import("./cron-cli.js");
+    const program = new Command();
+    program.exitOverride();
+    registerCronCli(program);
+
+    await program.parseAsync(
+      ["cron", "add", "--name", "Main reminder", "--cron", "* * * * *", "--system-event", "hi"],
+      { from: "user" },
+    );
+
+    let addCall = callGatewayFromCli.mock.calls.find((call) => call[0] === "cron.add");
+    let params = addCall?.[2] as { sessionTarget?: string; payload?: { kind?: string } };
+    expect(params?.sessionTarget).toBe("main");
+    expect(params?.payload?.kind).toBe("systemEvent");
+
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockClear();
+
+    await program.parseAsync(
+      ["cron", "add", "--name", "Isolated task", "--cron", "* * * * *", "--message", "hello"],
+      { from: "user" },
+    );
+
+    addCall = callGatewayFromCli.mock.calls.find((call) => call[0] === "cron.add");
+    params = addCall?.[2] as { sessionTarget?: string; payload?: { kind?: string } };
+    expect(params?.sessionTarget).toBe("isolated");
+    expect(params?.payload?.kind).toBe("agentTurn");
+  });
+
+  it("supports --keep-after-run on cron add", async () => {
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockClear();
+
+    const { registerCronCli } = await import("./cron-cli.js");
+    const program = new Command();
+    program.exitOverride();
+    registerCronCli(program);
+
+    await program.parseAsync(
+      [
+        "cron",
+        "add",
+        "--name",
+        "Keep me",
+        "--at",
+        "20m",
+        "--session",
+        "main",
+        "--system-event",
+        "hello",
+        "--keep-after-run",
+      ],
+      { from: "user" },
+    );
+
+    const addCall = callGatewayFromCli.mock.calls.find((call) => call[0] === "cron.add");
+    const params = addCall?.[2] as { deleteAfterRun?: boolean };
+    expect(params?.deleteAfterRun).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("sends agent id on cron add", async () => {
     callGatewayFromCli.mockClear();
 

src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts

@@ -68,8 +68,9 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
       .option("--description <text>", "Optional description")
       .option("--disabled", "Create job disabled", false)
       .option("--delete-after-run", "Delete one-shot job after it succeeds", false)
+      .option("--keep-after-run", "Keep one-shot job after it succeeds", false)
       .option("--agent <id>", "Agent id for this job")
-      .option("--session <target>", "Session target (main|isolated)", "main")
+      .option("--session <target>", "Session target (main|isolated)")
       .option("--wake <mode>", "Wake mode (now|next-heartbeat)", "next-heartbeat")
       .option("--at <when>", "Run once at time (ISO) or +duration (e.g. 20m)")
       .option("--every <duration>", "Run every duration (e.g. 10m, 1h)")
@@ -131,12 +132,6 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
             };
           })();
 
-          const sessionTargetRaw = typeof opts.session === "string" ? opts.session : "main";
-          const sessionTarget = sessionTargetRaw.trim() || "main";
-          if (sessionTarget !== "main" && sessionTarget !== "isolated") {
-            throw new Error("--session must be main or isolated");
-          }
-
           const wakeModeRaw = typeof opts.wake === "string" ? opts.wake : "next-heartbeat";
           const wakeMode = wakeModeRaw.trim() || "next-heartbeat";
           if (wakeMode !== "now" && wakeMode !== "next-heartbeat") {
@@ -181,6 +176,23 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
             };
           })();
 
+          const optionSource =
+            typeof cmd?.getOptionValueSource === "function"
+              ? (name: string) => cmd.getOptionValueSource(name)
+              : () => undefined;
+          const sessionSource = optionSource("session");
+          const sessionTargetRaw = typeof opts.session === "string" ? opts.session.trim() : "";
+          const inferredSessionTarget = payload.kind === "agentTurn" ? "isolated" : "main";
+          const sessionTarget =
+            sessionSource === "cli" ? sessionTargetRaw || "" : inferredSessionTarget;
+          if (sessionTarget !== "main" && sessionTarget !== "isolated") {
+            throw new Error("--session must be main or isolated");
+          }
+
+          if (opts.deleteAfterRun && opts.keepAfterRun) {
+            throw new Error("Choose --delete-after-run or --keep-after-run, not both");
+          }
+
           if (sessionTarget === "main" && payload.kind !== "systemEvent") {
             throw new Error("Main jobs require --system-event (systemEvent).");
           }
@@ -194,10 +206,6 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
             throw new Error("--announce/--deliver/--no-deliver require --session isolated.");
           }
 
-          const optionSource =
-            typeof cmd?.getOptionValueSource === "function"
-              ? (name: string) => cmd.getOptionValueSource(name)
-              : () => undefined;
           const hasLegacyPostConfig =
             optionSource("postPrefix") === "cli" ||
             optionSource("postMode") === "cli" ||
@@ -262,7 +270,7 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
             name,
             description,
             enabled: !opts.disabled,
-            deleteAfterRun: Boolean(opts.deleteAfterRun),
+            deleteAfterRun: opts.deleteAfterRun ? true : opts.keepAfterRun ? false : undefined,
             agentId,
             schedule,
             sessionTarget,

src/cron/normalize.test.ts

@@ -111,6 +111,22 @@ describe("normalizeCronJobCreate", () => {
     expect(schedule.atMs).toBe(Date.parse("2026-01-12T18:00:00Z"));
   });
 
+  it("defaults deleteAfterRun for one-shot schedules", () => {
+    const normalized = normalizeCronJobCreate({
+      name: "default delete",
+      enabled: true,
+      schedule: { at: "2026-01-12T18:00:00Z" },
+      sessionTarget: "main",
+      wakeMode: "next-heartbeat",
+      payload: {
+        kind: "systemEvent",
+        text: "hi",
+      },
+    }) as unknown as Record<string, unknown>;
+
+    expect(normalized.deleteAfterRun).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("normalizes delivery mode and channel", () => {
     const normalized = normalizeCronJobCreate({
       name: "delivery",

src/cron/normalize.ts

@@ -172,6 +172,14 @@ export function normalizeCronJobInput(
         next.sessionTarget = "isolated";
       }
     }
+    if (
+      "schedule" in next &&
+      isRecord(next.schedule) &&
+      next.schedule.kind === "at" &&
+      !("deleteAfterRun" in next)
+    ) {
+      next.deleteAfterRun = true;
+    }
     const hasDelivery = "delivery" in next && next.delivery !== undefined;
     const payload = isRecord(next.payload) ? next.payload : null;
     const payloadKind = payload && typeof payload.kind === "string" ? payload.kind : "";

src/cron/service.runs-one-shot-main-job-disables-it.test.ts

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe("CronService", () => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
   });
 
-  it("runs a one-shot main job and disables it after success", async () => {
+  it("runs a one-shot main job and disables it after success when requested", async () => {
     const store = await makeStorePath();
     const enqueueSystemEvent = vi.fn();
     const requestHeartbeatNow = vi.fn();
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ describe("CronService", () => {
     const job = await cron.add({
       name: "one-shot hello",
       enabled: true,
+      deleteAfterRun: false,
       schedule: { kind: "at", atMs },
       sessionTarget: "main",
       wakeMode: "now",
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ describe("CronService", () => {
     await store.cleanup();
   });
 
-  it("runs a one-shot job and deletes it after success when requested", async () => {
+  it("runs a one-shot job and deletes it after success by default", async () => {
     const store = await makeStorePath();
     const enqueueSystemEvent = vi.fn();
     const requestHeartbeatNow = vi.fn();
@@ -98,7 +99,6 @@ describe("CronService", () => {
     const job = await cron.add({
       name: "one-shot delete",
       enabled: true,
-      deleteAfterRun: true,
       schedule: { kind: "at", atMs },
       sessionTarget: "main",
       wakeMode: "now",

src/cron/service/jobs.ts

@@ -97,13 +97,19 @@ export function nextWakeAtMs(state: CronServiceState) {
 export function createJob(state: CronServiceState, input: CronJobCreate): CronJob {
   const now = state.deps.nowMs();
   const id = crypto.randomUUID();
+  const deleteAfterRun =
+    typeof input.deleteAfterRun === "boolean"
+      ? input.deleteAfterRun
+      : input.schedule.kind === "at"
+        ? true
+        : undefined;
   const job: CronJob = {
     id,
     agentId: normalizeOptionalAgentId(input.agentId),
     name: normalizeRequiredName(input.name),
     description: normalizeOptionalText(input.description),
     enabled: input.enabled,
-    deleteAfterRun: input.deleteAfterRun,
+    deleteAfterRun,
     createdAtMs: now,
     updatedAtMs: now,
     schedule: input.schedule,

ui/src/ui/app-defaults.ts

@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ export const DEFAULT_CRON_FORM: CronFormState = {
   everyUnit: "minutes",
   cronExpr: "0 7 * * *",
   cronTz: "",
-  sessionTarget: "main",
+  sessionTarget: "isolated",
   wakeMode: "next-heartbeat",
-  payloadKind: "systemEvent",
+  payloadKind: "agentTurn",
   payloadText: "",
   deliveryMode: "announce",
   deliveryChannel: "last",