Schedule an HTTP job

Prerequisites

1. Connect Crontap MCP at

   https://mcp.crontap.com/mcp

   . MCP access works on every Crontap tier.
2. Configure

   $CRONTAP_CLIENT_ID

   and

   $CRONTAP_API_KEY

   for the raw API. Raw API access requires Ultra.

• Confirm the absolute HTTP or HTTPS endpoint, method, cadence, and IANA timezone.
• Ask whether the endpoint needs headers, a JSON body, or an idempotency key.
• Keep credentials out of URLs and logs. Refer to values from a secure store.

Workflow

1. Preview plain-English cadence and resolve every clarification.
2. Show the resolved cron, timezone, and next runs to the user.
3. Create the schedule with exactly one of

   text

   or

   cron

   .
4. For changes, identify the existing schedule and send only changed fields.
5. After execution, inspect retained history and verify the endpoint outcome.

MCP examples

{
  "tool": "preview_schedule",
  "arguments": {
    "text": "every weekday at 09:15",
    "timezone": "Europe/Copenhagen"
  }
}

{
  "tool": "create_schedule",
  "arguments": {
    "url": "https://app.example.com/api/daily-report",
    "text": "every weekday at 09:15",
    "timezone": "Europe/Copenhagen",
    "method": "POST",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer <secret-from-secure-store>",
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    "body": {
      "source": "crontap"
    },
    "label": "Daily report"
  }
}

{
  "tool": "update_schedule",
  "arguments": {
    "scheduleId": "<schedule-id>",
    "cron": "30 9 * * 1-5",
    "timezone": "Europe/Copenhagen"
  }
}

headers

{
  "tool": "get_schedule_history",
  "arguments": {
    "scheduleId": "<schedule-id>",
    "limit": 20
  }
}

cursor

REST fallback

interval

verb

data

curl --fail-with-body https://api.crontap.com/v1/schedule \
  -X POST \
  -H "ClientId: $CRONTAP_CLIENT_ID" \
  -H "ApiKey: $CRONTAP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "url": "https://app.example.com/api/daily-report",
    "interval": "30 9 * * 1-5",
    "timezone": "Europe/Copenhagen",
    "verb": "POST",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer <secret-from-secure-store>",
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
    },
    "data": {"source": "crontap"},
    "label": "Daily report"
  }'

Verification

• Confirm the saved URL, method, cron, timezone, and next runs.
• Verify the endpoint handles the selected method and returns a success status.
• Inspect history after the first run for status, duration, timeout, and retry evidence.

Safety and plan limits

• Preview local-time schedules before creating them, especially around DST.
• Do not overwrite headers or integrations during an unrelated partial update.
• Make write endpoints idempotent when retries or overlapping calls are possible.
• If a plan cap or cadence floor blocks creation, explain the structured four-option upgrade ladder and its smallest viable option.

Troubleshooting

• A clarification response is not a failure. Ask the returned question, then preview again.
• A 401 or 403 from the target usually means an expired or malformed endpoint credential.
• A timeout means Crontap did not receive a response in time. Check endpoint runtime and downstream calls before increasing retries.
• A 404 from MCP means the schedule ID is stale. List schedules before retrying.

References

• Crontap Agent Skills catalogue
• Cron job monitoring
• Cron troubleshooting
• Cron syntax reference
• Live REST API reference