# ChatGPT scheduled tasks in November 2026, and when AyeWatch fits better

> OpenAI's tasks run a prompt on a timer. AyeWatch watches topics, pages and public accounts and sends a short summary when something you care about changes.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/chatgpt-scheduled-tasks-vs-ayewatch  
Published: 2026-11-04T06:26:46.477Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Guides  
Topics: ChatGPT, Scheduled tasks, AI alerts  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- As of November 2026, ChatGPT scheduled tasks live on a Scheduled page in the sidebar, and Free accounts can keep three active tasks that run at most once a day.
- Timed tasks repeat at most hourly on eligible paid plans, and a run can use your plan's allowance even when it posts nothing.
- AyeWatch is built for monitoring topics, web pages and public social accounts, with a free preview and paid plans from $9 a month.

ChatGPT scheduled tasks let ChatGPT run a prompt for you later, once or on repeat, and send the result as a push notification or an email. They suit reminders and briefings; if what you want is to hear when a web page, a public social account or a fast-moving topic changes, AyeWatch is the better pick, because monitoring is the only thing it does.

## Where the feature stands in November 2026

OpenAI still offers it, now under the name scheduled tasks. A June 2026 update moved every task onto a page called Scheduled in the ChatGPT sidebar, where you can see what is active, when each one runs next, and pause, edit or delete it. The same release said Pulse is being sunset as proactive updates move into scheduled tasks. In August 2026 Free accounts got tasks too. The details below come from OpenAI's help article on [scheduled tasks in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt).

## How to set one up

1. In any chat, say what you want and when: "Every weekday at 8am, give me three headlines about battery recycling." You can also type the task straight into the Scheduled page.
2. ChatGPT replies with a confirmation that names the task and its schedule.
3. Open Settings, then Notifications, and choose Push, Email or both. For alerts on your phone, create the task in the ChatGPT mobile app and allow notifications when asked.
4. Come back to Scheduled whenever you want to change the wording, the time or the end date.

Free accounts can keep three tasks active, each running once or at most daily inside a loose window such as morning or night. Paid plans raise the cap, and eligible ones allow hourly runs at exact times.

## ChatGPT scheduled tasks and AyeWatch side by side

| | ChatGPT scheduled tasks | AyeWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Built for | Prompts on a timer: reminders, briefings, recurring work | Watching topics, web pages and public social accounts |
| What you give it | A prompt and a schedule | A topic in plain English, a URL, or an account on X, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram or TikTok |
| Pace | Daily on Free, up to hourly on eligible paid plans | Auto, or a custom interval your plan allows |
| Where alerts land | Push, email | Push and the in-app feed on every plan; email, Slack, Discord and webhooks on paid plans |
| Cost | Part of every ChatGPT plan, including Free | Free preview, then paid plans from $9 a month |

## Where tasks fall short as a monitor

A scheduled task is a prompt that runs on a clock. OpenAI's monitoring tasks do try to report only relevant updates and can use earlier runs, which helps. The limits still show up quickly once you lean on them for alerts:

- Every plan caps how many tasks can be active at once, so a long watch list hits the ceiling.
- Hourly is the fastest a timed task repeats.
- A run can use your plan's allowance even when it has nothing to say.
- Inactive tasks may pause on their own, and tasks do not work in GPTs, voice chats or locked chats.

## Why AyeWatch is the pick for watching the web

[AyeWatch](https://ayewatch.ai) starts from the thing you care about rather than from a prompt. Describe a company, product or question with the conditions that matter, paste the URL of a pricing page or careers site, or choose a public profile to follow. It reads changes for meaning rather than matching keywords, and each update opens with a short summary and links to its sources. A dated daily digest gathers the rest.

Auto mode speeds checks up while a topic is busy and slows them when it goes quiet, so you do not have to manage a schedule for each monitor. It runs on the web, iOS and Android, and paid plans include a REST API. Billing is in monitoring credits, with [plans starting at $9 a month](https://ayewatch.ai/pricing) after the free preview.

## When ChatGPT tasks is still the better choice

Keep a scheduled task for a birthday reminder, a morning brief built from your interests and past chats, or a job in Work that reacts to a new Gmail message or pull request. Plenty of people run both: ChatGPT for the prompts, AyeWatch for the alerts.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are ChatGPT scheduled tasks free?

Yes. Since August 2026, Free accounts can keep three active scheduled tasks. Each runs once or at most daily, in a flexible window such as morning, afternoon or night.

### Did ChatGPT remove scheduled tasks?

No. As of November 2026 they sit on the Scheduled page in the ChatGPT sidebar. Pulse is the feature OpenAI is sunsetting, with its proactive updates moving into scheduled tasks.

### What is the best alternative to ChatGPT scheduled tasks for alerts?

AyeWatch. It is made for watching topics, web pages and public social accounts, and it sends a short summary with sources when a change matters to you.

## Sources

- [Scheduled tasks in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt), OpenAI
- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes), OpenAI
- [AyeWatch](https://ayewatch.ai), AyeWatch
- [AyeWatch pricing](https://ayewatch.ai/pricing), AyeWatch