claude-code-routine-trigger

Scheduled GitHub Actions workflow that fires a Claude Code routine via the /fire API. Ships with a 5×-daily default cron and exposes a workflow_dispatch button for on-demand runs. Fire URL and per-routine token live in repo secrets.

Why: GitHub cron is the cheapest way to run a Claude Code routine unattended on a schedule — no servers, no extra scheduler, no billable infra.

Default schedule (UTC+7, Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh):

Local time	UTC cron
00:00	`0 17 * * *`
05:00	`0 22 * * *`
10:00	`0 3 * * *`
15:00	`0 8 * * *`
20:00	`0 13 * * *`

Manual workflow_dispatch is supported with an optional text input for ad-hoc runs. Customize the cron list to match your own cadence — see below.

Customize the schedule

GitHub Actions requires the cron list to be literal in the workflow file — it cannot be read from secrets, repo variables, or inputs. To change when the routine fires, edit .github/workflows/trigger-routine.yml and update the on.schedule block:

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 17 * * *' # 00:00 UTC+7
    # add / remove / edit these lines as needed

Tips:

Cron runs in UTC. Convert your local time: UTC = local − offset (e.g. 09:00 UTC+7 → 02:00 UTC → 0 2 * * *).
Validate expressions at https://crontab.guru/.
Schedules only activate on the default branch after the file is pushed.
GitHub scheduled runs can lag 5–15 min under load; don't pack crons tightly.

Setup

Create a routine at https://claude.ai/code/routines (requires a Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise plan with Claude Code on the web enabled).
In the routine editor, add an API trigger and generate a token. Copy both the fire URL and the token — the token is shown once.
Add two repository secrets (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions):
- ROUTINE_FIRE_URL — e.g. https://api.anthropic.com/v1/claude_code/routines/trig_01ABo4hmfydBLFDgRMnKwEKy/fire
- ROUTINE_FIRE_TOKEN — e.g. sk-ant-oat01-...
Enable Actions for the repo. Scheduled runs start on the next matching UTC tick.

Manual run

Actions → Trigger Claude Code Routine → Run workflow. Leave text blank to get a timestamped default, or pass custom context (alert body, log line, etc.).

Request shape

curl -X POST "$ROUTINE_FIRE_URL" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ROUTINE_FIRE_TOKEN" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -H "anthropic-beta: experimental-cc-routine-2026-04-01" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Scheduled trigger ..."}'

Beta header pinned to experimental-cc-routine-2026-04-01. Two previous dated beta versions keep working while migrating — bump when Anthropic ships a new one.

Notes

GitHub cron runs can lag 5–15 min under load and are best-effort — acceptable for housekeeping-style routines, not for precise timing.
Token is scoped to a single routine; a leak can only fire that one routine.
Each POST creates a new session (no idempotency). Avoid retry loops that would multiply sessions.
429 responses include Retry-After; the workflow fails loud rather than retrying silently.

Use cases

Anything a Claude Code routine already does, on a clock:

Daily repo triage (stale issues, dependabot PRs, unreviewed drafts).
Morning / evening digests written to a file in the routine's attached repo.
Scheduled codebase audits (unused exports, TODO sweep, lint drift).
Periodic doc freshness checks.

For event-driven triggers (CI failure, webhook, alert) call /fire from the producing system directly — a cron scheduler isn't the right shape.

License

Apache-2.0 — see LICENSE.

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