Task functions run on schedules or delays, not in response to user requests. They’re perfect for background work like sending emails, generating reports, data cleanup, and workflow automation.

When to Use

  • Daily/weekly reports and analytics
  • Scheduled email campaigns and notifications
  • Data cleanup and maintenance tasks
  • Background data processing and syncing

What They Do

  • Run on fixed schedules (cron-like)
  • Execute delayed tasks after events
  • Process queued work items
  • Maintain system health and data integrity

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How Task Functions Work

  1. Schedule triggers at specified intervals (cron expressions or rate limits)
  2. Task function executes without user interaction
  3. Background work runs (emails, reports, cleanup, data processing)
  4. Task completes and returns execution summary

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Task Function Examples

Send emails to users who left items in their cart:Schedule Trigger:
Cron Expression
cron(*/30 * * * *) - Every 30 minutes

[
  {
    "id": "cart_123",
    "userId": "user_456",
    "items": [
      {"productId": "prod_789", "quantity": 1, "price": 199.99}
    ],
    "total": 199.99,
    "lastUpdated": "2024-01-12T08:15:30Z"
  }
]

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Best Practices

Keep Tasks Idempotent

Design tasks to handle being run multiple times safely. Check for existing work before processing.

Process in Batches

For large datasets, process items in small batches to avoid timeouts and memory issues.

Monitor and Alert

Set up monitoring for task failures and send notifications when critical tasks fail.

Handle Failures Gracefully

Implement retry logic with exponential backoff. Store failed items for manual review.

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Next Steps

Best Practices

Task patterns, error handling, and scheduling tips

Request Functions

Learn to handle user requests and API calls

Response Functions

Customize responses with analytics and enhancements
Pro Tip: Task functions can trigger Request functions to process data, and Response functions can enhance the results. They work great together! Check out our Best Practices guide for implementation patterns.