Key features
Routines
Recurring cron-based prompts that define the daily and weekly
rhythm. Fire on schedule indefinitely.
Reminders
One-shot nudges that fire after a delay, then self-remove.
Support follow-up chains via the agent.
Background forks
Disposable sessions for routines and reminders. Text output
is discarded — the agent pings or reports findings.
Ping budget
Rate-limited ping budget that prevents background forks
from over-pinging.
Forward schedule
Each background task sees upcoming tasks, budget status, and
refill timing before deciding whether to ping.
Chain reminders
Multi-step follow-ups where the agent schedules the next check.
Chains end when the agent stops calling follow_up_chain.
Routines and reminders are markdown files with YAML frontmatter, stored
in
~/.ollim-bot/routines/ and ~/.ollim-bot/reminders/. The agent
can create, edit, and remove these files directly — no CLI required.
Changes are picked up within seconds, no restart needed.Foreground vs background
Routines and reminders can run in two modes:- Foreground
- Background
The default for routines when
background is not set or false.
For reminders, foreground requires foreground: true via the add_reminder tool or background: false in the YAML file.
The bot sends you a DM with the agent’s response, just like a normal
conversation.Foreground tasks pause interactive conversation while running.
Use these for tasks that need your immediate attention or
require back-and-forth.Routines vs reminders
| Routines | Reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Cron expression (0 9 * * 1-5) | Specific date/time |
| Recurrence | Fires indefinitely | Fires once, self-removes |
| Chaining | No | max-chain enables follow-ups |
| Storage | routines/<slug>.md | reminders/<slug>.md |
| Created by | Agent or ollim-bot routine | Agent via add_reminder MCP tool |
| Background | Optional (background: true) | Default (background: true) |
Find what you need
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Set up a recurring check-in or daily review | Routines |
| Set a one-shot nudge or follow-up chain | Reminders |
| Understand how background tasks run silently | Background forks |
| Control how often background tasks can ping me | Ping budget |
| See annotated examples from a real setup | Real-world examples |
Next steps
Routines
Cron syntax, YAML frontmatter fields, and routine examples.
Reminders
One-shot reminders, delay scheduling, and follow-up chains.
Background forks
Isolated mode, model overrides, tool restrictions, and update
modes.
Ping budget
Refill-on-read bucket, capacity, refill rate, and critical
bypass.
Real-world examples
Annotated routines and reminders from an actual data directory,
with patterns for pipelines, chains, and behavioral design.