# Hermes Agent scheduled job didn't run

> Separate a stopped scheduler, an unwritable store and a failed job before recreating the schedule.

Canonical: https://hermeswatcher.com/troubleshoot/scheduled-job-missed-run  
Section: Troubleshooting · Automation & scheduling  
Last reviewed: Oct 19, 2026  
Basis: Explained from the official Hermes Agent docs and repository (Nous Research). Steps follow the linked official sources.

## Inspect the scheduler first

Record the job identifier, intended timezone, expected run time and active profile. In current Hermes, hermes cron status reports scheduler health and hermes cron list shows job state. Inspect the last successful tick, overdue indicators and any scheduler-host information. An enabled row describes a stored schedule, not proof that an execution started.

If the gateway or ticker is unhealthy, restore the correct scheduler service and check again before creating another job. If status reports an unwritable cron store, address its specific disk-space, mount or ownership error. Avoid editing the job database to force a due time; that can hide the original fault and complicate duplicate prevention.

## Distinguish no attempt from a failed attempt

Look for an execution record around the expected instant. If none exists, retain the scheduler diagnostics. If an attempt exists, inspect its terminal state and error: provider access, task execution and output generation are different branches from scheduling. Use one bounded manual invocation only after understanding whether a late catch-up or another attempt is already active.

Before retrying an externally active task, inspect its destination for partial work. A missing final summary does not prove that no message, file or remote change occurred. Reconcile existing output first so recovery does not duplicate the operation. Prefer updating the existing job by identity over creating a replacement with a similar name.

## Expected result and limits

Confirm a new execution receipt, inspect the resulting artifact and verify delivery separately. Current documentation includes catch-up and store-health behavior that older builds may lack. This is a diagnostic sequence, not permission to restart an unrelated gateway or change service ownership without understanding the deployment.

## Related tools

- [Know whether an automation actually worked](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/reliable-recurring-automation.md)
- [Wake up to a useful research briefing](https://hermeswatcher.com/workflows/daily-research-briefing.md)
- [Scheduled tasks: automate a proven run](https://hermeswatcher.com/tools/scheduling.md)

## Sources

- [Scheduled Tasks](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/user-guide/features/cron)

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