The ladder of solutions: from a reusable request to an agent

This lesson is still being tested: it improves with learners' feedback. If something is unclear, it is the lesson that needs fixing, not you.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

place a task on the ladder of solutions, from the simplest to the most powerful;
choose the lowest rung that is enough;
tell a local scheduled task from a cloud task;
note your choice, and its reason, on your task sheet.

Why it matters to you

For the same task, there are several ways to automate it, from copy-pasting a request to an agent that runs on its own at night. The higher you go, the more powerful it is, and the more there is to install, monitor and pay for. Choosing the right rung avoids building a factory for a five-minute task.

Before you start


You need	Your task sheet (lesson 1); Claude Code for the rungs that need it
Cost	The agent subscription above the first rung: Claude Pro at minimum, €18 per month excl. VAT, price shown in France on 24/10/2026. Cloud tasks are reserved for paid plans
Duration	35 minutes
Reminder	The higher a solution is on the ladder, the more you need to know how to stop it (lesson 6)

Understand it in 3 minutes

The ladder of solutions, from the simplest to the most powerful:

Rung	What it is	Who starts it	Example
1. Reusable request	A template from your library (module 2)	You, by copying	“Do the weekly update from…”
2. Skill	The same request, stored in Claude Code (module 7)	You, with `/name`, or Claude when it recognizes the situation	`/point-semaine`
3. Local scheduled task	A session that starts on its own, on your computer (module 7, lesson 4)	The app, at the planned time	Every Monday at 9 a.m.
4. Connector	Access to another service: email, calendar, documents (module 7, lesson 3)	Claude, when your request needs it	Reading your calendar for the week
5. Cloud task	A session that runs on Anthropic’s servers, even with the computer off	The cloud, at the planned time	A daily summary, computer off

What the documentation says (24/10/2026) about the two kinds of scheduled tasks:

	Local (in the app)	Cloud
Where it runs	On your computer	On Anthropic’s servers
Computer off	Does not run	Runs
Your local files	Yes	No: it starts from a fresh copy of a GitHub repository (a project folder hosted online)
Mode at start	The one you choose for the task	Auto, by default
Plans	Agent subscription	Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, in preview

The documentation also says that, in the cloud, all your connectors are included by default, and that Claude can use them during a run, writes included: remove the ones the task doesn’t need.

The rule: the lowest rung that is enough. A weekly task that you start yourself doesn’t need the cloud.

Do it together

1Step 1: Place the example

The example task: “every Monday, prepare a weekly update from my journal”.

Rung 1: enough if you remember to run it.
Rung 2: more comfortable, a /point-semaine skill.
Rung 3: if you want it to start on its own, with the computer on.
Rungs 4 and 5: not needed, the task only reads your journal, on your computer.

Choice: rung 2, then rung 3 once the skill has proved itself.

2Step 2: Place your task

Take your task sheet again, and answer:

Do you need it to start on its own? If not, rungs 1 or 2.
Does it need another service (email, calendar)? If not, no connector.
Does it need to run with the computer off? If not, no cloud.

Note the rung you chose, and why, in part 3 of the sheet.

3Step 3: Move up a rung only when the previous one works

Start with the rung you chose, use it two or three times, and only then move up if a real gap appears.

Your turn

Place your task on the ladder, with the reason for your choice.
If it is rung 1 or 2, set it up now (a request in your library, or a skill as in module 7).
Use it at least twice before considering the next rung.

Check your work

It worked if:

your sheet states a rung, and the reason for the choice;
you can say why the higher rungs are not needed, or why they are;
the chosen solution has been used at least twice.

Common mistakes:

starting with the cloud “because it’s more convenient”;
giving a task all its connectors by default;
moving up a rung without having used the previous one;
forgetting that each rung has a cost: usage, monitoring, risks.

Keep it and pick it up later

Your task sheet now states the chosen rung: in lesson 5, you schedule it if needed.

Going further

optional

The official documentation, in English: code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-scheduled-tasks (local tasks) and code.claude.com/docs/en/routines (cloud tasks, still in preview).

New words

3 words explained

Word	What it means
Ladder of solutions	The ways to automate a task, from the simplest to the most powerful
Cloud task	A Claude Code session that runs on Anthropic’s servers, even with the computer off
Preview	A feature still being tested by the publisher: it may change