---
title: Quickstart | 0ct
description: Create your first scheduled AI task in minutes
---

# Quickstart

This guide will walk you through creating your first scheduled AI task with 0ct. By the end, you’ll have an automated workflow running on your chosen schedule.

## Prerequisites

- A 0ct account ([sign up free](https://0ct.com/signup))
- An API key (for SDK usage)

## Option 1: Using the Dashboard

The fastest way to get started is through the 0ct dashboard.

### Step 1: Create a Task

1. Navigate to **Tasks** in the sidebar
2. Click **New Task**
3. Give your task a name (e.g., “Daily News Summary”)

### Step 2: Write Your Prompt

Describe what you want the AI to do:

```
Summarize the top 5 technology news stories from today.
For each story, provide:
- A one-sentence summary
- Why it matters
- Potential impact on the AI industry
```

### Step 3: Select a Model

Choose from available AI models. Models are ranked by:

- **Intelligence**: General capability score
- **Tool Calling**: Ability to use connected sources
- **Search**: Web search capabilities

For most tasks, we recommend models with strong tool calling scores.

### Step 4: Set Your Schedule

Choose when your task should run:

| Schedule | Example                      |
| -------- | ---------------------------- |
| Hourly   | Every 2 hours                |
| Daily    | Every day at 9:00 AM         |
| Weekly   | Every Monday at 8:00 AM      |
| One-time | February 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM |

### Step 5: Add a Destination

Select where results should go:

- **Email**: Enter recipient addresses
- **SMS**: Add phone numbers
- **Webhook**: Provide endpoint URL

### Step 6: Activate

Toggle your task to **Active** and it will run at the next scheduled time!

---

## Option 2: Using the SDK

For programmatic control, use the 0ct TypeScript SDK.

### Install the SDK

Terminal window

```
npm install 0ct
```

### Initialize the Client

```
import Oct from '0ct';


const client = new Oct({
  apiKey: process.env.OCT_API_KEY
});
```

### Create a Task

```
const task = await client.promptly.tasks.create({
  name: 'Daily News Summary',
  prompt: `Summarize the top 5 technology news stories from today.
For each story, provide:
- A one-sentence summary
- Why it matters
- Potential impact on the AI industry`,
  modelId: 'openai/gpt-4o',
  frequency: 'daily',
  scheduledTime: '09:00',
  isActive: true
});


console.log('Task created:', task.id);
```

### Add a Destination

```
// Create an email destination
const destination = await client.promptly.destinations.create({
  name: 'My Email',
  type: 'email',
  config: {
    recipients: ['me@example.com'],
    subject: 'Daily News Summary'
  }
});


// Attach to task
await client.promptly.tasks.update(task.id, {
  destinations: [destination.id]
});
```

### Trigger a Manual Run

Don’t want to wait for the schedule? Trigger a run immediately:

```
const run = await client.promptly.tasks.run(task.id);


console.log('Run started:', run.id);
console.log('Status:', run.status);
```

### Check Run Results

```
const runs = await client.promptly.runs.list({
  taskId: task.id,
  limit: 5
});


for (const run of runs.data) {
  console.log(`${run.id}: ${run.status}`);
  if (run.output) {
    console.log(run.output);
  }
}
```

---

## Next Steps

Now that you have a task running, explore more features:

- [Connect Sources](/guides/sources/index.md) - Give your tasks access to real-time data
- [Create Skills](/guides/skills/index.md) - Build reusable instruction sets
- [Configure Destinations](/guides/destinations/index.md) - Set up delivery channels
- [API Reference](/api/index.md) - Full SDK documentation