Choose the simplest execution surface that fits the job.
Polystro has three different kinds of repeatable execution surfaces because not every task should be solved the same way. The main distinction is whether you need deterministic shell execution, interactive template-driven reasoning, or scheduled background recurrence.
Scripts
Scripts are plain shell commands with streamed output. Use them when the task is operational and deterministic: install dependencies, run tests, sync state, seed data, or execute a known local command.
Interactive Template Runs
Slash-command and template-driven runs are the right fit when you want an agent to inspect or generate something with workstream, branch, commit, CLI, and model context before taking action.
Scheduled Automations
Scheduled automations are for recurrence. They use the same broad idea as template-driven runs, but the defining feature is the schedule, not the interactive launch.
How To Choose
Use scripts for deterministic commands
If you already know the command and mostly care about output, start here.
Use template-driven runs for interactive agent work
If the task needs reasoning, approvals, or a richer target setup, use the interactive workflow surface.
Use scheduled automations for repeatable cadence
If the task should run at intervals or on selected days, schedule it rather than launching it manually.
Do not over-automate by default
The simplest surface that solves the task is usually the easiest one to reason about later.