githubnext · github-actions · Jul 23, 2026
diff --git a/workshop/12-test-and-iterate.md b/workshop/12-test-and-iterate.md
@@ -95,5 +95,5 @@ If you want a stricter review loop, score each run for accuracy, completeness, a
 - [ ] I compared the new run with the previous run and decided what to change next
 
 <!-- journey: all -->
-**Next:** [What's Next? Keep Exploring](14-next-steps.md)
+**Next:** [Schedule It to Run Every Day](13-schedule-your-workflow.md)
 <!-- /journey -->
diff --git a/workshop/13-schedule-your-workflow.md b/workshop/13-schedule-your-workflow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+<!-- page-journey: all -->
+<!-- page-adventure: core -->
+# Schedule It to Run Every Day
+
+> _A workflow that runs itself is more useful than one you have to remember to trigger._
+
+## 🎯 What You'll Do
+
+Right now your workflow runs when you click **Run workflow** in the Actions tab. You'll change that so it fires automatically on a schedule — and add a manual trigger so you can still run it on demand. By the end, your workflow will wake up and report every weekday without any action from you.
+
+## 📋 Before You Start
+
+- You have iterated on your workflow in [Test and Improve Your Workflow](12-test-and-iterate.md).
+- You can edit `.github/workflows/daily-report-status.md` in a Codespace, terminal, or the GitHub web editor.
+
+## Steps
+
+### Understand how gh-aw scheduling works
+
+At the top of your workflow file you have YAML frontmatter between `---` fences. The `on:` block controls when GitHub Actions runs the workflow.
+
+`gh-aw` lets you write a human-readable schedule instead of a raw cron expression:
+
+```yaml
+on:
+  schedule: daily on weekdays
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+```
+
+When you run `gh aw compile`, the compiler translates `daily on weekdays` into a `cron:` value and writes it into your `.lock.yml` file. You never have to write cron by hand.
+
+> [!TIP]
+> Always keep `workflow_dispatch: {}` alongside `schedule:`. It lets you trigger the workflow manually from the **Actions** tab for quick tests even when no scheduled run is due.
+
+Common schedule expressions:
+
+| Expression | Runs… |
+|------------|-------|
+| `daily` | Once per day |
+| `daily on weekdays` | Monday–Friday, once per day |
+| `weekly` | Once per week |
+| `every 6 hours` | Four times per day |
+
+Need help picking one? See the [Schedule Expressions reference](side-quest-13-01-schedule-expressions.md).
+
+### Update your workflow frontmatter
+
+Open `.github/workflows/daily-report-status.md`. Find the `on:` block near the top and update it:
+
+```yaml
+on:
+  schedule: daily on weekdays
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+```
+
+If your frontmatter already has `schedule: daily`, change it to `daily on weekdays` to keep the workflow quiet on weekends.
+
+<details>
+<summary>🖥️ GitHub UI alternative</summary>
+
+1. In your repository on GitHub, navigate to `.github/workflows/daily-report-status.md`.
+2. Click the **pencil icon (✏️)** to open the web editor.
+3. Update the `on:` block as shown above.
+4. Click **Commit changes** and commit directly to your default branch.
+
+After committing via the UI, the `.lock.yml` file needs to be regenerated. Either run `gh aw compile` locally and push the updated lock file, or trigger a manual run — the Actions log will show a compilation step that regenerates it automatically if your repository has a compile step configured.
+
+</details>
+
+### Compile and push the updated workflow
+
+After saving the file, regenerate the lock file:
+
+```bash
+gh aw compile
+git add .github/workflows/daily-report-status.md .github/workflows/daily-report-status.lock.yml
+git commit -m "schedule workflow to run daily on weekdays"
+git push
+```
+
+### Verify the schedule was registered
+
+1. Go to the **Actions** tab in your repository.
+2. Select the **daily-report-status** workflow in the left sidebar.
+3. Click **Run workflow** → **Run workflow** to trigger a manual run and confirm everything still works.
+4. Return the next weekday morning — the workflow will have run overnight automatically.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> GitHub Actions schedules use **UTC**. A `daily on weekdays` schedule typically fires between 9 AM and midnight UTC, at a scattered minute chosen by the compiler to avoid load spikes. Check your compiled `.lock.yml` for the exact `cron:` value.
+
+## ✅ Checkpoint
+
+- [ ] Your workflow frontmatter has `schedule: daily on weekdays` and `workflow_dispatch: {}`
+- [ ] You ran `gh aw compile` and the `.lock.yml` was regenerated without errors
+- [ ] Both `daily-report-status.md` and `daily-report-status.lock.yml` are committed and pushed
+- [ ] A manual run from the **Actions** tab completed successfully
+- [ ] You can find the compiled `cron:` value in the `.lock.yml` file
+- [ ] You know that the schedule runs in UTC and can translate it to your local time zone
+
+<!-- journey: all -->
+**Next:** [What's Next? Keep Exploring](14-next-steps.md)
+<!-- /journey -->
diff --git a/workshop/14-next-steps.md b/workshop/14-next-steps.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Take stock of everything you've learned, then choose a direction for what to bui
 
 ## 📋 Before You Start
 
-- You have a scheduled daily-status workflow running in GitHub Actions from [Schedule It to Run Every Day](12-test-and-iterate.md).
+- You have a scheduled daily-status workflow running in GitHub Actions from [Schedule It to Run Every Day](13-schedule-your-workflow.md).
 
 ## Steps
 

diff --git a/workshop/README.md b/workshop/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ A hands-on workshop that takes you from zero to a fully automated, AI-powered wo
 | 8b | [08b-interpret-your-run.md](08b-interpret-your-run.md) | Interpret Your First Run | ✅ |
 | 9 | [09-agentic-editing.md](09-agentic-editing.md) | Refine Your Workflow with Agentic Editing | ✅ |
 | 12 | [12-test-and-iterate.md](12-test-and-iterate.md) | Test and Improve Your Workflow | ✅ |
+| 13 | [13-schedule-your-workflow.md](13-schedule-your-workflow.md) | Schedule It to Run Every Day | ✅ |
 | 14 | [14-next-steps.md](14-next-steps.md) | What's Next? Keep Exploring | ✅ |
 | 15 | [15-conditional-logic.md](15-conditional-logic.md) | Make Your Workflow Smarter with Conditional Logic | ✅ |
 | 16 | [16-connect-data-source.md](16-connect-data-source.md) | Connect a Live Data Source to Your Workflow | ✅ |
@@ -45,14 +46,14 @@ A hands-on workshop that takes you from zero to a fully automated, AI-powered wo
 - [Side Quest: Terminal Basics](side-quest-01-01-terminal-basics.md) — optional primer that branches from [Step 1](01-prerequisites.md).
 - [Side Quest: Environment Reference](side-quest-01-02-environment-reference.md) — glossary of workshop environments and tool terms with official docs links; branches from [Step 1](01-prerequisites.md).
 - [Side Quest: Install `gh-aw` Troubleshooting](side-quest-06-01-install-troubleshooting.md) — optional install troubleshooting reference that branches from [Step 6](06-install-gh-aw.md).
-- [Side Quest: Using `gh aw compile` to Catch Errors Early](side-quest-07-01-compile-workflow.md) — quick reference for `gh aw compile`, `--validate`, `--watch`, and common compile errors; branches from [Step 7](07-your-first-workflow.md), [Step 11a](07-your-first-workflow.md), or [Step 13](12-test-and-iterate.md).
+- [Side Quest: Using `gh aw compile` to Catch Errors Early](side-quest-07-01-compile-workflow.md) — quick reference for `gh aw compile`, `--validate`, `--watch`, and common compile errors; branches from [Step 7](07-your-first-workflow.md), [Step 11a](07-your-first-workflow.md), or [Step 13](13-schedule-your-workflow.md).
 - [Side Quest: Fix Codespaces `actions:write` Errors When Running `gh aw run`](side-quest-08-01-codespaces-actions-write.md) — troubleshooting guide for Codespaces workflow-trigger permission errors with a UI-first path and advanced recovery path; branches from [Step 8](08-run-your-workflow.md).
 - [Side Quest: Diagnosing Common Agent Output Patterns](side-quest-09-01-debug-output.md) — expanded troubleshooting guide for the five most common log patterns; branches from [Step 9](08b-interpret-your-run.md).
 - [Side Quest: Writing a Clear Agent Brief](side-quest-10-01-agent-brief.md) — five-step framework for designing any agentic workflow brief; branches from [Step 10](09-agentic-editing.md).
 - [Side Quest: Jailbreaking the Agent Brief](side-quest-10-02-jailbreak-brief.md) — explains how adversarial instructions embedded in repository content attempt to override the agent's task brief, and how the compiled brief, minimal `permissions:`, `safe-outputs`, and `network.allowed-domains` contain any partial success; branches from [Step 10](09-agentic-editing.md).
 - [Side Quest: Frontmatter Deep Dive — Part A](side-quest-11-01-frontmatter-deep-dive.md) — walkthrough of the opening, trigger, and permissions sections of `gh-aw` frontmatter, with predict-and-try activities; branches from [Step 11a](07-your-first-workflow.md).
 - [Side Quest: Frontmatter Deep Dive — Part B](side-quest-11-08-frontmatter-tools-outputs.md) — walkthrough of the tools, safe-outputs, closing fence, and agent body sections, with predict-and-try activities; continues from Part A.
-- [Side Quest: Fuzzy Schedule Expressions](side-quest-13-01-schedule-expressions.md) — quick reference for choosing between `daily`, `hourly`, `weekly`, and other fuzzy schedule expressions; branches from [Step 13](12-test-and-iterate.md).
+- [Side Quest: Fuzzy Schedule Expressions](side-quest-13-01-schedule-expressions.md) — quick reference for choosing between `daily`, `hourly`, `weekly`, and other fuzzy schedule expressions; branches from [Step 13](13-schedule-your-workflow.md).
 - [Side Quest: Evaluating and Iterating on Agent Output](side-quest-12-01-iterate-agent-output.md) — structured rubric for judging output quality, a five-row problem-to-fix reference table, and a one-change-at-a-time iteration loop; branches from [Step 12](12-test-and-iterate.md).
 - [Side Quest: GitHub Actions Expressions and Contexts](side-quest-15-01-expressions-and-contexts.md) — deep dive into `${{ }}` syntax, available context objects, output references, and `if:` conditions; branches from [Step 15](15-conditional-logic.md).
 - [Side Quest: YAML Frontmatter Pitfalls](side-quest-11-02-yaml-frontmatter.md) — reference guide for the five most common YAML mistakes; branches from [Step 11a](07-your-first-workflow.md).

diff --git a/workshop/side-quest-13-01-schedule-expressions.md b/workshop/side-quest-13-01-schedule-expressions.md
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 <!-- page-adventure: side-quest -->
 # Side Quest: Fuzzy Schedule Expressions
 
-> _Optional: use this quick reference if you want help choosing a schedule expression for [Schedule It to Run Every Day](12-test-and-iterate.md), then return to the main adventure._
+> _Optional: use this quick reference if you want help choosing a schedule expression for [Schedule It to Run Every Day](13-schedule-your-workflow.md), then return to the main adventure._
 
 ## 📋 Before You Start
 
-- You have completed [Schedule It to Run Every Day](12-test-and-iterate.md) or are working through it now.
+- You have completed [Schedule It to Run Every Day](13-schedule-your-workflow.md) or are working through it now.
 - You understand that [GitHub Actions](https://github.github.com/gh-aw/reference/triggers/) schedules use **cron expressions** (e.g., `0 9 * * 1` runs at 09:00 UTC every Monday).
 - You know how to run `gh aw compile` to regenerate a workflow's lock file.
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ If none of the fuzzy options match your exact timing need, choose the closest fu
 
 ---
 
-Return to the main adventure: [Schedule It to Run Every Day](12-test-and-iterate.md).
+Return to the main adventure: [Schedule It to Run Every Day](13-schedule-your-workflow.md).
 
 <!-- /journey -->