Point it at sources. Get one report per run, even in a quiet week.
Watch is a general Claude routine template. You give it a list of web pages, such as a changelog or a news page. On each run it looks for new and changed items and writes one report, even when nothing changed, so a quiet week is visible.
What a watch routine does
On each scheduled run it opens every source in your list, finds items dated inside the look-back window, and compares them with what it has already seen. It writes one report, then updates its seen list last.
It is the simplest template here and a good first one to try. Replace the two example sources with your own before you switch it live.
What it is told never to do
- The prompt forbids sending, posting or deleting anything. The first run is report-only.
- The prompt treats page text as data. An instruction inside a page is ignored.
These are rules in the routine's prompt. See honest limits for what is and is not checked by code.
Source and report settings
You edit these on the Desk Settings page. Changes apply from the next run.
| Setting | Key | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sources | sources | two example URLs | Replace them. Each source adds at least one page open per run. |
| Look back (days) | lookback_days | 7 | 1 to 30. A longer window means more items to compare. |
| Max items | max_items | 25 | 5 to 100. More items means more page opens. |
| Report when empty | report_when_empty | on | Writes a short report even when nothing changed. |
Stages and the fetch connector
A stage is one step of a run. Model stages are done by Claude, code stages by a script, so the rules and the counting do not depend on a model.
| Stage | Kind | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Read sources | model | Opens each source and lists items dated inside the look-back window, up to your item limit. |
| Learn | code | Turns feedback on earlier runs into learning before the write. |
| Write the report | model | Writes the report, then updates the seen list last. |
| Connector | Needed | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Web fetch | Required | Open each source page. Nothing to connect when the run can already open web pages. |
What the Desk shows
The Desk for this template has one record type, Item, and one view. This template has no Inbox. How the Desk works.
| View | Shows | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | Active items, most recently seen first | Title, source, published |
Install the watch template
- Install the pluginIn Claude Code 2.1.275 or later. The command line tool needs Python 3.11 or later.
/plugin install routineos --marketplace devkindhq/routineos - Install the packFrom a clone of the repository root. It writes a routine folder, prints what you must connect, runs nothing and connects nothing.
python3 skills/routineos/scripts/routineos.py pack install catalog/watch.json --dir my-watch - Connect, publish, run onceConnect what the pack lists, publish the Desk, and let the first run go. Nothing leaves the routine on the first run.
The first routine guide walks a template to a first run, and Install a pack lists every refusal the installer can give. Free (MIT). Needs a paid Claude plan.
Known risks and limits
- It reads only what a page open can reach. If a source fails to load, the report says so.
- The example sources are placeholders. Replace them before you enable the routine.
- A new item is only as good as the page's dates. If a page does not date its items, they cannot be placed inside the window.
- Scheduling is a research preview and may change. See honest limits.
Related templates and reading
Jobs watch
A watch routine for public job postings, linked to companies.
All templates
Ten routines you can install with one command.
How it learns
What the routine suggests after you keep, drop or reject what it found.
More: questions and answers, schedule a routine in Claude Code, how RoutineOS maps to Rails.
Start with the simplest one.
Install RoutineOS, add Watch, and read one report to see a quiet week.