> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://django-cloud.gitbook.io/django-cloud-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://django-cloud.gitbook.io/django-cloud-docs/guides/background-tasks.md).

# Background tasks and scheduled jobs

Your deployment runs a web process: uvicorn (or gunicorn) serving your Django app. Anything that runs *inside* that process, such as a thread or a scheduler started at import time, stops when the container restarts and runs once per instance.

{% hint style="warning" %}
DjangoCloud deploys one web service per project. Running a separate Celery worker or scheduler as part of the same project isn't something it sets up for you today.
{% endhint %}

## What works today

* **Short work inside a request.** Anything that finishes while the user waits.
* **Work triggered from outside.** For example a scheduled GitHub Action, or an external cron service calling a protected URL in your app that does the work.
* **Work in another service.** Run your worker where you like, for example as a second Lightsail container service in your own AWS account, using the same image and the same `DATABASE_URL` and broker settings.

## Tips

* Make jobs **idempotent**. With more than one instance, or after a restart, the same job can be triggered twice.
* Don't rely on local disk to pass data between a request and a job. See [the ephemeral container](/django-cloud-docs/how-it-works/ephemeral-container.md).
* Keep the broker (such as Redis) outside the container.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://django-cloud.gitbook.io/django-cloud-docs/guides/background-tasks.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.