Task Duration

When you start a task in OutcomeDev, you might wonder how long it can actually run. The short answer: you usually don't have to think about it. Most tasks complete in minutes, and the platform manages the time budget for you.

Auto Mode: The Platform Sets the Ceiling

By default, tasks run in auto mode. You don't pick a duration; the platform derives the maximum runtime from your plan and your remaining balance, up to the infrastructure ceiling. The ceiling is a blast-radius cap, not a prediction: the task ends when the agent finishes, and you're only billed for time actually used.

In practice, agents are fast. A complete greenfield build (new repository, working app, dev server verified, branch pushed, pull request prepared) routinely lands in under five minutes. The ceiling exists so a runaway task can never silently consume your budget.

If you switch a task to manual mode, you can set the duration yourself. The same caps still apply: your plan's limit, your remaining balance, and the infrastructure maximum all bound whatever you request.

What Happens During Long Tasks

While a task runs, the workspace stays live and streams the agent's progress: its narration, file changes, and logs. In the background, your task continues even if the interface briefly reconnects; the agent doesn't stop because a connection was interrupted.

You can close your browser entirely and come back later. As long as the task hasn't hit its ceiling, you'll find it completed with a pull request ready for review.

After the Task: The Warm Window

When the agent finishes, the environment doesn't shut down instantly. It stays warm so follow-up messages get instant responses, and the window is presence-aware: if you're actively working in the task (reading, typing, using the terminal), the window extends; if you walk away, the environment shuts down shortly after and the billing clock stops.

For sessions where you know you'll iterate over a longer stretch, Keep-Alive (manual mode) keeps the environment running until you stop it. While Keep-Alive is active, the VM consumes runtime budget even when idle, so use it deliberately.

If the environment has already shut down, nothing is lost: send a follow-up message and the platform wakes a fresh sandbox from your branch, with the agent picking up exactly where its code left off.

Summary

Auto mode means duration is the platform's problem, not yours: the ceiling protects your budget, the agent usually finishes long before it matters, and the warm window follows your actual presence. Reach for manual mode and Keep-Alive only when you're deliberately running long, stateful sessions.