diff --git a/src/agents/agent-tools.deferred-followup-guidance.test.ts b/src/agents/agent-tools.deferred-followup-guidance.test.ts
index 2a8acbaea796..8cf81665d142 100644
--- a/src/agents/agent-tools.deferred-followup-guidance.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/agent-tools.deferred-followup-guidance.test.ts
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ import {
 } from "./tool-description-presets.js";
 import { createConversationsSendTool } from "./tools/conversation-tools.js";
 
-function findToolDescription(toolName: string, includeCron: boolean) {
+function findToolDescription(toolName: string, schedulerToolName?: "automations" | "cron") {
   const tools = applyToolAvailabilityDescriptions([
     { name: "exec", description: "exec base" },
     { name: "process", description: "process base" },
-    ...(includeCron ? [{ name: "cron", description: "cron base" }] : []),
+    ...(schedulerToolName ? [{ name: schedulerToolName, description: "scheduler base" }] : []),
   ] as AnyAgentTool[]);
   const tool = tools.find((entry) => entry.name === toolName);
   return {
@@ -26,22 +26,25 @@ function findToolDescription(toolName: string, includeCron: boolean) {
 }
 
 describe("createOpenClawCodingTools availability guidance", () => {
-  it("keeps cron-specific guidance when cron survives filtering", () => {
-    const exec = findToolDescription("exec", true);
-    const process = findToolDescription("process", true);
+  it.each(["automations", "cron"] as const)(
+    "uses canonical automation guidance when %s survives filtering",
+    (schedulerToolName) => {
+      const exec = findToolDescription("exec", schedulerToolName);
+      const process = findToolDescription("process", schedulerToolName);
 
-    expect(exec.toolNames).toEqual(["exec", "process", "cron"]);
-    expect(exec.description).toBe(
-      "Run shell now; background continuation supported. Use yieldMs/background, then process for logs/status/input/intervention. Long run: automatic completion wake when enabled and output/failure occurs; otherwise process confirms completion. No sleep/delay loops for reminders/follow-ups; use cron. TTY CLI/UI/coding agent: pty=true.",
-    );
-    expect(process.description).toBe(
-      "Control existing exec: list, poll, log, write, send-keys, submit, paste, kill. poll/log: status, output, quiet success, completion without auto-wake, input hints. Others: input/intervention. No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses cron.",
-    );
-  });
+      expect(exec.toolNames).toEqual(["exec", "process", schedulerToolName]);
+      expect(exec.description).toBe(
+        "Run shell now; background continuation supported. Use yieldMs/background, then process for logs/status/input/intervention. Long run: automatic completion wake when enabled and output/failure occurs; otherwise process confirms completion. No sleep loops for reminders/follow-ups; use automations. TTY CLI/UI/coding agent: pty=true.",
+      );
+      expect(process.description).toBe(
+        "Control existing exec: list, poll, log, write, send-keys, submit, paste, kill. poll/log: status, output, quiet success, completion without auto-wake, input hints. Others: input/intervention. No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses automations.",
+      );
+    },
+  );
 
-  it("drops cron-specific guidance when cron is unavailable", () => {
-    const exec = findToolDescription("exec", false);
-    const process = findToolDescription("process", false);
+  it("drops automation guidance when the scheduler is unavailable", () => {
+    const exec = findToolDescription("exec");
+    const process = findToolDescription("process");
 
     expect(exec.toolNames).toEqual(["exec", "process"]);
     expect(exec.description).toBe(
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.descriptions.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.descriptions.ts
index 1c26c23e32e7..b858d4cb3ed9 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.descriptions.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.descriptions.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function describeExecTool(params?: {
         ];
   const base = [
     ...continuation,
-    params?.hasCronTool ? "No sleep/delay loops for reminders/follow-ups; use cron." : undefined,
+    params?.hasCronTool ? "No sleep loops for reminders/follow-ups; use automations." : undefined,
     "TTY CLI/UI/coding agent: pty=true.",
   ]
     .filter(Boolean)
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export function describeProcessTool(params?: { hasCronTool?: boolean }): string
     "Control existing exec: list, poll, log, write, send-keys, submit, paste, kill.",
     "poll/log: status, output, quiet success, completion without auto-wake, input hints. Others: input/intervention.",
     params?.hasCronTool
-      ? "No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses cron."
+      ? "No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses automations."
       : undefined,
   ]
     .filter(Boolean)
diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
index a3deb0c25dec..91510da8cda1 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ const runNotifyNoopCase = async ({ label, defaults, expectNotification }: Notify
 };
 
 describe("tool descriptions", () => {
-  it("adds cron-specific deferred follow-up guidance only when cron is available", () => {
+  it("adds automation follow-up guidance only when the scheduler is available", () => {
     const execWithCron = createTestExecTool({ hasCronTool: true });
     const processWithCron = createProcessTool({ hasCronTool: true });
 
@@ -698,10 +698,10 @@ describe("tool descriptions", () => {
     expect(processWithCron.description).toContain("completion without auto-wake");
     expect(processWithCron.description).toContain("write, send-keys, submit, paste, kill");
     expect(execWithCron.description).toContain(
-      "No sleep/delay loops for reminders/follow-ups; use cron.",
+      "No sleep loops for reminders/follow-ups; use automations.",
     );
     expect(processWithCron.description).toContain(
-      "No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses cron.",
+      "No polling as timer/reminder; scheduled follow-up uses automations.",
     );
     expect(execTool.description).not.toContain("use cron instead");
     expect(processTool.description).not.toContain("scheduled follow-ups");
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.test.ts b/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.test.ts
index e10dc82c4ef8..7648a5a03071 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@ describe("createHeartbeatResponseTool", () => {
 
     const outcome = readSchemaProperty(tool.parameters, "outcome");
     const priority = readSchemaProperty(tool.parameters, "priority");
+    const scratch = readSchemaProperty(tool.parameters, "scratch");
 
+    expect(tool.catalogMode).toBe("direct-only");
+    expect(tool.description).toContain("Scratch is monitor prose only.");
+    expect(tool.description).not.toMatch(/\b(?:cron|automations)\b/);
+    expect(JSON.stringify(tool.parameters)).not.toMatch(/\b(?:cron|automations)\b/);
+    expect(scratch.description).toContain("not a recurring schedule");
     expect(outcome.type).toBe("string");
     expect(outcome.enum).toEqual(["no_change", "progress", "done", "blocked", "needs_attention"]);
     expect(priority.type).toBe("string");
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.ts b/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.ts
index a1bc152d07fd..6ce52ff0e99d 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/heartbeat-response-tool.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ const HeartbeatResponseToolSchema = Type.Object(
     nextCheck: Type.Optional(Type.String()),
     scratch: Type.Optional(
       Type.String({
-        description:
-          "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose. Recurring schedules belong in automations, not scratch.",
+        description: "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose; not a recurring schedule.",
       }),
     ),
   },
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ export function createHeartbeatResponseTool(): AnyAgentTool {
     catalogMode: "direct-only",
     displaySummary: "Accept heartbeat outcome/notify choice.",
     description:
-      "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only; recurring work belongs in automations.",
+      "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only.",
     parameters: HeartbeatResponseToolSchema,
     execute: async (_toolCallId, args) => {
       if (!isRecord(args)) {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/codex-dynamic-tools.heartbeat-turn.json b/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/codex-dynamic-tools.heartbeat-turn.json
index d49a6fd676f7..5dc5f6a13073 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/codex-dynamic-tools.heartbeat-turn.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/codex-dynamic-tools.heartbeat-turn.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       "name": "openclaw_direct",
       "tools": [
         {
-          "description": "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only; recurring work belongs in automations.",
+          "description": "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only.",
           "inputSchema": {
             "additionalProperties": false,
             "properties": {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
                 "type": "string"
               },
               "scratch": {
-                "description": "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose. Recurring schedules belong in automations, not scratch.",
+                "description": "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose; not a recurring schedule.",
                 "type": "string"
               },
               "summary": {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md.diff b/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md.diff
index 75e1969561ca..241b6268b3d4 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md.diff
+++ b/test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md.diff
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- telegram-direct-codex-message-tool.md	sha256=0a75703590d0c2198fdadbf2e427bd7f3242ebfb7d10ae339585e17f566be58c
-+++ telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md	sha256=c2205edcd94a0c5735c4ef1d6250a10ae111b3df58d53583a13d6bb197104fa0
++++ telegram-heartbeat-codex-tool.md	sha256=3d557f5b83324ad5ff9ab39c3fed596c3aaf935f084674a0a620d452a1102489
 @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
 -# Telegram Direct Codex Message Tool Turn
 +# Telegram Direct Codex Heartbeat Tool Turn
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
 @@ -235,2 +230,2 @@
 -    "chars": 54893,
 -    "roughTokens": 13724
-+    "chars": 56455,
-+    "roughTokens": 14114
++    "chars": 56386,
++    "roughTokens": 14097
 @@ -243,2 +238,2 @@
 -    "chars": 27336,
 -    "roughTokens": 6834
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@
 @@ -247,2 +242,2 @@
 -    "chars": 82231,
 -    "roughTokens": 20558
-+    "chars": 84135,
-+    "roughTokens": 21034
++    "chars": 84066,
++    "roughTokens": 21017
 @@ -251,2 +246,2 @@
 -    "chars": 863,
 -    "roughTokens": 216
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 @@ -699,0 +696,39 @@
 +  },
 +  {
-+    "description": "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only; recurring work belongs in automations.",
++    "description": "Accept heartbeat result for post-turn handling. `notify=false` no visible send. `notify=true` needs concise notificationText. Scratch is monitor prose only.",
 +    "inputSchema": {
 +      "additionalProperties": false,
 +      "properties": {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 +          "type": "string"
 +        },
 +        "scratch": {
-+          "description": "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose. Recurring schedules belong in automations, not scratch.",
++          "description": "Complete replacement for heartbeat monitor prose; not a recurring schedule.",
 +          "type": "string"
 +        },
 +        "summary": {