What is Cortask?
Cortask is a multi-agent AI orchestration platform that runs locally on your machine. It connects to large language models from multiple providers, gives them tools to interact with your filesystem, the web, and external services, and lets you extend their capabilities through a plugin-like skill system.
Everything stays under your control. Credentials are encrypted locally with AES-256-GCM, conversations are stored in per-workspace SQLite databases, and the server binds to 127.0.0.1 by default so nothing is exposed to the network.
Who is it for?
- Developers who want an AI assistant that can read, write, and execute code in their projects.
- Power users who need scheduled AI tasks (cron jobs), web research, or data processing without relying on a hosted service.
- Teams that want a self-hosted orchestration layer they can extend with custom skills and connect to messaging platforms.
Key capabilities
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Multi-provider LLM support | Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Grok, Moonshot, MiniMax, OpenRouter, and Ollama (local models). Switch providers or models at any time. |
| Tool use | Built-in tools for file I/O, bash execution, web fetch, web search, browser automation, memory, data files, and more. Up to 5 tools run concurrently per turn. |
| Skills | Extensible plugin system driven by SKILL.md files. Three tiers: text-only instructions, HTTP request templates, and full code-based tools. Install from bundled skills, user directories, or Git repos. |
| Workspaces | Isolated project contexts with their own sessions, memory, and file scope. |
| Memory | Per-workspace and global memory with semantic search powered by local or API-based embeddings. |
| Cron scheduling | Define recurring AI tasks with optional delivery to a messaging channel. |
| Spending controls | Token and cost limits (daily, weekly, or monthly) to keep API usage in check. |
| Artifacts | Rich output rendering — the agent can produce HTML previews, files, and structured data viewable in the UI. |
| Sub-agents | Spawn focused child agents for subtasks without polluting the main conversation context. |
Ways to use Cortask
Web UI
The primary interface. A React single-page application served directly by the gateway. Provides chat, session management, workspace switching, skill configuration, credential management, cron scheduling, and artifact previews.
CLI
The cortask command wraps the gateway and core packages into a terminal-friendly interface. It starts the gateway server, sends prompts, and manages workspaces, sessions, skills, credentials, cron jobs, and configuration — all from the command line.
Desktop app
An Electron application that embeds the gateway and UI into a native window with system tray support. It starts the backend automatically, handles port conflicts, and supports auto-updates. Ideal for users who prefer a standalone app over a browser tab.
Channels
Messaging platform integrations that let you interact with your agent from outside the Cortask UI:
- Telegram — bot adapter with per-user allow-lists.
- Discord — bot adapter for server-based interaction.
- WhatsApp — adapter using the WhatsApp Web protocol with trusted-contact filtering.
Each channel maps conversations to a workspace and feeds messages through the same agent runner used by the UI.
REST API
The gateway exposes a full REST API under /api for programmatic access. Endpoints cover workspaces, sessions, credentials, providers, skills, cron jobs, usage, models, templates, artifacts, channels, and configuration. Real-time streaming happens over a WebSocket connection at /ws.