# Check your agent did the follow-up it promised

> Researched. Small business · Intermediate · Operations. Updated 2026-11-02.

Canonical page: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/check-your-agent-did-the-follow-up-it-promised/

## What it does
Turn every follow-up your AI agent promises into a dated task, run a daily check of what was due, and get a short list of anything that slipped.

## Who it's for
Owners whose agent said it would watch for a reply or chase something later, and then missed it.

## Tools
- ChatGPT or Claude
- A simple promise log: a note, sheet or task list
- Your inbox, to confirm replies

## Steps
1. Each time the agent promises a later action, have it write one line to a promise log: what, for whom, due date.
2. Do not rely on the agent remembering. OpenAI documents scheduled tasks in ChatGPT as one-time or recurring with notifications; use a real schedule or a calendar reminder for anything that must happen.
3. Each morning, paste the promise log and what actually happened, such as replies received and messages sent, into the prompt below.
4. Handle anything marked SLIPPED yourself, or tell the agent to draft it now for your approval.
5. If the same promise slips twice, remove it from the agent's job and put it on your own list.
6. Review the log weekly with the weekly agent review setup.

## Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
```text
Here is my agent's promise log and what actually happened. Use only what I paste.

Promise log (what, for whom, due date): [PASTE]
What happened (replies received, messages sent, tasks done): [PASTE]
Today is: [DATE]

List:
1. DONE: promises with clear evidence they happened
2. SLIPPED: due today or earlier with no evidence
3. COMING UP: due in the next 3 days
For each SLIPPED item, draft the one-line next step. Treat anything without evidence as not done.
```

## Guardrails
- What it touches: Chat input you provide (ChatGPT or Claude; A simple promise log: a note, sheet or task list).
- Needs your OK: Send, pay, publish, and account changes stay with you. Treat agent output as drafts first.
- Safety level: Read-only
- Trusting a chat promise with no schedule behind it.
- Logging promises without dates.
- Letting the agent mark its own work done without evidence.

## Tips
- Evidence beats memory: a sent message or a logged reply counts, a statement that it was handled does not.
- Put due dates on every promise.
- Keep the log where you can see it, not only inside the agent.

## Estimates (labeled, not measured)
- Time saved: About 5 minutes a day.
- Money saved: Not stated in sources.
- Tool cost: Scheduled tasks and connected apps depend on your plan. Prices: Not stated in sources.

## Sources
Summaries use the public sources below, not independent verification.
- OpenAI: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10291617-scheduled-tasks-in-chatgpt (Scheduled tasks in ChatGPT: one-time or recurring tasks with push or email notifications; project files not available to tasks (read 2026-10-31 through a page fetch tool, not a direct browser open))
- OpenAI: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11752874-chatgpt-agent (ChatGPT agent: when signed into sites or apps it can access sensitive data and perform actions (read 2026-11-02 from a search result excerpt of the page))

## Get the free starter pack
Five beginner copy-paste AI setups, free by email: https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/starter-pack/?utm_source=ai-agent&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=setup-check-your-agent-did-the-follow-up-it-promised

Related:
- [Review what your AI agent did each week](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/review-what-your-ai-agent-did-each-week/index.md)
- [Make your AI agent stop for approval](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/make-your-ai-agent-stop-for-approval-before-it-sends/index.md)
- [Set guardrails before an AI agent gets access](https://www.aisetupsthatwork.com/setups/set-guardrails-before-giving-an-ai-agent-access/index.md)