diff --git a/swh/scheduler/backend.py b/swh/scheduler/backend.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/backend.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/backend.py
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@
     task_keys = task_create_keys + ['id', 'current_interval', 'status']
 
     @autocommit
-    def create_tasks(self, tasks, cursor=None):
+    def create_tasks(self, tasks, policy='recurring', cursor=None):
         """Create new tasks.
 
         Args:
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@
         cursor.execute('select swh_scheduler_mktemp_task()')
         self.copy_to(tasks, 'tmp_task', self.task_create_keys,
                      default_columns={
-                         'policy': 'recurring',
+                         'policy': policy,
                          'status': 'next_run_not_scheduled'
                      },
                      cursor=cursor)
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/cli.py b/swh/scheduler/cli.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/cli.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/cli.py
@@ -68,6 +68,15 @@
     return ''.join(lines)
 
 
+def list_task_types(ctx, param, value):
+    if not value or ctx.resilient_parsing:
+        return
+    click.echo("Known task types:")
+    for tasktype in ctx.obj.get_task_types():
+        click.echo('{type}:\n  {description}'.format(**tasktype))
+    ctx.exit()
+
+
 @click.group(context_settings=CONTEXT_SETTINGS)
 @click.option('--cls', '-c', default='local',
               help="Scheduler's class, default to 'local'")
@@ -102,6 +111,8 @@
 
 
 @cli.group('task')
+@click.option('--list-types', '-l', is_flag=True, default=False, is_eager=True,
+              expose_value=False, callback=list_task_types)
 @click.pass_context
 def task(ctx):
     """Manipulate tasks."""
@@ -173,15 +184,57 @@
     click.echo_via_pager('\n'.join(output))
 
 
+@task.command('add')
+@click.argument('type', nargs=1, required=True)
+@click.argument('options', nargs=-1)
+@click.option('--policy', '-p', default='recurring',
+              type=click.Choice(['recurring', 'oneshot']))
+@click.option('--next-run', '-n', default=None)
+@click.pass_context
+def schedule_task(ctx, type, options, policy, next_run):
+    """Schedule one task from arguments.
+
+    Use sample:
+
+    swh-scheduler --database 'service=swh-scheduler' \
+        task add swh-lister-pypi
+
+    swh-scheduler --database 'service=swh-scheduler' \
+        task add swh-lister-debian --policy=oneshot distribution=stretch
+
+    """
+    now = arrow.utcnow()
+
+    args = [x for x in options if '=' not in x]
+    kw = dict(x.split('=', 1) for x in options if '=' in x)
+    task = {'type': type,
+            'policy': policy,
+            'arguments': {
+                'args': args,
+                'kwargs': kw,
+                },
+            'next_run': DATETIME.convert(next_run or now,
+                                         None, None),
+            }
+    created = ctx.obj.create_tasks([task])
+
+    output = [
+        'Created %d tasks\n' % len(created),
+    ]
+    for task in created:
+        output.append(pretty_print_task(task))
+
+    click.echo('\n'.join(output))
+
+
 @task.command('list-pending')
-@click.option('--task-type', '-t', required=True,
-              help='The tasks\' type concerned by the listing')
+@click.argument('task-types', required=True, nargs=-1)
 @click.option('--limit', '-l', required=False, type=click.INT,
               help='The maximum number of tasks to fetch')
 @click.option('--before', '-b', required=False, type=DATETIME,
               help='List all jobs supposed to run before the given date')
 @click.pass_context
-def list_pending_tasks(ctx, task_type, limit, before):
+def list_pending_tasks(ctx, task_types, limit, before):
     """List the tasks that are going to be run.
 
     You can override the number of tasks to fetch
@@ -189,16 +242,18 @@
     """
     num_tasks, num_tasks_priority = compute_nb_tasks_from(limit)
 
-    pending = ctx.obj.peek_ready_tasks(
-        task_type, timestamp=before,
-        num_tasks=num_tasks, num_tasks_priority=num_tasks_priority)
-    output = [
-        'Found %d tasks\n' % len(pending)
-    ]
-    for task in pending:
-        output.append(pretty_print_task(task))
+    output = []
+    for task_type in task_types:
+        pending = ctx.obj.peek_ready_tasks(
+            task_type, timestamp=before,
+            num_tasks=num_tasks, num_tasks_priority=num_tasks_priority)
+        output.append('Found %d %s tasks\n' % (
+            len(pending), task_type))
 
-    click.echo_via_pager('\n'.join(output))
+        for task in pending:
+            output.append(pretty_print_task(task))
+
+    click.echo('\n'.join(output))
 
 
 @task.command('archive')