Configure Schedules Based on a Date Value | Zoho Creator Help

Configure Schedules Based on a Date Value

1. What Does This Page Cover?

Learn to configure and manage schedule workflows that can be periodically executed on a specific date and time.

2. Availability

  1. Form-based schedules can be created in all plans of Creator, while custom schedules can only be created in the paid plans.
  2. The super admin, admins, and developers can create and manage schedules.

3. Setting Up Schedule Workflows

Schedule workflows can perform actions on specific date and time values. They can run once or repeatedly in equal intervals, over a period of time. The two types of schedule Creator offers are:
  1. Custom Schedules - Starts to run on a specific date and time you provide.
    Example - An e-mail can be sent to all organization users reminding them to submit claims on the 10th of every month.
  2. Form Schedules - Starts to run on the date and time values recorded in a Creator field.
    Example - A notification can be sent to employees on a day before their onboarding, prompting them to collect their assets and access cards. It will be sent based on the onboarding date mentioned by the employee in a Creator form.

3.1. Schedule Workflow Creation Flow



3.2. See How to Configure



3.3. Steps to Create a Custom Schedule

To create a custom schedule where you provide a date and time for the schedule to start running:
1. Navigate to the edit mode of your application and click the + icon in the top-left corner of the page.

2. Click Workflow to create an automation from scratch.

3. Choose On a scheduled date to create a schedule workflow.
Note : Alternately, you can navigate to the Workflow tab and shift to the Schedules section. Afterwards:
  1. If you are creating a schedule for the first time, click Create Workflow in the center or click New Workflow in the top-right corner.
  2. If you've already created schedules, click New Workflow in the top-right corner to create a new schedule.

4. You will land in the Specify Date and Time section. Here, you configure a custom schedule to run on a date and time that you provide.
  1. Start date and time - Choose a date and time when the schedule needs to start running.
  2. Run - Choose from Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly, or Once. This decides the period in which the schedule needs to be repeated.
  3. Name the workflow - Enter a name for the workflow.
The scheduler will start to run on the custom date and time and might continue to run on a regular interval as specified.

According to the configuration depicted in the above image, the schedule will start at 15:30:00 hours on 29/02/2024 and send a notification to the user every month on the same day and time.

3.4. Steps to Create a Form Schedule

To create a form schedule where you select a Creator application's form field based on which the schedule starts running:
1. Navigate to the edit mode of your application and click the + icon in the top-left corner of the page.

2. Click Workflow to create an automation from scratch.

3. Choose On a scheduled date to create a schedule workflow.
Note: Alternately, you can navigate to the Workflow tab and shift to the Schedules section. Afterwards:
  1. If you are creating a schedule for the first time, click Create Workflow in the center or click New Workflow in the top-right corner.
  2. If you've already created schedules, click New Workflow in the top-right corner to create a new schedule.

4. Select the Choose a Date Field tab to schedule a workflow based on the input value of a Creator field.
  1. Start date field - Select a form and a compatible field. The schedule runs based on the date and time that this field provides.
Note:
  1. Compatible fields are Date, Date-Time, and the system fields Added Time and Modified Time. For the system fields, the schedule runs based on the date and time at which the record is created or edited respectively.
  2. If the chosen field is a Date field, separately choose a time at which the schedule should run.

    For the Date-Time field and the Added Time, Modified Time system fields, the time stamp present along with the date value will be considered.
  1. Execute workflow - Choose a configuration from the below table that suits your needs:
    1. On the date above - Start the first schedule on the date mentioned in the Creator field.
    2. After - Start the first schedule after a specified number of minutes, hours, days, or weeks from the date mentioned in the Creator field.
    3. Before - Start the first schedule before a specified number of minutes, hours, days, or weeks from the date mentioned in the Creator field.
Example - Say the Start date field value is 24/02/2001 and the scheduler is configured to start 4 weeks after this date. The actual date on which the schedule will start is 24/03/2001.
    1. After field - Select a single line field. The schedule will run on the final date derived by counting the input from the single line field forwards after the Creator's field's value.
      Input values: <count> minute, <count> minutes, <count> min, <count> mins, <count> hour, <count> hours, <count> day, <count> days
    2. Before field - Select a single line field. The schedule will run on the final date derived by counting the input from the single line field backwards after the Creator's field's value.
      Input values: <count> minute, <count> minutes, <count> min, <count> mins, <count> hour, <count> hours, <count> day, <count> days
Example - Say the selected single line field's value is "3 days" for a record. The schedule will run after 3 days from the Start date field value for that particular record.
Configurations to execute the schedule workflow on a date based on the Start date field:
Start Date Field Type
Execute Workflow
Time Period
(schedule the workflow to start before or after the Start date field)
Date
On the date above
-

After, Before
Days and Weeks
Date-Time/Added Time/Modified Time
On the date above
-

After, Before
Minutes, Hours, Days, and Weeks

After Field, Before Field
Minutes, Hours, Days

NoteThe maximum count value for the minutes, hours, days and weeks are 1000.
  1. Repeat Interval - Choose from Once, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly. This decides the time period in which the schedule needs to be repeated.
Note: If Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly is selected:
  1. End date field - Select the necessary Creator field, whose input value up to which the schedule will run. Compatible fields are Date, Date-Time, and the system fields Added Time and Modified Time. For the system fields, the schedule runs based on the date and time at which the record is created or edited respectively.
  2. Execute workflow Until - Choose On the date above, After, or Before to run the last schedule on the date mentioned in the Creator field or on a date that comes before or after it.

    If After or Before is chosen, mention the specific Count of Days or Weeks after or before the chosen field's value, to execute the last schedule.
    The maximum count value for the days and weeks are 1000.
  1. Name the workflow - Enter a name for the workflow.
  2. Run this process - Choose to run the schedule always or on a condition. If on condition is selected, specify the condition further.

3.5. Edit, Disable, and Delete a Schedule Workflow

  1. To edit a schedule, click on a workflow in the Workflow tab and click the Properties icon on the top-right corner.

  2. To Enable or Disable the schedule, use the toggle present across each schedule.
  3. To delete the schedule, hover over a schedule workflow in the Workflow tab and click the bin () icon.

4. Points To Note

  1. The number of custom schedules that can be executed per user per month depends on your Creator plan. See our pricing page.
  2. If you set the schedule to repeat monthly but the chosen date doesn't occur in the current month, the schedule will not run. Instead, it will wait until the next month with the same day number to execute. For example, if the start date value is 31-Mar-2024, the next monthly schedule will be on 31-May-2024.

  1. Understand Schedules
  2. Create and Manage Schedule Actions

    Zoho CRM Training Programs

    Learn how to use the best tools for sales force automation and better customer engagement from Zoho's implementation specialists.

    Zoho CRM Training
      Redefine the way you work
      with Zoho Workplace

        Zoho DataPrep Personalized Demo

        If you'd like a personalized walk-through of our data preparation tool, please request a demo and we'll be happy to show you how to get the best out of Zoho DataPrep.

        Zoho CRM Training

          Create, share, and deliver

          beautiful slides from anywhere.

          Get Started Now


            Zoho Sign now offers specialized one-on-one training for both administrators and developers.

            BOOK A SESSION









                                        You are currently viewing the help pages of Qntrl’s earlier version. Click here to view our latest version—Qntrl 3.0's help articles.




                                            Manage your brands on social media

                                              Zoho Desk Resources

                                              • Desk Community Learning Series


                                              • Digest


                                              • Functions


                                              • Meetups


                                              • Kbase


                                              • Resources


                                              • Glossary


                                              • Desk Marketplace


                                              • MVP Corner


                                              • Word of the Day


                                                Zoho Marketing Automation

                                                  Zoho Sheet Resources

                                                   

                                                      Zoho Forms Resources


                                                        Secure your business
                                                        communication with Zoho Mail


                                                        Mail on the move with
                                                        Zoho Mail mobile application

                                                          Stay on top of your schedule
                                                          at all times


                                                          Carry your calendar with you
                                                          Anytime, anywhere




                                                                Zoho Sign Resources

                                                                  Sign, Paperless!

                                                                  Sign and send business documents on the go!

                                                                  Get Started Now




                                                                          Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                                  Zoho DataPrep Resources



                                                                                    Zoho DataPrep Demo

                                                                                    Get a personalized demo or POC

                                                                                    REGISTER NOW


                                                                                      Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                      Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                      Get Started Now









                                                                                                          • Related Articles

                                                                                                          • Understand schedules

                                                                                                            Schedules let you create timed actions without any user input. These timed actions can be executed periodically based on the date and time values present in your form or on fixed date and time. You can set up a schedule to send automated emails, ...
                                                                                                          • Display different colors based on record value

                                                                                                            Requirement   Display different colors of the record in a report or page based on its value. Use Case   In a sales management application, the business owner wants to track the purchases and the sales. As a new purchase is made, the corresponding ...
                                                                                                          • Configure panel element's display value

                                                                                                            Once you have added a panel template to the page builder, you can configure and customize all the elements in it including text, image and button in the panel builder. All the display elements in a panel can be configured here. This includes: ...
                                                                                                          • Configure send SMS action in schedules

                                                                                                            To configure an SMS action: Click Add New Action block The Add New Action window slides in from the right. Zoho Creator executes the action for all records on the scheduled date. You can run the action for selected records by setting the criteria. ...
                                                                                                          • Set initial value for date, time, and date-time fields

                                                                                                            To learn about these fields, refer to date , time , and date-time The date and time values are subject to the date and time format set in your app's settings Set initial value for date field Set initial value for time field Set initial value for ...
                                                                                                            Wherever you are is as good as
                                                                                                            your workplace

                                                                                                              Resources

                                                                                                              Videos

                                                                                                              Watch comprehensive videos on features and other important topics that will help you master Zoho CRM.



                                                                                                              eBooks

                                                                                                              Download free eBooks and access a range of topics to get deeper insight on successfully using Zoho CRM.



                                                                                                              Webinars

                                                                                                              Sign up for our webinars and learn the Zoho CRM basics, from customization to sales force automation and more.



                                                                                                              CRM Tips

                                                                                                              Make the most of Zoho CRM with these useful tips.



                                                                                                                Zoho Show Resources