FAQs: Schedules

FAQs: Schedules

What are schedules, and what kinds of tasks can they handle?
Schedules are automated, user-defined actions that execute custom functions either at a specific point in time or on a recurring basis. They are designed to eliminate the need for manual intervention when handling repetitive or time-sensitive support operations.

Some practical scenarios where schedules prove valuable include:
  1. Generating a follow-up ticket every Monday morning to ensure weekly check-ins are not missed.
  2. Sending periodic reminders to agents about upcoming team meetings or deadlines.
  3. Automatically assigning unassigned tickets to designated agents at the end of each business day.
  4. Alerting agents when their assigned ticket count crosses a defined threshold.
  5. Reassigning tickets from agents who are offline to those currently available, ensuring no ticket sits idle.
Essentially, any task that follows a predictable time-based pattern can be automated through schedules, freeing up agents and administrators from having to remember and execute them manually.
What limits should be considered before creating schedules?
Several constraints govern how schedules operate within a Zoho Desk account:
  1. Account-wide limit: A maximum of 250 active schedules can exist across the entire account. This cap is not restricted to a single department — it encompasses schedules from all departments combined.
  2. Per-department limit: Each individual department can have up to 10 schedules.
  3. Start date restriction: The start date of a schedule must not be more than one year from the current date.
  4. Function size: Custom functions associated with schedules must not exceed 10,000 lines of execution.
  5. Execution duration: Each scheduled function must complete its run within 5 minutes.
Planning around these limits in advance helps avoid unexpected failures, especially in larger organizations where multiple departments may be competing for the same account-wide quota.
How to create a new schedule?
To set up a schedule:
  1. Navigate to Setup > Automation > Schedules.
  2. Click New Schedule on the Schedules page.
  3. On the Add Schedule page, enter a Schedule Name and the Description(optional).
  4. Use the Execute On field to specify the date and time the function should first run.
  5. Under Repeat, choose how often the schedule should recur or select Never.
    1. Every Hour
    2. Every Day
    3. Every Week
    4. Every Month
    5. Every Year
    6. Custom interval
  6. Select Function to be executed:
    1. Click Associate Function to link an existing custom function, or
    2. Click Create Function to write a new one using the Deluge Script Editor.
  7. Click Save to activate the schedule.
Can custom logic be added to a schedule, or is it limited to pre-built actions?
Yes, schedules are powered by custom functions written in Deluge (Zoho's scripting language) through the built-in Deluge Script Editor. This gives administrators the flexibility to define bespoke logic tailored to their organization's specific workflows rather than being restricted to a fixed set of actions. Whether you need to perform complex ticket reassignments, trigger notifications based on custom conditions, or integrate with other systems, the custom function approach allows you to encode that logic and have it execute automatically on your defined schedule.

User can either associate a function that already exists in your account or create a new one directly from the Schedules configuration page.
Is it possible to run a schedule immediately without waiting for its next scheduled execution?
Yes. Zoho Desk recognizes that certain situations demand immediate action rather than waiting for the next scheduled run. To address this, administrators can manually trigger a schedule at any time using the Run Now option.

To execute a schedule manually:
  1. Navigate to Setup > Automation > Schedules.
  2. Click the More (three-dot) icon next to the schedule.
  3. Select Run Now from the menu.
There are two important conditions to keep in mind:
  1. Manual execution is limited to twice per day per schedule.
  2. Only active schedules can be triggered manually. If a schedule is inactive or paused, the Run Now option will not be available.
How can schedule execution be monitored to ensure successful runs?
Every execution of a schedule — whether it completed successfully or encountered an error — is recorded in the Logs tab on the Schedules page. By default, this tab displays log entries from the last seven days across all schedules, regardless of their execution status.

To access the logs:
  1. Go to Setup > Automation > Schedules.
  2. Click the Logs tab.
You can also view logs for a specific schedule by clicking the More icon next to that schedule and selecting View Logs.
Can schedule logs be filtered to find specific execution records?
Yes, the logs can be filtered to narrow down results based on three criteria:
  1. Schedule — View entries for a particular schedule.
  2. Status — Filter by execution outcome (e.g., success or failure).
  3. Time period — Focus on a specific date range.
To apply filters, click the Filter icon in the upper-right corner of the Logs tab, select your desired criteria, and click Search, to return to the default view, simply click Close to reset all filters.
What happens if a scheduled function fails or takes too long to execute?
The article specifies that each scheduled function must complete its run within a 5-minute window. Functions that exceed this duration may not complete as expected. Additionally, functions must not surpass 10,000 lines of execution, which helps ensure they remain within performance boundaries.

When a function does fail, the execution outcome is captured in the schedule logs. Administrators can review these logs — filtering by status if needed — to identify which schedules encountered issues and investigate the root cause. This makes it straightforward to monitor the health of automated processes and take corrective action when necessary.
If an organization has multiple departments, can each department manage its own schedules independently?
Schedules are created and configured at the account level through the Setup > Automation > Schedules interface, but the limits apply at both the account and department levels. While up to 10 schedules can exist per department, the combined total across all departments must not exceed 250 active schedules for the entire account. This means departments are not entirely siloed — heavy usage in one department can reduce the available capacity for others. Administrators should coordinate across departments to ensure the account-wide quota is allocated effectively.