What is a scheduled message?
Some messages are best sent later. A reminder the day before an appointment, a check-in on a weekday morning, a reply you wrote at midnight that should land at opening time. A scheduled message lets you, or your AI agent, write now and send later. Here is what that means, where it helps, where it can go wrong and how to get the timing right.
In one sentence
A scheduled message is a message written now and sent automatically at a set date and time later, in the local time you choose, such as an appointment reminder for the morning before. Until it goes out you can change it or cancel it, and it follows the same safety limits as any other message.
In more detail
Think of a letter you write today and post next week. The words are ready; only the timing waits. A scheduled message is that letter, except you do not have to remember to post it.
Scheduling is about the person receiving the message. A reminder is useful the day before, not a week before. A follow-up reads better on a Tuesday morning than at 23:00 on a Saturday. A reply drafted late at night can look calmer arriving at nine.
The time is set in a time zone. "9am" means nine in the morning somewhere, and it matters where. If your customer is in a different country, or you are travelling, check which time zone the message is set in, so it arrives when you meant.
A scheduled message is a single message to one person at one time. That makes it different from a routine, which repeats an action whenever a trigger happens, and from a follow-up sequence, which sends a few messages with gaps between them and stops when the person replies.
Scheduled messages are still messages. They count towards the account's limits, they should be wanted by the person receiving them, and they should still make sense when they arrive. The table below shows how a dental practice might use them. Names and details are examples.
An example
| When it is written | When it is sent, and what it says |
|---|---|
| Monday, when Ben books a check-up | Wednesday 09:00: "Hi Ben, a reminder that your check-up is tomorrow at 14:00 with Dr Shah. Reply here if you need to change it." |
| Tuesday 22:40, the owner answers a question about whitening | Wednesday 08:30: the reply goes out as the practice opens, rather than late at night. |
| Thursday, after Ben's check-up | The following Monday 10:00: "Hi Ben, thanks for coming in last week. If you have a moment, we would love a review." |
| Friday, Ben replies to say he has moved away | The practice cancels a scheduled six-month reminder, because it no longer makes sense. |
Scheduled message, routine or follow-up sequence
| Scheduled message | Routine | Follow-up sequence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One message at one set time | A rule that does a set action on a trigger or schedule | A few messages with gaps, stopping when they reply |
| Who writes it | You or your AI agent, in advance | You, once, as a set reply | You or your AI agent, in advance |
| Good for | Reminders, a reply at opening time, a one-off check-in | The same answer every time, a daily summary | Chasing a quote or an unanswered enquiry |
| Stops when the person replies? | No, so cancel it if it no longer fits | Depends on the trigger | Yes |
If you find yourself scheduling the same message again and again, a routine may suit you better. If you are scheduling a chain of chasers to one person, a follow-up sequence is safer, because it stops by itself when they answer.
Good uses and bad uses
| Good uses | Uses to avoid |
|---|---|
| Appointment and booking reminders | Sending the same promotion to a long list of people |
| A reply written late, sent at opening time | Messaging people who never contacted you |
| A check-in a few days after a job | Scheduling many messages for the same minute |
| Asking for a review after a visit | Scheduling far ahead and forgetting about it |
| A reminder you promised a customer | Messages at night or very early in the morning |
The pattern is simple. Scheduled messages work well when they are personal, expected and well timed. They go wrong when they become a way to send a lot of the same thing to people who did not ask.
Getting the timing right
- Say the day, the time and the time zone. "Wednesday at 9am London time" leaves no room for doubt.
- Use working hours. If a message would land outside the hours you choose, it should wait until they start again.
- Spread them out. Ten reminders at exactly 09:00 look automated. Spread them through the morning.
- Avoid weekends and late evenings for anything that is not urgent.
- Check before big days. Before a bank holiday or a closure, look at what is scheduled and move or cancel anything that no longer fits.
Asking your AI agent to schedule a message
You do not need a special screen. You can ask your agent in plain words, and it is worth giving it standing rules in its notes. Here is an example. Names and details are examples.
When a customer books, schedule a reminder for 09:00 the day before,
UK time, on the channel they booked through. Use their first name, the
date, the time and the practitioner. Keep it to two sentences.
Only schedule messages between 09:00 and 18:00 on weekdays.
If a customer cancels or moves away, cancel any messages scheduled for them.
Every Monday, show me the messages scheduled for the week ahead.What if...
- The customer replies before the message goes out? A scheduled message does not stop by itself. Check whether it still makes sense, and change or cancel it.
- The account is at a limit when the time comes? The message waits a little and goes out when there is room, rather than being lost.
- Sending is paused? Scheduled messages wait during the pause and carry on when you resume. Check them first in case any are out of date.
- The conversation has been handed to a person? Scheduled messages stay out of that chat until it is handed back.
- You want a person to check it before it goes? Ask your agent to hold messages as drafts. A held scheduled message waits for your approval.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the time zone, so reminders arrive an hour early or in the middle of the night.
- Scheduling and forgetting. Look at what is waiting at least once a week.
- Using scheduling for bulk promotions. That is the kind of sending platforms restrict.
- Scheduling a message to someone new on WhatsApp who has not messaged you. New chats there need the person to have written first or to have agreed to hear from you.
- Bunching every message at the same minute.
Why it matters for your business
- Messages arrive when they are most useful, not just when you happened to write them.
- Reminders cut down on no-shows and late cancellations without you remembering each one.
- Late-night replies can land at a sensible hour, which reads better to customers.
- Your AI agent can schedule and tidy messages for you, so nothing depends on memory.
- Working hours and limits keep scheduled messages from turning into bursts or night-time messages.
How Spaces handles it
Spaces can save a message for a set local time with a time zone, on your connected accounts. You, or your AI agent, can list waiting messages, change them and cancel them. Working hours can be set on scheduled messages and routines, and a scheduled message outside its working hours waits until they start again. On WhatsApp, new chats and follow-ups also only go out during daytime hours, which the WhatsApp limits page lists.
Scheduled messages follow the same pacing and limits as any other send. If an account is at a limit when the time comes, the message is delayed rather than lost. Scheduled messages do not go into a conversation that has been handed to a person, and they wait during a pause of all sending, then carry on after you resume. If you have asked your agent to hold messages as drafts, a scheduled message waits for your approval and goes out once you approve it.
For LinkedIn and Instagram, your agent can also schedule posts for a set local time, once or every week or month, with an optional first comment. If you want messages that stop by themselves when someone replies, use a follow-up sequence instead; the pricing page shows which plans include follow-ups.
In short
A scheduled message is written now and sent later, at a time that suits the person receiving it. It is ideal for reminders, well-timed replies and one-off check-ins.
Set the time zone, use working hours, spread messages out and look at what is waiting each week. Keep scheduling personal, and leave bulk sending alone.
FAQ
Can I change a scheduled message after I set it?
Yes. Until it is sent you can change the text or the time, or cancel it. In Spaces, you or your AI agent can list, edit and cancel waiting messages.
What time zone does a scheduled message use?
The one you set with it. Always say the time zone when you ask your agent to schedule something, especially if customers or staff are in different countries.
Does a scheduled message stop if the customer replies?
No. It is a single message set for a time, so check whether it still fits and cancel it if not. A follow-up sequence is the kind that stops by itself when someone replies.
Do scheduled messages count towards my limits?
Yes. They follow the same pacing and daily limits as any other message. If an account is at a limit, the message waits a little rather than being lost.
What happens to scheduled messages when I pause sending?
In Spaces, they wait during the pause and carry on when you resume. Look at them before resuming in case anything has changed.
Can I schedule messages to people who have never contacted me?
Be careful. On WhatsApp, Spaces only starts a new chat with someone who has messaged your number before or whom you marked as opted in. On every channel, unexpected messages to strangers are the kind platforms restrict.
Can my AI agent schedule reminders for every booking?
Yes, if you tell it to in its notes and it can see the bookings. Spaces does not connect to booking systems itself, so the agent needs its own way to read them, or you tell it about each booking.
Can I schedule social media posts as well?
In Spaces, your agent can schedule posts on LinkedIn and Instagram for a set local time, once or repeating weekly or monthly, with an optional first comment.