This article explains how to schedule email, SMS, or in-app messages to be sent at a later date and time on school sites. Users can create a draft, choose to send it immediately or schedule it for later, and edit the scheduled time if needed. It also addresses FAQs regarding unscheduling messages, the inability to schedule letters, and restrictions on staff access to scheduled communications.
You can queue communication messages to be sent at a later time and date that you choose, rather than having to create a draft and go back into it when you want to send it.
Please note this functionality is currently possible only on School sites, not for emails on the MAT MIS.
Scheduling a communication
To schedule a communication, click into a draft message, or write up a new email, SMS or in-app message. Once you click Proceed and preview the communication you're about to send, you can:
- click Send now to send right away
- click Send later to schedule the communication
If you choose Send later, you'll need to select the date and time you want to send the communication. Click Back or Cancel if you've changed your mind, or Schedule message to queue the communication to send at that date and time.
You'll then get a notification that the message has been scheduled, and you'll be returned to the drafts page where you'll see the scheduled date and time. Unscheduled communications will say N/A.
Editing the time or date
Click back into the draft message, click Proceed and Send now to send the message right away, or Send later again to input a different time and date as needed.
FAQ
Can we unschedule?
It isn't possible to remove the scheduling once set up, only to change it to a different time or date. If you no longer want to schedule it or send now (such as if you don't know the time and date you want to send it), you'll need to delete the draft and set it up again.
Why can't we schedule letters?
Letters are not a 'digital' form of communication, because they need to be physically printed out and sent. Because they are not automatically sent out (your school must do this), there is no need to be able to schedule them to print out in advance.
Can other staff change the scheduled time and date?
You can only see your own drafts, so other staff cannot change the scheduled date or time, or prevent a scheduled communication from being sent.
Can we schedule non-mail merge messages?
No, you can only create and manage drafts for mail merge emails, SMS and in-app messages. You cannot schedule communications in other areas of the MIS, such as when sending directly from within student or guardian profiles.
Comments
Scheduling emails and SMS is very important, especially during the holidays. This should be a service you offer.
Hi Sue, we appreciate schools would like this feature. To make sure our product team know this, please submit your feedback using the link above.
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