Overview
Scheduled messages let you prepare now an outbound message that will be sent later in the same conversation. The module supports one message, sequences and recurrences in the selected timezone. It uses the same content contract and channel checks as immediate sending.
This feature is different from:
- Campaigns, which distribute content to an audience or multiple contacts.
- Follow-up, which automates a follow-up cadence and its conditions.
- Calendar, which manages appointments. A scheduled message does not create or change one.
Prerequisites
- The Scheduled messages feature enabled for the account.
- An existing conversation and a channel capable of carrying the content.
- Agents create and manage their own schedules. Managing someone else's schedules or changing account/inbox policy requires an administrator or the Manage scheduled messages permission.
- An administrator must complete the account policy before the first publication.
Step by step
- Open a conversation and compose the message as usual.
- Beside Send, in the conversation header, or in the right-side panel, open the calendar icon and choose Schedule once, Schedule a sequence, or Schedule recurring messages. The primary Send click still sends immediately.
- Enter a name and date, then search for the timezone by city. For each message, write text, drag in media/files, or open the interactive and template composer available for the channel. For a sequence, order the items and set each interval.
- For recurrence, choose the frequency and an ending: never, until a date or after a count. For a special pattern, open Advanced settings and start from one of the explained examples before editing the rule.
- Review the preview. It shows blockers, effective policies, channel capability and the next five occurrences.
- Confirm. The conversation draft is cleared only after creation succeeds.
- Open Scheduled messages in the main navigation to manage everything. For the current conversation, use the Scheduled messages tray in the side panel.
Suggested screenshot: split send button, preview dialog and global module with the detail open.
Settings & options
In Scheduled messages → Settings, select Account defaults or A specific inbox. On a new account, choose Apply recommended setup to fill a safe baseline, then review only the exceptions. Policies are grouped by goal and searchable by name. For each Inbox policy, choose Use account default or Customize for this inbox. Counters show customized, inherited, and pending policies before you save.
Policies cover inbound replies, resolved conversations, misfires, failure retries, resume behavior, quiet hours, overlap, Inbox changes, sender, variables, daylight-saving time and materialization/recovery limits. The source of every value remains visible. If another operator saves first, reload the current version before applying your change again.
From schedule detail you can pause, resume, cancel, archive, retry or reconcile an uncertain result. For an occurrence, you can reschedule, skip, send now or retry. Always confirm the scope: this occurrence, this and future ones, or all future ones.
Media and interactive content
Inside the scheduling dialog, choose Choose from library to reuse account media, Upload from device for a new file, or drag images, video, audio, and documents onto the message. Options follow the conversation: WhatsApp Cloud shows Cloud templates and interactives; WhatsApp Web shows WhatsApp Web interactive; a Coexistence conversation shows both composers, clearly separated. Other channels do not receive incompatible actions. Content templates also open their native composer when the channel supports them. After you apply content, preview keeps its type and body visible and offers Edit or Replace in the native composer without losing the name, date, timezone, recurrence, or policies. In a sequence, Duplicate message copies the complete content; technical details stay collapsed by default.
Use cases
- Confirm a follow-up promised to the customer for tomorrow.
- Send a short instruction sequence in the same support conversation.
- Repeat a weekly reminder without creating a campaign.
- Schedule an approved template for a WhatsApp message outside the session window.
Tips, limits & best practices
- The target is always one existing conversation; audience, segment and multi-contact targets are rejected.
- Up to 500 occurrences per schedule are materialized within a 30-day horizon. Later occurrences are created progressively.
- Attachments remain linked to the schedule. Do not delete the source file while future sends exist.
- The channel is checked during preview and again when due. Disconnects, opt-outs, closed windows, unapproved templates or removed sender access may block a later send.
- Notifications are exception-only: failures or Needs attention. Normal occurrences do not create an alert each time.
- An uncertain provider effect is never retried blindly. Use Reconcile after checking the provider.
Troubleshooting
- The schedule option is missing: check the account feature and your permission.
- Preview reports an incomplete policy: an administrator must complete the account setting or the missing value at the indicated scope.
- The channel is blocked: open the blocker details and correct connection, window, template, attachment, opt-out or sender access.
- Saving or an action returns a conflict: another operator or job changed the record. Reload its detail and repeat the intention against the current version.
- An occurrence Needs attention: verify the provider outcome, then choose Reconcile → Sent, Failed or Canceled.