Purpose:
The purpose of this article is to provide information to Outreach Users regarding sequence schedules.
Schedules are a series of time blocks set up on various calendar days of the week that reflect the time frames when emails should be delivered from a sequence and tasks can be created.
Sequence schedules ensure that tasks are processed during reasonable times and days when recipients are most likely available.
Intended Audience:
- Outreach Users
Sequence Schedule Overview:
How Schedules Work
In a sequence with steps by day interval, steps are scheduled to start at a set interval time (15 mins, 2 hours, 5 days, etc.). Intervals will then correspond with the schedule, looking at schedule time blocks, to decide whether it should or should not initiate that step.
If a step lands outside of an available time block, Outreach will wait until the next available window to initiate that step. As that step moves forward, the rest of the schedule will move forward so the following steps do not play 'catch up'. 
For more information on schedule intervals, refer to the Sequence Overview article.
An example of this in action would look like:
- Step 1 email goes out on day 1.
- Step 2 email is scheduled to be delivered 3 days later.
- 3 days later, step 2 lands on a Sunday.
- Since there are no available time blocks on Sunday, per the schedule owner's customization, step 2 will not send until the next available time block.
- The next available time block is Monday from 7 AM - 4 PM, so it waits until 7 AM on Monday to send step 2.
- Step 3, which was scheduled for 3 days after step 2, will now send 3 days after Monday instead of 3 days after Sunday
Sequence Schedule Settings:
How To Access Sequence Schedules:
- Access the Outreach Platform.
- Click the user's initials in the bottom left corner of the navigation sidebar.
- Click Schedules under the System Config section in the Settings panel.
- Either click an existing schedule or click Add to open a new schedule.
For more information regarding creating a sequence schedule, refer to the How To Create a Sequence Schedule article.
A sequence schedule can be configured based on the information described in the table below:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Schedule Name | Identifies the name of the schedule. |
| Owner | Identifies the owner of the schedule. |
| Scheduling Options |
Identifies when an email or task should process. |
| Time blocks |
Identifies the timeframes in which tasks can process. For more information in adding time blocks, refer to the How To Create a Sequence Schedule article. |
Scheduling Options: Timezones
Outreach provides users with the opportunity to configure a specific timezone for sequences as described in the table below:
| Scheduling Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Use prospect's timezone as default | Scheduled emails and tasks process based on the timezone listed for each individual Prospect. |
| Use sender's timezone if prospect timezone is unavailable | Scheduled emails and tasks process based on the sequencer's default timezone as established by the user's calendar settings instead of the schedule's default timezone. |
| Default timezone | Scheduled emails and tasks process based on the selected timezone when either prospect or sender timezone option is unavailable. |
| Exclude Federal US holidays from schedule |
Emails and tasks process on the next available schedule block after the holiday; recognized US Federal holidays will be skipped. Note: Click the more information (?) icon to view the federally recognized holidays. |
Additional Resources:
How To Create a Sequence Schedule
Strategy Spotlight: Sequences - Creating the Engine for Your Playbook (Part 1 of 3)
University - Sequence Maneuvering
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