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At Time Trigger Block

The At Time trigger runs an automation based on a schedule instead of a customer action. It can run immediately, at a specific future time, or on a repeating schedule. Because this trigger does not automatically include contacts, a Select Contacts block is required to ensure contacts enter the automation when it runs.

What’s in This Article

What This Trigger Does

The At Time trigger starts an automation based on a schedule, not a customer action.

Instead of waiting for something to happen (like a purchase or message), this trigger runs:

  • Immediately

  • At a specific future time

  • Or on a repeating schedule

Think of this trigger as:
“Run this automation on my timeline.”

When to Use This Trigger

Use At Time when you want to:

  • Send scheduled messages or reminders

  • Run recurring reports or data tasks

  • Perform regular system maintenance actions

  • Launch campaigns at a specific date and time

This trigger is ideal for time-based automation, not behavior-based automation.

When Not to Use This Trigger

Do not use At Time if:

  • You want to react to a customer action (use an event-based trigger)

  • The automation should start when data changes

  • Timing depends on individual customer behavior (use delays instead)

Run Options Explained

When configuring the At Time trigger, you’ll choose one of the following run types:

Run Immediately

Runs the automation as soon as it is enabled. This is the same functionality as a Blast.

Best for:

  • One-time backfills or tagging

  • Testing or setup automations

Scheduled Time

Runs the automation once at a specific future date and time. This is the same functionality as a Blast.

Best for:

  • One time promos

  • Event reminders

  • Announcements

  • Limited-time offers

Repeating

At Time Trigger Block Gif

Runs the automation on a recurring schedule.

Best for:

  • Birthday campaigns

  • Daily or weekly reports

  • Ongoing reminders

  • Cleanup or maintenance workflows

  • Regular check-ins

Common Use Cases

Customers commonly use At Time to:

  • Send Birthday Promos

  • Send a weekly Patch report

  • Remind customers of upcoming events

  • Run A/B tests

What Data This Trigger Has Access To

The At Time trigger does not rely on customer events. Instead it starts the automation at the scheduled time.

⚠️ Because of this, contact selection with the Select Contacts action block is required after the At Time block.

Important Things to Know

⚠️ Keep these in mind:

  • This trigger does not automatically target contacts

  • You must explicitly Select Contacts with the action block

  • Repeating automations will continue until disabled or their set end date

  • Time zones follow your account’s configuration

  • This trigger will not re-run past schedules if the automation was disabled

Example Automations

Example 1: Weekly Report

  1. At Time → Repeating (Weekly)

  2. Select Contacts

  3. Create Report

  4. Send Email or Slack Message

Example 2: Campaign Launch

  1. At Time → Scheduled Time

  2. Filter contacts

  3. Send Email

  4. Delay

  5. Send SMS follow-up

Best Practices

✔ Keep the automation focused on one goal
✔ Add filters if the trigger applies to many contacts
✔ Pair with delays, segments, and tags  to avoid over-messaging
✔ Name the automation clearly based on the trigger