> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.needalert.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Schedule alerts

> Schedule the alert for a future time and get a balance warning beforehand.

If you already know when the item will be available, schedule the dispatch. The bakery that takes bread out at 4 p.m., the food truck that arrives at noon, the store that opens sales of a new release at 10 a.m. on Friday.

## Schedule

**1. Open the item and click Send alert**

Turn on **Schedule for later**.

**2. Pick the date and time**

The time is always in the **establishment's time zone**, shown below the field, even if you are in a different time zone. The dispatch must be at least 10 minutes ahead and at most 90 days ahead.

**3. Write the alert and confirm**

Fill in the title and message as you would for an immediate dispatch and click **Schedule**.

Nothing is charged when you schedule. The form shows **today's estimate**, but the real cost is calculated at dispatch time, based on who is subscribed at that moment.

## Balance warning before the dispatch

About **2 hours before** the scheduled time, Need Alert checks the balance against the estimate at that moment:

* **Insufficient balance:** you get an email and a "Not enough credits for the dispatch" notification, with the expected cost and your current balance. There's still time to [buy credits](https://docs.needalert.app/en/establishments/credits.md).
* **Enough balance:** you get only a reminder notification inside Need Alert, with the number of subscribers and the expected cost. It's your chance to cancel if plans changed.

The warning goes to the owner and to members with the **Dispatch events** permission at the unit.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Dispatches scheduled less than 2 hours ahead don't get the balance warning. The estimated cost is already shown in the form.

## At the scheduled time

The dispatch goes out automatically, within about a minute of the scheduled time. It may not go out for three reasons, in which case you get an email and a notification:

| Reason | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Insufficient balance at the time** | The balance didn't cover the subscribers at dispatch time. Nothing is sent or charged. |
| **Item or unit inactive** | The item was paused or the unit was deactivated before the time. |
| **Missed the time** | The dispatch couldn't go out within 30 minutes of the scheduled time. A very late alert is worse than none, so it's dropped. |

Once it goes out, a scheduled dispatch follows the same rules as an immediate one, including the [sending error](https://docs.needalert.app/en/establishments/send-alerts.md#if-sending-fails). Archiving an item cancels its scheduled dispatches.

## Track, reschedule, and cancel

In **Dispatches**, the **Scheduled** tab shows the time, how long until it goes out, the estimated cost, and whether the balance warning was sent.

* **Reschedule:** change the time, title, or message. Changing the time resets the balance warning for the new time.
* **Cancel schedule:** the dispatch won't be sent and nothing is charged.

You can only reschedule or cancel while the dispatch is **Scheduled**. You can't have two scheduled dispatches of the same item in the same minute.


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